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| Jesus and a few of his disciples. |
Introduction: in this story, I have told you about the famous "Feeding of the Five Thousand", mentioned in all four gospels--Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:1-14. This story is {sort-of} a compilation of the different stories.
The characters: Moriah, a girl, the main character. Aunty Ophrah, Moriah's aunt. Moriah lives with her. Uriah, a well-known (and well-loved) neighbor. And Jesus? Read about him here: John 3:16.
The characters: Moriah, a girl, the main character. Aunty Ophrah, Moriah's aunt. Moriah lives with her. Uriah, a well-known (and well-loved) neighbor. And Jesus? Read about him here: John 3:16.
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I watched as the fishing boats came in, riding low in the water from the large amount of fish they were carrying. Soon the beach would be festooned with nets, ropes and other assorted fishing equipment besides the slimy stinking fish. I shuddered at the thought. How could they ever stand the stench—those Galilean fishermen who lived on the water half their lives? But I had to have food—all we had were a few flat musty rolls left. And I could get food down here—with all those fish a fisherman wouldn't miss one or two.
“MORIAH!” A voice sounded behind me, and startled, I whirled around and saw the woman, high up the beach, her hands cupped around her mouth. “Moriah!” Who was it? The sun, just up, was behind her, casting a shadow on her face. I suddenly knew—Aunty Ophrah! Racing toward her, I stumbled on some driftwood and dropped the basket I was carrying. Snatching it up, I ran on and reached her, panting.
“Aunty Ophrah!” I cried joyously, hugging her. “I thought you would be gone for another week! How did you get here?”
“Oh, my child!” She said, holding me close. “I couldn't sleep for thinking of you, knowing that you were there all alone. I told the Missus that I was going to check up on you because you were so young and all you had was a dumb neighbour to check in on you once in a while. She protested that I couldn't because of my leg, but I told her that I was going to find you, no matter if I had to drag myself every step!”
I glanced down at her twisted leg—bent from birth—and then back up into her lovely face. “How did she take it?”
“Oh, she didn't believe me—she said I could go if I really wanted to, but that Master was coming this way in a few days, and he could take me—I still would have had to walk part of the way anyway, so I just started walking!” She chuckled, revealing old yellowed teeth. Then her face became more stern. “What happened to you?”
I shrugged and sighed. “A lot.”
“Come over here and we'll sit on this log to talk. My leg's just about given out on me.” A pained expression shot across her face as she seated herself, and then she sighed. “Tell me about it.”
As we neared the town, the crowd enlarged. Soon thousands were stretched out along the dusty road as we made our way to the hill overlooking the town. The smell of fish reeked all around us as we walked (being so close to the sea, the smell was there almost constantly), and the body odour of multitudes of people pressing around was almost overwhelming. The sun beat down on us, drenching us with sweat. Little children whimpered a little as we climbed the hill. The oppressive air felt like a hot blanket pressed against us.
Jostled by the crowd, I had a hard time keeping up with Aunty Ophrah. There was a short break between people, and in a glance I saw Jesus—his face alight with love for the people all around him—seating himself on a rock the disciples rolled into place. Then Jesus started talking. Words of the love and grace of God flowed over the people, and the restless crowd soon quieted and was still. I listened, enraptured, as the sweet, clear words filled my soul. Oh, what peace he emitted! What a calmness! Little children soon crept up to sit near him, gazing into his kind, gentle face. The whole crowd was still. It was as if the earth were holding her breath, listening for the next word from the Master.
After a while, Aunty Ophrah stirred beside me. “The sun is high in the sky. Here, eat this roll. You'll be hungry since we walked up that hill! Anyway, it's almost lunch time.” She handed me the roll, then turned back to watch and listen to Jesus. I cuddled up against her, and listened to the musical tones.
After a while, Jesus turned to one of the disciples next to him. “Where should we buy bread to feed the people?”
His question, simply spoken shocked one of his disciples, Philip by name. “Even two hundred penny's worth of bread couldn't get all around in this crowd! There wouldn't be enough for everybody!”
Andrew (Simon Peter's brother) stood up from where he had been sitting after consulting with the boy next to him. Stretching, he said, “There's a boy here that has five loaves and two fish! But,” he said, doubtfully looking around at all of us scattered around the Master, “What is that among so many?”
“Make everyone sit down.” The clear, matter-of-fact words silenced the confused disciples, and the groups of people standing sat down. Reaching down to the lad, Jesus graciously asked him for the food basket. Gladly, the young boy handed it up to him, and sat back to watch. “Father in heaven,…” the even voice rose and fell as Jesus gave thanks for the food. Then I watched as he pulled loaf after loaf and fish after fish out of the little basket and handed them to the disciples. They stood there, their mouths hanging open. “Go on,” Jesus encouraged them, “Feed the people!” The disciples didn't know what to do, so they turned and dazedly started handing out the bread and fish to the people. It was the best fish I had ever eaten. And the best bread too. There were twelve baskets of fragments left over. It was amazing! It was a miracle.
I never forgot that day. And now, years later, I can tell my grandchildren about it. About those few little loaves and fishes some boy (I never found out who) gave to Jesus, and how they grew to feed a multitude.
“MORIAH!” A voice sounded behind me, and startled, I whirled around and saw the woman, high up the beach, her hands cupped around her mouth. “Moriah!” Who was it? The sun, just up, was behind her, casting a shadow on her face. I suddenly knew—Aunty Ophrah! Racing toward her, I stumbled on some driftwood and dropped the basket I was carrying. Snatching it up, I ran on and reached her, panting.
“Aunty Ophrah!” I cried joyously, hugging her. “I thought you would be gone for another week! How did you get here?”
“Oh, my child!” She said, holding me close. “I couldn't sleep for thinking of you, knowing that you were there all alone. I told the Missus that I was going to check up on you because you were so young and all you had was a dumb neighbour to check in on you once in a while. She protested that I couldn't because of my leg, but I told her that I was going to find you, no matter if I had to drag myself every step!”
I glanced down at her twisted leg—bent from birth—and then back up into her lovely face. “How did she take it?”
“Oh, she didn't believe me—she said I could go if I really wanted to, but that Master was coming this way in a few days, and he could take me—I still would have had to walk part of the way anyway, so I just started walking!” She chuckled, revealing old yellowed teeth. Then her face became more stern. “What happened to you?”
I shrugged and sighed. “A lot.”
“Come over here and we'll sit on this log to talk. My leg's just about given out on me.” A pained expression shot across her face as she seated herself, and then she sighed. “Tell me about it.”
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| Jesus teaching the crowds |
I knelt down by the crooked leg, and gently started to massage it as I talked. I told her of how, after she had left to go work at a rich man's place, some Romans had come needing food. “You know I couldn't refuse them—I would've been killed!” She nodded in agreement. I told how they had ransacked the house after finding me alone, leaving only the least valuable things, taking almost all (of what little there was) of the food with them. After they left, I had lived off what I could find—wild herbs, the occasional dove, and other non-tasty food. I had found (after thoroughly searching through the house) a small bag of wheat which I ground, and borrowing some oil from the neighbours made into food. This, along with the other assorted titbits I had found, was what had kept me alive.
Aunty Ophrah sighed. “I'm glad I came when I did.” I nodded in agreement. What would have happened if she had not come? Would she come home to find me barely alive—or worse?
One day, an old man knocked on the door. Aunty opened it, and greeted him. “Hello, Uriah! What do you want?”
His face was wreathed in smiles. “Jesus is almost here! Nathan saw him and his company of disciples landing on the shore!”
Aunty Ophrah was so surprised that she didn't know what to say next. The neighbour left, saying that “I need to tell more people!”
Aunty was so happy she literally beamed! “Let us go to meet him!” Snatching the two rolls that lay on the table, she ran out the door, and I followed, in tow. Before long, we came to the road outside of Bethsaida, where a large crowd was slowly (but quite noisily) making it's way toward the town. Many of the townsfolk—alerted by Uriah—had hurried in the same direction as we were headed—to meet Jesus. “Jesus, Jesus, Messiah!” The noise was stupendous, and the dust churned up by hundreds of feet made me choke. I clung to Aunty Ophrah's skirts, and wiggled my way through the crowd behind her.
Aunty Ophrah sighed. “I'm glad I came when I did.” I nodded in agreement. What would have happened if she had not come? Would she come home to find me barely alive—or worse?
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The days that followed were happy days. Aunty Ophrah, with the little money she had saved and hidden somewhere, bought a little wheat—just enough to last us until the harvest. She never went back to work at the rich man's place again. (“We have enough money,” she'd often say, “And if we really need some, I'll go to a place not far from here—I don't like being away from you that much!”) One day, an old man knocked on the door. Aunty opened it, and greeted him. “Hello, Uriah! What do you want?”
His face was wreathed in smiles. “Jesus is almost here! Nathan saw him and his company of disciples landing on the shore!”
Aunty Ophrah was so surprised that she didn't know what to say next. The neighbour left, saying that “I need to tell more people!”
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| Jesus and his disciples |
Aunty was so happy she literally beamed! “Let us go to meet him!” Snatching the two rolls that lay on the table, she ran out the door, and I followed, in tow. Before long, we came to the road outside of Bethsaida, where a large crowd was slowly (but quite noisily) making it's way toward the town. Many of the townsfolk—alerted by Uriah—had hurried in the same direction as we were headed—to meet Jesus. “Jesus, Jesus, Messiah!” The noise was stupendous, and the dust churned up by hundreds of feet made me choke. I clung to Aunty Ophrah's skirts, and wiggled my way through the crowd behind her.
As we neared the town, the crowd enlarged. Soon thousands were stretched out along the dusty road as we made our way to the hill overlooking the town. The smell of fish reeked all around us as we walked (being so close to the sea, the smell was there almost constantly), and the body odour of multitudes of people pressing around was almost overwhelming. The sun beat down on us, drenching us with sweat. Little children whimpered a little as we climbed the hill. The oppressive air felt like a hot blanket pressed against us.
Jostled by the crowd, I had a hard time keeping up with Aunty Ophrah. There was a short break between people, and in a glance I saw Jesus—his face alight with love for the people all around him—seating himself on a rock the disciples rolled into place. Then Jesus started talking. Words of the love and grace of God flowed over the people, and the restless crowd soon quieted and was still. I listened, enraptured, as the sweet, clear words filled my soul. Oh, what peace he emitted! What a calmness! Little children soon crept up to sit near him, gazing into his kind, gentle face. The whole crowd was still. It was as if the earth were holding her breath, listening for the next word from the Master.
After a while, Aunty Ophrah stirred beside me. “The sun is high in the sky. Here, eat this roll. You'll be hungry since we walked up that hill! Anyway, it's almost lunch time.” She handed me the roll, then turned back to watch and listen to Jesus. I cuddled up against her, and listened to the musical tones.
After a while, Jesus turned to one of the disciples next to him. “Where should we buy bread to feed the people?”
His question, simply spoken shocked one of his disciples, Philip by name. “Even two hundred penny's worth of bread couldn't get all around in this crowd! There wouldn't be enough for everybody!”
Andrew (Simon Peter's brother) stood up from where he had been sitting after consulting with the boy next to him. Stretching, he said, “There's a boy here that has five loaves and two fish! But,” he said, doubtfully looking around at all of us scattered around the Master, “What is that among so many?”
 |
| Jesus blessing the food |
“Make everyone sit down.” The clear, matter-of-fact words silenced the confused disciples, and the groups of people standing sat down. Reaching down to the lad, Jesus graciously asked him for the food basket. Gladly, the young boy handed it up to him, and sat back to watch. “Father in heaven,…” the even voice rose and fell as Jesus gave thanks for the food. Then I watched as he pulled loaf after loaf and fish after fish out of the little basket and handed them to the disciples. They stood there, their mouths hanging open. “Go on,” Jesus encouraged them, “Feed the people!” The disciples didn't know what to do, so they turned and dazedly started handing out the bread and fish to the people. It was the best fish I had ever eaten. And the best bread too. There were twelve baskets of fragments left over. It was amazing! It was a miracle.
I never forgot that day. And now, years later, I can tell my grandchildren about it. About those few little loaves and fishes some boy (I never found out who) gave to Jesus, and how they grew to feed a multitude.
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Ah we could I didn't quite get the beginning half
ReplyDeletevery descriptive though.
Glad you thought it was good.
ReplyDeleteIn the way of explanation: the first half was written quite a while before the second half. I think it was supposed to kind-of introduce the people, and show that they were poor. Did I get my point across?
~Esther
Well done! It is easy to translate ... beautiful story. I like it.
ReplyDeleteThanks. :D
ReplyDelete~Esther
Abigail: Esther you have a gift for writing! You SHOULD put this in JOJ.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'll try to remember to put it in sometime! :D
ReplyDelete~Esther