March 30, 2023
Meeting the Boy Behind the Miracle
“One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?’” John 6:8-9 (NASB)
I remember a young lady who was one of the most giving of people I ever met. One day, she saw her boss working fervently toward a task that required all his attention. He hadn’t eaten all day. The young lady left for lunch and came back. When she arrived back at work, she went into the boss’s office. She brought him the other half of her sandwich and told him to eat. Later, the boss’s wife called her. He had probably called her to tell her of the kind act. She thanked her for sharing her lunch with her husband. From that day, the wife asked her to keep an eye on her husband if he didn’t eat right, buy him something or encourage him to eat. This built into a strong relationship between the two. To this day, I hear stories of the generosity of the young lady. She was unselfish in her giving.
‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish…” There are some interesting observations in this text which helps us determine the child’s identity. The term “lad” is paidarion; translated as, little boy, young child, or young slave.[1] This word, paidarion is used once in the New Testament. The rest of the verse however gives more insight into the status of the young boy. “Five barley loaves and two fish.” First, the youngster had in his possession five barley loaves. “This term denotes an inferior sort of bread is indicated by the term. Pliny and some of the Jewish writers describe barley as food fit for beasts.”[2] “Barley bread was the ordinary food of the poor since it was cheaper than wheat bread. The term “two fish,” is translated fish which meant cooked food eaten with bread. However, it acquired the specific meaning, fish, especially dried or preserved fish, which seems to be the meaning here and in verse 11.[3] These items present a relatively small amount of food, normally enough for one or two people. By looking at these words it gives us a pretty good idea of the status of the young boy. He was probably a young slave boy or a poor young child. If we look at this story, we see a young boy who took his lunch to hear someone speak while he ate his meal. The meal Jesus was going to serve would fill a spiritual void the boy would never need again.
If we look at this young boy’s life, we see something interesting. Hunger was a real part of the world in this era. I see humility and a giving spirit in this young boy’s life, offering his food. Most young people today wouldn’t do this, even when they have more than they will ever need. He concentrated more on what was happening than another meal. Maybe he was used to hunger. Maybe he wasn’t bothered by missing another meal. Maybe he knew what he needed each day. Whatever is true is this boy is unlike much of us today. He was hungry, but in a different way… Are you hungry for the Word of God? Is spending time with Him worth losing one meal a day? Have you ever considered a fast? A fast is a time where you give up something in your life to give to the Lord in prayer, and study of His Word? You might find yourself hungering more for Him than ever before. Learn the lesson today from a small boy!
[1] Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).
[2] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 2 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 144.
[3] Ibid,180.