[Journey with Jesus – Day 15]
The news came to us via one of John the Baptist’s disciples. After languishing in prison for months, Herod had him executed, apparently to please his wife and step-daughter. I looked at Jesus’s reaction when he heard and honestly I’d never seen him like that; he was distraught, it was like someone had punched him in the stomach. He gave the disciples a long hug and then tore himself away. When he did so, he turned to us and said, “Lads, I could really do with getting away for a bit – just us. Do you think you could sort that for me?”
I immediately piped up, “Of course we can, can’t we, lads? I know exactly where we can go” I nodded towards the shore and we walked towards the boat. I didn’t really know what to say, so I turned and murmured, “I’m sorry, master.”
Jesus gave a sad shrug and said, “John was one of a kind, wasn’t he?” Then, he went straight over to Andrew, my brother, who looked really cut up – he’d been one of John’s disciples, after all – he put his arm around his shoulder and they walked on ahead together. I’ve no idea what was said, but it was typical Jesus, always looking out for other people.
So, we climbed into the boat and rowed in silence. We were only going a couple of miles down the shore, but hopefully it would give Jesus the space he needed. He gave so much of himself for others all the time, so it was only fair that he had some space for himself.
We neared the shore, looking forward to the solitude when someone on the boat called out, “Master, look! We’ve been rumbled!” and pointed towards the shore. I looked and I could not believe it. There were hundreds of people, if not thousands gathered there.
“Master,” I cried, “What shall we do? Shall we go somewhere else?”
Jesus shook his head. “I can’t do that. They have so much need. I can help them. Let’s get out of the boat.” So he stepped out and that was the last we saw him for the next few hours – he was surrounded by people reaching out for him – either they were in need themselves, or they were appealing on someone else’s behalf. He gave everyone time, turned no one away. It was simply beautiful as one by one people received healing, restoration, hope. All because of the compassion that burned in him. But he was so drained – he couldn’t go on and on and on … but he did. Then it started to get dark. I went up to him, tapped him on the shoulder. “Master, we’re in the middle of nowhere. It’s already getting late. I think you need to send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus had this funny smile on his face. I should have known there was something up as soon as I saw it. “You don’t need to do that,” he said, “You can feed them.”
I think my jaw dropped to the ground. “You’re kidding, right?”
He shook his head. “Oh o – kay.”
I turned back to the other disciples, who, like me, were starving and wanted to go and get some food.
“What did the Teacher say?” Thomas asked.
“He said we could feed the crowd.”
Thomas barked with laughter and then saw my expression. “Oh, he wasn’t joking. Right. We better find out what food there is around.”
So we did, and Andrew came back to Jesus, “Master, we only have five loaves and two fish.”
“Bring them here,” Jesus replied. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. There was a few minutes of bustling as the message got passed around the crowd and people sat down in groups.
He then took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and prayed, “I bless you, Father, that you are our provider, and that you give us more than enough. Thank you for these gifts of bread and fish, freely given. May they feed your people.”
He then broke the bread into pieces, and with that same almost mischievous smile, beckoned to us. “Could you give these to the people?”
“Umm, ok?” We answered. “This is going to be embarrassing,” I murmured under my breath to Andrew. He nodded, and as I approached the nearest group, shrugged and replied, “Well, here goes.”
So, I handed out the food to the first group, readying my apology for when it would run out, except it … never did. I kept looking down and there was enough food to feed the next group of people. This happened again and again, and again. I shook my head and looked around – I was clearly not the only one as each of the other disciples were shaking their heads too. It was unbelievable! If the miracle weren’t happening in our hands I wouldn’t have believed it. I looked over to Jesus and he beamed at me, then let out this great big belly laugh. Well, that set me off, until tears of joy were streaming down my face.
Everyone ate as much as they wanted, and afterwards, we went around gathering up the leftovers – there were twelve baskets. We did a head count and reckon that 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! It was utterly incredible. Incredible that he had time for them in the first place, that he was filled with compassion for them and didn’t turn them away; and incredible that he fed them with just five loaves and two fish. But perhaps the most incredible thing of all was that Jesus allowed us to take part. We were part of the miracle, part of Jesus’s plan to help those people. It’s amazing what can happen when you allow yourself to be used for God’s plans and purposes.
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