What To Do With My Lunch?
by Dan Jones, M.D.
John 6:1-13
Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
This familiar story usually appeals to those of us in the health professions because it deals so directly with human need. We understand responding to human need. Many of the miracles of Jesus did deal with meeting physical needs. How fortunate we are to be called to God's service through the healing arts. How privileged we are to be able to use the skills and talents to share God's love with others.
When I was a college student, a worship leader at a conference shared insights from this story of the feeding of the great crowd that have been meaningful to me in my spiritual pilgrimage. The focus of these thoughts is on the boy who had the fish and loaves. Of the gospel accounts of the feeding of the multitude, only John mentions the source of the fish and loaves used by Jesus that day. Only John shares with us it was a young boy that played a role in this often told story of the miracle of Jesus.
Let's use our imaginations a little to consider some choices made by this young boy that fateful day. And as we consider his choices, let's reflect on the choices facing us in our personal and professional lives as we work each day as health professionals.
We might imagine the morning of that fateful day. The boy had risen from bed with excitement. He had heard about this prophet named Jesus who was performing miracles in the countryside. And he understood he would be out in a field near his house that day. The evening before, his mother had said he could go with some of his friends today to enjoy the excitement. He awoke with the same kind of anticipation a young boy now might have in preparing to visit a circus or fair.
Can you imagine the scene at his home that morning as his mother packed his lunch of loaves and fish? Don't you know he was in a hurry and did not want to wait until the meal was prepared? But the mother insisted he take his lunch, so out the door he went carrying the lunch - and carrying with him the responsibilities and privileges of the choices of what do with this simple provision from his mother. In the pages that follow, we will explore the choices facing this boy - and the choices facing us about what to do with what has been provided for us.
Lord, thank you for providing me with so much. Help me make good choices with what you have given me.
Dan Jones, M.D., MACP, FAHA, a board-certified Internist, a former medical missionary to Korea, professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dean of the School of Medicine, and Chancellor of the University of Mississippi until 2015. Dr. Dan Jones is a member of CMDA.
Dr. Jones welcomes any comments or questions about what he has written and can be reached at - djones@umc.edu
Rounds with the Master, Spiritual Pearls from the Great Physician Devotionals are released every Monday and Thursday.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
