“Dear Solomon, the Church Mouse,
I got a new red ball for my birthday. Now everyone thinks I should share it with others. I want to play with it by myself. Why do I have to share it?”

Solomon’s answer: Why share your new ball with others? I’ll tell you why... but you had best sit down for this one.

In my many years as the Church Mouse (almost 6,000 years) I have never understood why God has kept me around for this long letting me watch history as it happens. It doesn't matter. I have known some really great people in that time... Adam, Abraham, Moses... I knew them all. The one I remember most, though... except for Jesus, of course... was a little boy that was so shy he didn’t even like to talk to people. I met Josh one day when he was cleaning the dirt floor of their poor, small home. In fact, he almost swept ME right out the door.

“Stop!” I hollered. “You'll make me sneeze with all that dust!”

You can imagine his surprise when he realized it was a mouse talking to him. My talking takes everyone by surprise. After a while, he settled down, though, and we were able to get to know each other. He told me about the two bullies that always tried to steal his lunch.

The bullies, like most bullies, only picked on smaller kids. Unfortunately, there weren’t many kids smaller than Josh. That's why, over the years, Josh had become so shy he wouldn’t even leave the house by himself. I knew he needed to learn how to be braver... and those bullies needed to learn to leave people alone. So, I made a plan. For my plan to work, I had to get Josh outside of his house... and that wouldn’t be easy.

“Hey, Josh,” I said, “let’s go watch the Roman soldiers marching.”

No, he was afraid of soldiers.

“Let’s listen to the noisy camels in the merchant caravans,” I suggested.

No, camels were too big.

“Well, if you won’t do the easy things,” I teased. “Then let’s go on a LONG, dangerous adventure.”

“Okay.”

I gotta tell you, the hair stood straight up on my tail. “Okay?... did you say OKAY?” I asked.

“Yes, my father told me last night that Jesus has been teaching out in the wilderness. Thousands of people have gone out to hear him. Some have even been close enough to meet him. That is what I want. I want to meet Jesus!”

My, my, my.... oh, my. I was impressed with this young boy.

“Excellent plan, Josh. I have known Jesus since he was just a baby! When do you want to go?”

“As soon as Mother packs me a lunch basket.”

His mother was in favor of him going to hear Jesus teach! Josh had to make one promise, though, that he wouldn’t let any bullies or beggars talk him out of his lunch! She was going to pack enough for him to eat two meals, but he would have to go hungry if he didn’t keep the basket close to him at all times. Of course, he promised to obey so I sneaked inside the basket and watched Josh kiss his mom goodbye.

We were off on our LONG JOURNEY (which was actually just a few miles outside of town.) Josh carried his lunch basket close to his side with me riding inside. Behind us, unseen by Josh, were two dogs, a donkey, and some bullies! As we walked down the dusty road leading out of town, I noticed the bullies lurking behind us.

“Josh,” I whispered, “hold on to your lunch! Those bullies are right behind us.”

“Oh, no!” he gasped. “I promised my mother I wouldn’t let ANYONE take my lunch away from me this time.”
 

Josh was really starting to get nervous. I knew I would need to let him know that I had a plan.

“Don’t worry, Josh.” I said confidently. “I have some friends that are going to help you if the bullies bother you. Do you see those two dogs over there?” I pointed and watched Josh’s eyes grow round and wide at the sight of the two mean-looking dogs. I continued revealing my plan. “Those dogs have agreed to chase away anyone who tries to hurt you. We’re safe.”

“Idunknowtheylookmeantome!” Josh mumbled. It took a while to even understand what he was mumbling

“It’s okay, Josh. The dogs are going to chase them into a donkey stall and the donkey isn’t going to let them out until the Roman soldiers come for them.” Brilliant plan, I thought. All Josh needed to do was stop and confront the bullies.

“Hey, YOU!”

Too late... the bullies had decided to confront Josh first.

“Hey, you!” the bigger, stronger bully said. “What ya got in the basket?” He smiled a mean, ugly smile.

“It’s my lunch.” Josh sounded as nervous as he looked.

“Share it with us.” This was the smaller bully. With a quick lurch, he reached to grab the basket out of Josh’s arms. A tug of war followed that jostled the basket every which way... with ME inside the basket.

There wasn’t a second to lose! I hollered as loud as I could to Josh, “Tell the dogs to chase them! Do it now!”

Josh looked at the dogs. “Attack! Sic ‘em! Get’em! YooHoo, Dogs! HELP!”

Once again, I peeked out of the basket to see what was happening. Both bullies were looking confused.

“You had better leave me alone,” Josh said, almost bravely. “Those dogs are going to get you if you don’t leave.”

Good for Josh. He stuck to the plan!

“What dogs?” The bullies both sneered a silly grin. Something was wrong. “Do you mean OUR dogs? We have had Bowser and Jaws since they were pups!”

Oh, boy, what a plan I had developed. What more could go wrong?

“Excuse me.”

One glance out of the basket told me things had changed. Beside Josh stood a huge man with big muscles and a beard. Beside him was a slightly smaller man with gentle eyes.

“Excuse me,” the big man said. “Would it be possible to borrow your lunch basket for a while?” He saw Josh hold his basket closer. “I am Peter, this is James. Our master sent us to gather enough food to feed the thousands of hungry people that have come to hear His words”

“Unfortunately,” James said, “you are the only one that has brought food with you. Your basket is all we have found for Jesus. Would you share what you have?”

I could almost see what Josh was thinking just by watching him. He glanced at the bullies. ‘They didn’t get my basket.’ He looked at the disciples. ‘They said the people were hungry... but my five barley loaves and two fish won’t feed that many people.’ Then he looked past our entire group, past the crowd that we had unknowingly become a part of, past everything until he saw, for the first time, Jesus. ‘Who am I to say this lunch won’t be enough? That is JESUS!’

Slowly, Josh loosened his grip on the basket and held it out for James to carry. Before he turned loose of it, I scampered out of the basket and onto Josh’s shoulder.

“Here is all the food I have,” Josh said. “Give it to Jesus.”

I saw Josh grow up that day. The rest of what happened to that lunch was a remarkable story in itself. I’ll tell you about it sometime but until then, you can read about it in the Bible. It is found in  John 6:9. Let me tell you, though, what happened to OUR little group.

Jesus took Josh’s lunch and... well, I don’t know how... he had enough food to feed all five thousand people. And that included Josh. It also included the two bullies.

The bigger bully started listening to what Jesus was saying. The smaller one wanted to leave but the big one wouldn’t go. Before long, they were BOTH listening to Jesus. But they didn’t just listen... they HEARD what Jesus said. Jesus was saying that they had to change the way they were living! And do you know what? They did change.

Josh and the two ex-bullies became great friends! The smaller was Barnabus. He ended up being the missionary partner of the Apostle Paul. And the other... the bigger one, was Stephen. He became the martyr that faced a whole crowd of religious bullies, where he proved to everyone that he had gotten something far more important from Jesus than just a part of Josh’s lunch.

So you see, to answer your question about why you need to learn to share, you never know what good things Jesus will do when you give your things to Him by sharing with others.