A Child Offers to Work with Jesus

This John 6 pericope is unique[i] to John’s gospel in that it is the child who offers his or her lunch to be the kernel that feeds the multitudes and it was the central passage to the theological perspective of my dissertation on children’s formation of compassion.[ii]  And though it is most tempting to focus on my perspectives[iii], I want to share with you the best perspective I’ve ever heard preached on this passage while in Nicaragua.

John 6:1-21

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Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.  When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going?

In 2002 I was blessed to participate in a short term mission trip to Nicaragua [iv]and Enrique Montenegro, the Wesleyan Assistant District Superviser for Nicaragua led a morning devotion among our group and the teachers we had come to encourage.  I was able to “hear” his point even though my Spanish is quite limited which speaks to the power of his words. 

Pastor Enrique focused first on the reaction of the two disciples:  Phillip and Andrew.  Phillip threw up his hands and said it couldn’t be done;  Andrew suggested there was at least one lunch available.  Pastor Enrique said, emphatically, “Cuál eres tu?  (Which one are you?)

The teachers at this school served children whose parents were killed or whose homes were destroyed in Hurricane Mitch in 1997.  The story of hunger had deep meaning for them.  But Pastor Enrique went further,

Are you a teacher who throws up her hands and says, "I have no books, no paper, no construction paper.  How can I be expected to teach?"  Do you listen to the teaching team from Wisconsin and say to yourself, "It’s easy for them to teach, they have everything!"  Or are you like Andrew?  Do you see an opportunity to learn to do a better job of teaching with what you have?

Pastor Enrique went on to suggest that the child is on the only one who truly works with God.   It is the child who firmly offered his “gifts” to be used by Jesus.  Pastor Enrique challenged us to think as a child, to bring our gifts in full knowledge and faith that with them God can do wonders. 

Reflections with Children and Teachers/Pastors

Ray Foxell

Have you ever felt like Phillip and wanted to give up trying to help people because the job seemed too big? 

What might have drawn the child to offer his or her lunch? 

Can you imagine yourself in this situation?  What might you have suggested?  Do you sense the people around him realized Jesus’ power?  Do you think the child might have?  If so, why? 

In what ways might God be inviting you to see as Andrew might have?

What gifts is God calling you to use to help others? 

What needs of people can you serve with what you have here and now, today? 

How have you seen God use the gifts of other people to help people in need?

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[i] John’s gospel is unique in offering the child’s role in sharing a lunch.  Most commentaries ignore this element as well.  Some suggest it is insignificant because only John reports it;  This doesn’t hold to the Great Commission passage in Matthew 28:19:  As you are going, baptizing and teaching them… which is the cornerstone of evangelism.  One cannot help but wonder if the dismissal comes because children are perceived as so insignificant in our culture? 

[ii] Most scholars focus on this larger passage as the key piece of the communal worship:  Jesus is the bread of life.  This is a very important study as well as the perspective of the child. 

[iii] I cannot resist sharing that when I first discussed this passage with Sunday School class of third and fourth graders in Wisconsin, they were dumbfounded:  “Why couldn’t they just go to McDonald’s and get burgers for everyone?  They do it for firefighters here when there is a big fire!”  I get great delight over their perspective on problem-solving but you must also see within it, that at nine and ten years old, they already have bought into our cultural perspective that we can solve all the problems by our own skills.  This is the blessing and curse of American culture:  We are rich in our innovation and creativity that enables us, at our best, to address cultural diversity and concepts, such as freedom, in such amazing and unique ways.  At our worst, we struggle as a culture to perceive what Nicaraguans know:  The less they have, the more they realize it is God from whom all goodness comes, not their own doing.  If only we could do the both/and here:  Maintain creativity and recognize God  as the source!

[iv] I humbly suggest that our teaching team of four approached this mission trip with the right heart:  It was our goal first to learn:  To see with God’s eyes to understand their culture and needs and how to become better teachers for the students we serve at home.  Second, we saw ourselves there not to preach nor to direct:  We were there to listen and encourage and inspire the teachers we served to be the best teachers they could be.  We tried to walk alongside them in their work and invite them to do so with our work.  That is the essence of all good teacher training and Pastor Enrique’s messages confirmed that was our role!