Unlikely Hero

Deep down each one of us wants to believe that our life will impact the life of another in a positive way. Who isn’t inspired by the story of an unlikely hero, rising from no where, coming in to save the day? Whether in a book, television program, or on the movie screen, we are inspired when ordinary people do extraordinary things for God.

In John 6:1-14 we see Jesus ministering to a great crowd. Somewhere in the meeting He realizes that these people have been with Him for a long time, and they probably need to eat. Then He does something quite typical of Himself and He sets His disciples up for a learning moment. “Where will we buy food for everyone?” He asks. However, He already knew it would take a supernatural event to fulfill this natural need of nourishment for the crowd.

It seems that Philip had some sense of what was in their ministry account when he said, “eight month’s wages wouldn’t be enough to buy them food.” When the unlikely hero appears in the story it is not clear whether he volunteered himself, or was volunteered by Andrew. However, based upon Philip’s previous observation, it doesn’t seem that this was Andrew’s idea. In my mind I see it playing out a little like this.

It was common for crowds to follow Christ as He ministered. What if a small boy had been listening for days to the messages of the Messiah? What if he had watched Christ heal the paralytics and give sight to the blind? Imagine the setting in which Christ was ministering; this young boy was probably enthralled with Jesus and had possibly been following Him for days. He happens to be listening in when he hears the problem and he tugs on Andrew’s shirt, “Hey mister, I have something that might help.” Maybe he knew it wouldn’t be enough to feed the crowd, but he was willing to give what he had to the cause of the one he had been admiring from a distance. We know the disciples were rebuked by Christ before for blocking out children as they tried to reach him, so maybe all of these things came into play to set this boy up for the unlikely hero moment of his life.

Jesus takes the 5 loaves and 2 fish, He gives thanks, and a miracle happens with the little boy’s offering. Over 5,000 men were fed that day, and that doesn’t include the women and children in attendance. At the end of the day they gather up 12 baskets of leftovers, and one small boy guarantees his name in lights (or at least in the Book of Life) for all eternity. He becomes an unlikely hero. Apparently the opportunity for doing something great for the Kingdom is not that out of reach for any of us? What did they boy have that we need in order to follow in his footsteps of success?

This little boy was in the right place at the right time. We don’t know for sure if this was his first encounter with Jesus, but it stands to reason that he may have been following Jesus for a long time. So where is the right place to be? Wherever Jesus is! Your proximity to Christ will have everything to do with your opportunity to be an unlikely hero.

It is amazing that the boy never did the math on his offering. We don’t know how old he was, but he had to have been old enough to know 5 loaves and 2 fish wouldn’t be enough. Somehow, I don’t think the math mattered for him. He had watched Jesus do a lot with a little before, so why not now. Think about this little boy’s offering in contrast to Philip’s statement. Philip didn’t think 8 months wages would buy them enough food, but the boy offered much less. Maybe God can take the little that you have, if you are willing to surrender it Him, and set you up for becoming an unlikely hero.
 

Here is my favorite part of the story. When everyone has eaten, and they clean up the mess, we never hear about the little boy again. All the focus and attention turns to Jesus, and the Bible declares in John 6:14, “Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’” No matter what God uses us for, and no matter how involved we might be in helping the lives of others be touched and changed, ultimately it all comes back to Christ and He alone deserves the glory, honor, and praise.

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