Open My Eyes

Often, we think of our material things as being possessions. They’re not, we are merely stewards over them, and Jesus is the true owner. All we have belongs to Him. One of the clearest pictures of this truth is found in the story of a little boy who was willing to place everything he had into Jesus’ hands. It’s found in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6.

Let me take you to a day that Jesus performed the only miracle that is reported in all four Gospels. It was a beautiful day; Jesus was on a hill by the Sea of Galilee near Bethsaida. A huge crowd followed Him because they had witnessed many of the healings He had performed. However, before speaking to the crowd, Jesus did something strange, He retreated to the mountain. 

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. 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?”

Imagine being that little boy. Five small barley loaves and two fish were probably meant to be his lunch. Yet he willingly placed everything he had into Jesus’ hands, never knowing he would become part of one of the greatest miracles recorded in Scripture.

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.

I see several things going on here:

Jesus was teaching the disciples that God’s work is never limited by human resources. The human way was to look at how little they had rather than the possibilities of what could be done.

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. Giving what we have is all Jesus asks of us. Don’t hold back because you don’t think you can fill the need.

Things have a certain value when they are in our hands, but when we give them to Jesus, they take on a different value. Even if what we have is small; Jesus can turn it into something great. Five loaves and two fish could feed one little boy. Placed into Jesus’ hands, they fed thousands. God has a way of multiplying whatever we surrender to Him.

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 placed them in my hands to use,
Yet every one belongs to You.
You give and I receive,
Then I pass along to others in need.