Everyday, mothers all around the world pack lunches in brown bags, plastic boxes, stainless steel containers or in fancy designer ones for their children. The boxes may look different, but they always contain a good dollop of love and care!!

In Judaea

Little Enoch lived with his parents Hannah and Judah in a little Hamlet by the Sea of Galilee in Judea. On what seemed like an uneventful morning this is what happened in their corner of the world.

An excited Enoch ran into their mud-brick house and almost knocked his mother over. Hannah, who was preparing bread for the family, was sitting at the stove. ‘What is it, Enoch?’ she asked smiling, his excitement rubbing off on her!

‘Mum PLEASE can I go with aunty Miriam next door to listen to this teacher Jesus who tells so many stories?  Eva went with aunty last week and said it was so much fun, sitting on the mountain slopes.’

‘I wish I could come too, Enoch, but I must wash clothes and give grandpa his meal and get water from the well. I have heard so much about him too. He heals people and raises the dead!’ said Hannah adjusting the sheets on a weak and tired father-in-law.

Hannah then peeped out of her small kitchen window to ask Miriam next door if it was ok for Enoch to accompany them and then she quickly went about packing lunch for him. ‘It will be late by the time you get back’ she said combing his hair and putting his cap in place, ‘Enoch dear I have packed 5 loaves and 2 fish for you and Eva’. You must eat well and be a good boy’ she said as within an hour Enoch strapped on his sandals and left with the family next door.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming towards Him, He said to Philip ‘Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?

John 6:5 NIV

In New Zealand

Whenever I watch children at school open their boxes to eat, my heart goes back to the sandwiches, rice dishes and sweet treats I packed for Mike and Meshu years back in India. In NZ, primary school children have 3 breaks – a fruit break or brain break of 5 min, a morning tea break, and then a lunch break. Parents take time to use their creativity and wisdom to pack nutritious, tasty and great looking meals. The sandwiches are often cut into bite-sized pieces, the fruits are arranged on skewers, some have stuffed rolls, mini burgers and colorful mini pizzas.

In India

When we lived in India, our sons carried a separate lunch bag to school with a water bottle, a cloth napkin and a lunch box. Usually this was a healthy vegetarian, one-pot rice dish with an egg or some papadam to go with it. In our family, Wednesday lunch was usually BYO -Buy Your Own. This gave me a mid-week break from packing lunch and the boys loved choosing what they wanted from the school cafeteria. Ranjit and I still continue the tradition – ‘buy our own’ lunch on Wednesday afternoons – a subway, sandwich or burger. Last week, I treated myself to a large date scone!! When I was a child, I had a maid bring me hot lunch each day to school at lunch time. Our house was close to the school. So it was piping hot food in a 3-tier tiffin box. There was often fruit and chocolate as a dessert too (luxury!).

Mothers play such an important role in preparing, packing lunch boxes each day. With the food they pack, together they put in lots of love, prayers and well wishes.

In Judaea ~Continuing where we left off~

At the end of the day the whole town was talking about eating a good meal of fish and bread sitting on the mountain slopes. As Hannah brought in her last pot of water from the well, throngs of jubilant people crossed her. She was waiting for Enoch to come home!!

Soon a joyous Miriam burst into the humble home, hugged Hannah, and told her what happened.  

‘Jesus prayed over Enoch’s food, the meal you had lovingly packed for him and we all ate as the fish and bread multiplied in front of our eyes!’ said a breathless wide-eyed Miriam. ‘I think we were about 5000 of us and  Jesus’s disciples packed up the leftovers in their 12 baskets’ said Eva and Enoch in chorus!! A shy, delighted Hannah went inside praising God.

Enoch was so excited! Hannah and Enoch had been a part of this miracle- She looked up and thanked God for using her. She hugged her son close sitting on the dirt floor and tears of joy fell on his mob of hair! 

Andrew said, ‘Here is a boy with 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish’.

Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass in that place and the men sat down, about 5ooo of them. Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed them to those seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. They all had enough.

John 6:9-12 NIV

The story ends saying that the leftover bread was gathered in 12 baskets.

To ponder:

• The mother had packed a lunch of bread and fish for her son.

• The son had obeyed his mother and taken it to the mountain side.

• The little boy showed Andrew his lunch as Andrew came around.

• Andrew saw the lunch and told Jesus about it.

• The people sat down and waited for the miracle even before they saw the food.

• When Jesus is invited into our situation, there is always enough and more!

How can we apply this to our lives in 2022? 

• What is the one thing God has called you to do today?

• How can you do it well and offer it to God to bless?

•  Yes, to be part of a miracle, you and I have to just do that one thing we are called to do