A sea of hungry people and one sack lunch, this is not the kind of
situation that ends well for anybody, particularly the guy with the
lunch bag. A more “reasonable” plan could have avoided this dire
scenario. Several of the guys in this story saw the train wreck
coming, “It’s getting late, these people are hungry, and they need to go
buy food, Send Them Away!” This was a reasonable plan. Men tend to
like “reasonable” plans. We are good at evaluating, anticipating and
strategizing. The men in this story were working hard to solve
problems and manage circumstances. It’s hard for most of us guys to be
around or in front of a need that we cannot meet.
Men often carry this internal tension wondering if their resources and
abilities will make any real difference when the time comes.
This account is part of the “Good News” recorded by the Gospel writers
in the first century. I am not sure it felt like “Good News” to the
guys in this story. Jesus opted to not send the hungry multitude away.
He ignored this reasonable plan and offered another solution for this
hungry crowd, ” You feed them.” You gotta know that these men thought this was a crazy, impossible bad idea.
“We have nothing to meet this massive need!” was their reply; “Nothing”, said Jesus.
It turns out that they had next to nothing; their combined efforts had produced one sack lunch.
What happened next in this story was crazy, it was impossible and it
was very good. Turns out that sometimes God likes to do crazy,
impossible and good things with nothing more than some nervous men and a sack lunch.
Dads with daughters are often looking out over a sea of needs, many of
which they feel inadequate to meet. Many of us are paralyzed by the
responsibility to show up with something that will really make a
difference in our daughter’s life. It can be discouraging to work,
scramble and pray and find we have nothing more to offer than a ” sack
lunch.”
It turns out that Jesus can do some crazy, impossible and good things
with even our smallest contribution.
“I don’t really know how to help you right now, can I just sit with
you for a few minutes?”
” Seems like things are kind of hard and crazy. I’m sorry.”
” I am really glad that I get to be your dad, you’re beautiful and amazing”
“ I am not sure how this is all going to work out, but I love you and I am not going anywhere”
” Jesus, thank you for my daughter, please comfort her and bless her, amen.”
These are Sack Lunch offerings. A dad with next to nothing, has something, bring the something you have.
Don’t believe the lie that a little thing will make little difference.
We have a big God, write your daughter’s name on that Sack Lunch, then give it to Him and see what He can do with it.
Grace and Peace,
Dr. Don Worcester
