Open My Eyes

While on the mountain with His disciples surrounding Him, He asked Philip, “Where shall we get bread, that these many (referring to the crowd) might eat?” Jesus asked Philip as he was from Bethsaida (about 9 miles away) and if any of the disciples would know, it would be him. Jesus already knew what He was going to do, but was testing Philip to strengthen his faith. Philip answered Jesus saying “Two hundred denarii (pieces of silver) isn’t enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece.”

Andrew, one of the disciples said to Jesus, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

Jesus said “Have the people sit down”. He took the bread, and when He had given thanks, handed the bread to the disciples, and the disciples distributed it to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” The disciples gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with the fragments, which were left over by those who had eaten.

I see several things going on here:

• Jesus was teaching the disciples that financial resources are not the most important and human ways of thinking and doing only limits God. There is no limit to what God can do.
• The disciples certainly had more resources than the boy did, but the disciples knew they didn’t have enough, so they didn’t give anything at all. The boy gave what little he had and it made all the difference.
• Things have a certain value when they are in our hands, but once we give them to Jesus, they take on a different value. Even if what we have is small; Jesus can take it and turn it into something great.
• Jesus prefers to work through people.
• Jesus gave thanks for the food, but gave it to the disciples to distribute to the crowd. Jesus uses people that humble themselves to serve.
• Jesus had the disciples collect the fragments so that none would be wasted. Jesus gives in abundance and He values even the broken fragments.

Here’s a poem about being stewards and servants:
OPEN MY EYES

Lord open my eyes so I can see,
That all I have, You’ve given me.
The job I go to every day,
The car I take along the way.

Friends of mine, both far and near,
My family that I hold so dear.
My body, money and my home,
All of these are mine on loan.

You’ve given them to me to use,
But, they really do belong to You.
You give and I receive,
Then I pass on to others in need.