A Boy's Lunch
“Mama, may I go listen to the Teacher? He’s up on the hill, and the whole town is going.”
“I guess, if you stay out of the way. I wish I could go. Here, Eli, take your lunch with you.” She puts two small loaves of bread, and a fish, in a sack and starts to hand it to him, then pulls it back. “The Teacher and His followers may be hungry. Wanderers often are.” She speaks so quietly, he can barely hear her. But he sees what she is doing.
“But Mama, that’s YOUR lunch. You will go hungry if you give it away.”
She smiles as she places the other three loaves and the rest of the fish in the bag. “I’ve gone hungry before. It won’t hurt me.”
When Eli arrives where the Teacher is, there is already a crowd. Somehow, the Teacher settles everyone down, and begins to speak. He is so soft-spoken, yet everyone can hear Him. Eli tries to understand what He’s saying, but the words He speaks are confusing when you’re only nine. As the sun rises higher, Eli thinks about his lunch, but decides to wait, because all manner of sick and crippled people are being brought to the Teacher. This is what Eli wanted to see.
He is amazed that the stories are true. By making himself quiet and small, Eli manages to come within a few yards of the Teacher, and sees legs strengthened, leprosy healed, limbs re-grown. He sees blind Samuel who sits on the side of the road and begs for food. Eli’s mother has fed him several times. The old man approaches the Teacher, saying, “Lord, please, command my eyes to see, and they will see. Let the first thing I ever see be You.”
The Teacher smiles, and covers non-working eyes with His hand. “You believe I can do this?” Samuel nods. “As your faith is strong, so shall your sight be. Be healed.” The Teacher removes His hand, and once-milky white eyes are brown, and the man sees his Healer. Tears fill his now-working eyes, along with many others’ eyes who witnessed the miracle.
It seems to go on forever, but suddenly it’s over. All who were sick or afflicted are healed. The followers tell the Teacher, “Lord, let’s send the people away now. They can go get something to eat, and we can continue on.”
“You give them something to eat.” He says, smiling.
“We have no food for ourselves, Lord, much less thousands of hungry villagers.” Mama was right! They have no food for themselves.
“I have some food.” The words slip out of Eli’s mouth before he has time to think. Some of the followers look irritated, but the Teacher smiles at him, and beckons him closer. “I don’t have enough for everyone, but I have enough to feed You and your followers.” He looks up at Peter, the leader of the disciples, who is a very big man. “Well, the smaller ones, anyway.”
The Teacher laughs, as do His followers, even Peter. He sends His men to organize the crowd, and motions for Eli to come closer. “You are generous, child, to offer your lunch. Thank you. Would you like to see how the glory of God works on such a gift?” Eli nods, his eyes growing large.
Eli puts the bag into the outstretched hand of the Teacher, who pulls out a small loaf of bread. As His followers return, He looks up toward the sky, blessing the food. Then He begins to break the loaf and give it to the men. One of them goes to get a basket, which is quickly filled and distributed. Again and again, the Teacher reaches into the bag, pulling food out of the seemingly endless supply. Occasionally, the Teacher catches Eli’s gaze, and winks at him. Even though he is just as amazed as they are, Eli giggles at the ridiculously confused looks on the followers’ faces.
When all the crowd is eating, Eli is given bread, which tastes just like Mom’s bread always tastes. Somehow, he had expected the food to be much finer than his usual barley loaf. The Teacher instructs His men to gather the leftovers, and they end up with twelve baskets of food, all from Eli’s lunch.
The Teacher tells one of the men to take his basket to Eli’s house, to provide food for him and his mother. The rest is given to others, to distribute to those who need it. Then, after sending His men to the sea, He sends the crowd away.
Eli knows he should go, too, but it doesn’t seem right, leaving the Teacher alone after all He has done for others today. Something flickers across the Teacher’s face, something that Eli is all too familiar with. When they are alone, Eli gathers his courage. “Teacher, Your eyes look heavy. Are You sad?”
“Yes, child. My cousin, John, has been killed, and I miss him.”
“You mean the Baptizer? He baptized my abba, only a few days before the accident.”
“You miss your Father, don’t you, Eli?” Try as he might, Eli can’t remember telling the Teacher his name.
Eli nods. As the Teacher stands, Eli asks, “Where are You going?”
“To talk to My Father in Heaven.”
A look of understanding passes over Eli’s face. “My abba is there, too. I think. I hope.”
The Teacher sits again, places a finger under Eli’s chin, and gently pulls his gaze up to Him. “He is there, child.”
“Does Your Father talk back? I wish mine did.”
“My Father talks to Me, if I am quiet enough to listen. Your father talks to you, too. You must listen with your heart, not your ears. The words he spoke to you while he was still here will guide you, as will My Father. Our fathers are great friends up there.”
They sit for a few minutes, then the Teacher rises again, saying, “I need to go now. Unless there is something else?” Eli isn’t surprised that He knows there is a burden on his 9 year old heart.
“Everyone says I’m the man of the house now. What am I supposed to do, Rabbi? I can’t take care of my mother. I’m just a child.”
“Do you remember Jeremiah? He said the same thing, and I give you the same instruction God gave him. Do not say you are just a child. When God wants you to speak, you speak. Where He wants you to go, you go. You will be a great man of faith, and one of My strongest followers. Never forget what you’ve seen here. For now, obey your mother. She is a Godly woman, and will teach you.”
Eli watches the Teacher walk away. He tries to stay silent, but he has one more question. “You’re Him, aren’t You. The Messiah.”
Though the Teacher is over 10 yards away, and Eli speaks softly, his voice carries to the Teacher’s ears. Jesus stops, turns, and a twinkle appears in His eyes.
He smiles at Eli, then puts a finger to His lips. Eli nods. The Teacher doesn’t want everyone to know yet. Eli runs home, not seeing the Teacher’s head shake, nor hearing His whispered words, “Trust a child to see what adults do not.”
“I guess, if you stay out of the way. I wish I could go. Here, Eli, take your lunch with you.” She puts two small loaves of bread, and a fish, in a sack and starts to hand it to him, then pulls it back. “The Teacher and His followers may be hungry. Wanderers often are.” She speaks so quietly, he can barely hear her. But he sees what she is doing.
“But Mama, that’s YOUR lunch. You will go hungry if you give it away.”
She smiles as she places the other three loaves and the rest of the fish in the bag. “I’ve gone hungry before. It won’t hurt me.”
When Eli arrives where the Teacher is, there is already a crowd. Somehow, the Teacher settles everyone down, and begins to speak. He is so soft-spoken, yet everyone can hear Him. Eli tries to understand what He’s saying, but the words He speaks are confusing when you’re only nine. As the sun rises higher, Eli thinks about his lunch, but decides to wait, because all manner of sick and crippled people are being brought to the Teacher. This is what Eli wanted to see.
He is amazed that the stories are true. By making himself quiet and small, Eli manages to come within a few yards of the Teacher, and sees legs strengthened, leprosy healed, limbs re-grown. He sees blind Samuel who sits on the side of the road and begs for food. Eli’s mother has fed him several times. The old man approaches the Teacher, saying, “Lord, please, command my eyes to see, and they will see. Let the first thing I ever see be You.”
The Teacher smiles, and covers non-working eyes with His hand. “You believe I can do this?” Samuel nods. “As your faith is strong, so shall your sight be. Be healed.” The Teacher removes His hand, and once-milky white eyes are brown, and the man sees his Healer. Tears fill his now-working eyes, along with many others’ eyes who witnessed the miracle.
It seems to go on forever, but suddenly it’s over. All who were sick or afflicted are healed. The followers tell the Teacher, “Lord, let’s send the people away now. They can go get something to eat, and we can continue on.”
“You give them something to eat.” He says, smiling.
“We have no food for ourselves, Lord, much less thousands of hungry villagers.” Mama was right! They have no food for themselves.
“I have some food.” The words slip out of Eli’s mouth before he has time to think. Some of the followers look irritated, but the Teacher smiles at him, and beckons him closer. “I don’t have enough for everyone, but I have enough to feed You and your followers.” He looks up at Peter, the leader of the disciples, who is a very big man. “Well, the smaller ones, anyway.”
The Teacher laughs, as do His followers, even Peter. He sends His men to organize the crowd, and motions for Eli to come closer. “You are generous, child, to offer your lunch. Thank you. Would you like to see how the glory of God works on such a gift?” Eli nods, his eyes growing large.
Eli puts the bag into the outstretched hand of the Teacher, who pulls out a small loaf of bread. As His followers return, He looks up toward the sky, blessing the food. Then He begins to break the loaf and give it to the men. One of them goes to get a basket, which is quickly filled and distributed. Again and again, the Teacher reaches into the bag, pulling food out of the seemingly endless supply. Occasionally, the Teacher catches Eli’s gaze, and winks at him. Even though he is just as amazed as they are, Eli giggles at the ridiculously confused looks on the followers’ faces.
When all the crowd is eating, Eli is given bread, which tastes just like Mom’s bread always tastes. Somehow, he had expected the food to be much finer than his usual barley loaf. The Teacher instructs His men to gather the leftovers, and they end up with twelve baskets of food, all from Eli’s lunch.
The Teacher tells one of the men to take his basket to Eli’s house, to provide food for him and his mother. The rest is given to others, to distribute to those who need it. Then, after sending His men to the sea, He sends the crowd away.
Eli knows he should go, too, but it doesn’t seem right, leaving the Teacher alone after all He has done for others today. Something flickers across the Teacher’s face, something that Eli is all too familiar with. When they are alone, Eli gathers his courage. “Teacher, Your eyes look heavy. Are You sad?”
“Yes, child. My cousin, John, has been killed, and I miss him.”
“You mean the Baptizer? He baptized my abba, only a few days before the accident.”
“You miss your Father, don’t you, Eli?” Try as he might, Eli can’t remember telling the Teacher his name.
Eli nods. As the Teacher stands, Eli asks, “Where are You going?”
“To talk to My Father in Heaven.”
A look of understanding passes over Eli’s face. “My abba is there, too. I think. I hope.”
The Teacher sits again, places a finger under Eli’s chin, and gently pulls his gaze up to Him. “He is there, child.”
“Does Your Father talk back? I wish mine did.”
“My Father talks to Me, if I am quiet enough to listen. Your father talks to you, too. You must listen with your heart, not your ears. The words he spoke to you while he was still here will guide you, as will My Father. Our fathers are great friends up there.”
They sit for a few minutes, then the Teacher rises again, saying, “I need to go now. Unless there is something else?” Eli isn’t surprised that He knows there is a burden on his 9 year old heart.
“Everyone says I’m the man of the house now. What am I supposed to do, Rabbi? I can’t take care of my mother. I’m just a child.”
“Do you remember Jeremiah? He said the same thing, and I give you the same instruction God gave him. Do not say you are just a child. When God wants you to speak, you speak. Where He wants you to go, you go. You will be a great man of faith, and one of My strongest followers. Never forget what you’ve seen here. For now, obey your mother. She is a Godly woman, and will teach you.”
Eli watches the Teacher walk away. He tries to stay silent, but he has one more question. “You’re Him, aren’t You. The Messiah.”
Though the Teacher is over 10 yards away, and Eli speaks softly, his voice carries to the Teacher’s ears. Jesus stops, turns, and a twinkle appears in His eyes.
He smiles at Eli, then puts a finger to His lips. Eli nods. The Teacher doesn’t want everyone to know yet. Eli runs home, not seeing the Teacher’s head shake, nor hearing His whispered words, “Trust a child to see what adults do not.”