Phineas and Levi

I looked at the old man in amazement. Phineas, with his weather beaten face had seen much in his lifetime and often had difficulty recalling facts, but when I asked him about Jesus, his mind became clear and the stories poured out of him.

"I was there you know!" he said to me with vigor. "I remember it as though it was yesterday. It was a hot day in the desert. He had gone into the wilderness after John was executed because Jesus wanted to pray. John was his cousin, which few people knew, and Jesus loved him dearly. I came because I wanted to see this one who people were saying was the Messiah. I was convinced that Jesus was just another country preacher trying to make a name for himself."

He paused for a moment to gather his strength. I watched as he struggled to breathe as though he was overcome with an excitement too great for his feeble body. It seemed as if his spirit remembered the days of strength and vigor which his body no longer had.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He raised his eyes to mine, and they sparkled with life anew yet stared through me as if he were in a different place.

"Hmmm? Yes, yes, I am fine. He wasn't much to look at you know," he replied.

"Who?"

"Jesus! He wasn't much to look at when you first saw him. There was nothing about him that stood out." He paused and struggled to breathe. "Where was I?"

"You were telling me about that day when Jesus fed so many."

"Oh, yes, I remember now. The little boy was standing there as the disciples talked to Jesus. They wanted to send us away because it was supper time and they had nothing to feed us with. The little boy looked at me with a big smile and proclaimed, 'I have some food!'"

"What little boy?"

"The boy with the lunch!" he exclaimed. "Bright little fellow too. His name was Levi and he had wandered up as they were discussing what to do. I looked at him and smiled."

"Why did he tell you about his food? What could that possibly accomplish?"

"I thought the same thing. But I was shocked as he strolled up to one of the disciples, Andrew, I think, and tugged on his tunic. I tried to stop him, but I was too late. I wondered what their reaction would be to a small child intervening in their discussion."

I leaned in with anticipation to hear what would happen. I often wondered what happened in the inner circle of Jesus and his disciples. He could see my anticipation and smiled at me.

"Andrew knelt down to hear what the boy said because it was difficult to hear with all the debating going on. Andrew raised his head and looked the little boy in the eyes and smiled. He stood up straight away and grasping the little boys hand led him to Jesus."

"What? You mean he didn't rebuke the boy for interrupting?" I sat in amazement.

"No, Jesus welcomed him with a smile. I couldn't hear what he said to him, but I watched as Andrew and the other disciples began to ask people to sit and ordered them into various groups."

"What happened next?" I asked.

"I was in the group closest to Jesus, but I could not hear what he said. He took the boys lunch and lifted it up to the heavens and appeared to pray. Then he began to distribute it to the disciples. I watched closely as Jesus continued to reach into the boy's pouch and fill basket after basket with food. We all ate until our bellies were full."

"What?? You are lying!" I exclaimed.

"I am too old to lie," he chuckled, "besides I was a skeptic. I only came to see Jesus and walk away convinced he was just another country preacher who wanted to make a name for himself. Yet when I witnessed this ... this ... miracle, I became a believer. Only one who is from God could do such things."

"What happened to the boy?"

"Well, I watched as the disciples filled baskets with the leftovers and gave them to the boy. There was so much that he could not carry it. So, I offered to lend him a hand. On the way to his house, he looked at me with tears in his eyes, and I asked him what was wrong. He said to me, 'My family has so little. We are very poor and this will be enough to feed us for a week!' Jesus not only provided for those there, he provided for the one who gave all that he could."

He closed his eyes and seemed to drift away. I nudged his elbow and asked once again, "Are you okay?"

"Hmmm? Yes, I am fine. He wasn't much to look at you know."