Note Card: A Little Boy and His Lunch

Written on a 4x6 note card by Stan Julin.

February 16, 2007

John 6 beginning:  I like the story of the feeding of the five thousand.  There are some blanks to fill in as to nonessential details, which are not given – questions, that is, to imagine.  I have heard that the Greek παιδάριον means, not just a boy, but a little boy.  That can be verified but helps only for imagination.  [Blog author’s note:  This was verified, Strong’s #G3808]

I can picture the innocent boy standing by with his lunch, unaware that Andrew had his eye on that lunch – or aware.  His mother had had the foresight to make up a lunch for her little boy. …It was not his fault that thousands of people had not prepared themselves anything to eat.

 Was he clutching his lunch tightly? 

Did Andrew have to talk him out of it?  Or explain to the boy what could happen if he gave his lunch to Jesus?  Had the boy seen Jesus in action before and thus was easily persuaded? 

Did the boy get the first pieces as Jesus began to break up the fish and bread? 

Was his mother there?  Did her mind go to the quality of the food as she thought about the five thousand that ate it?  Did she wish she had done better or did she know it was good? 

Did the little boy stand there as Jesus broke it and kept breaking it, giving it to the twelve men as they were coming and going, distributing to five thousand people?  …did the little boy get his lunch last, after all had had theirs?

The little boy was not out on the edge of the crowd; apparently [he] had gotten up close, perhaps wiggling his way to the front to hear and see Jesus.  Did he ever!

When years had passed, he was known as the man whose lunch distributed to five thousand people.  How many times did he tell it?

His mother surely told the story (about how she wondered what five thousand thought as they ate it).  Did they like it?  People would point her out and say, “Do you see that lady there?  Well her son was the one that…”