What small offering do I have that the Lord may use to feed the world and the church as we continue the journey through salvation history to the eternal banquet?
In the Gospel, the offering of the small boy was pivotal - the master knew it was there - the small boy made it available. In life, we are all gifted with something - however short of what is apparently required - that the Master needs and can use to feed the needs of many others. This is a Gospel of encouragement for all of those who could all too easily get overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task before them. Andrew saw what one of little ones could offer and that made all the difference.
Can we offer the loaves and fish in our own lives or can we see others who can, or who do? Jesus already has. For the salvation of the world is already foreseen, our own more active participation is what may be outstanding.
What the Gospel shows is how the solution was already available, how openness was required, how what seemed a humble offering was in fact the only thing required. God can achieve great things with the smallest of offerings. And it came from one of the youngest there.
The challenge this Sunday is to encourage imitation of the small boy. Commend those there for the offering of their witness. Don’t underestimate what God is achieving with and through that and avoid the alarmists who tell us only of the problems. Jesus didn’t need somebody shouting hunger that day on the side of the mountain. Neither do we!
Let us all look inwards. May we continue to simply give what we can and trust a Saviour with a proven track record of doing miracles with such humble offerings.