Wide Open, Week 16: Who Gets Counted?
Matthew 14:13-21 (NIV)
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Discussion Questions
Matthew tells us Jesus fed 5,000 — then quietly adds "besides women and children." Have you ever been in a space where you were technically present but not really counted? What did that feel like — and how does it change the story to know Jesus fed everyone?
Of the thousands of people present that day, only Andrew bothered to notice the boy with the lunch and ask if he'd be willing to share. Who in your life — a child, an elderly person, someone on the margins — might be sitting right in front of you with gifts worth noticing, if you just took the time to look?
Dr. Lindeman Allen challenged the assumption that adults are always the ones teaching children, rather than learning from them. What is something a child in your life has taught you, shown you, or helped you see differently?
The sermon suggested that churches often celebrate what adults do for children, while missing what children bring to the life and ministry of the congregation. What would it look like in your church if children were genuinely treated as contributors rather than just recipients?
The boy's lunch — a small, ordinary thing — became the starting point for an extraordinary miracle when he was willing to share it. What is something small you're holding that God might want to do something extraordinary with, if you offered it?
Dr. Lindeman Allen said Jesus isn't worried about checklists or report cards — he sees each of us for who we are and whose we are. Is there an area of your life where you've been measuring yourself by a checklist instead of resting in that kind of acceptance?
As a new school year begins, what is one specific way you could show up for a student, teacher, or school in your community — not just with a prayer, but with a presence and a genuine noticing of what they bring?
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