THE SCHOOL OF OBEDIENCE (JOHN 6:1-14)
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Dallas Theological Seminary president Mark Yarbrough , who has 300 head of sheep in his 3,200 acre ranch, told of his ten year’s experience with sheep:
“The type of sheep that we raised - they weren't meat sheep, they were wool
sheep. We raised them for their wool. I’ll tell you an interesting story about wool sheep because if you are a shepherd overseeing sheep for wool once maybe twice a year you'll need to shear them. Well, the problem with that is is that sheep are so stupid that if they are full of wool and they have not been
sheared if you have a big storm system that comes through and it rains they will go out into the open field full of wool. I can only imagine the dialogue that goes inside of their brain: what's that falling from the sky? You ever watched a cotton ball get wet? here's the problem with sheep they are so helpless they'll go out and stand in the rain and it will weight them down by hundreds of pounds, and if that sheep collapses and the Shepherd is not there you have about thirty minutes to get them back up again, it will cut off the circulation of their legs and you have to put them down. Sheep need a shepherd sheep are dependent upon provision sheep must have protection.”
Mark Yarbrough, Sheep and Their Shepherd, DTS Chapel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkMj155uNHs
The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is the only sign recorded in all four Gospels (Matt 14, Mark 6, Luke 9), rivaling the resurrection in all four gospels, but this is the only time readers are told that the crowd came for the signs from Jesus’ history of healing the sick previously (v 2). Jesus’ ministry was not about miracles, yet He fed 5,000 people. Isn’t that a contradiction?
Why is our priority, as believers, to seek the Master rather than His miracles? How does the Good Shepherd watch over His sheep? What does ministry to His flock entail?
Be Tender and Thoughtful
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
A man who was blind for twenty years walked around pitying myself. One Saturday, her eleven-year-old daughter came to him and asked him to build her a periscope so she could look over tall things like fences. The told her that all she had to do was go out and buy him a couple of small mirrors. She came running back within minutes, and in less than an hour, with the help of cardboard and scissors and sticky tape, a periscope came off my workbench.
The daughter hurried to demonstrate her new toy to the boy from next door. “My daddy made that,” she told him casually.
“Your daddy made that?” he objected. “But your daddy is blind.”
“Yes, my daddy is blind,” she repeated. “But he’s not blind with his hands.
(David Blackhall, Reader's Digest)
Let us examine the people featured in the passage. First is John the Baptist. Jesus chose to rest, crossing to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (v 1). The other gospels tells us that John the Baptist was beheaded and Jesus need the time for himself, so he departed by ship to a mountainside (v 3) in the desert (Matt 14:13, Mark 6:31).
Second, this is the only time the phrase “a great crowd/multitude” occurs is in John’s gospel, not only once but twice. (vv 2, 5) Matthew and Mark say that Jesus saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd (Matt 14:14, Mark 6:34), even though he knew they followed him for the miracles he did on the sick (v 2).
The third person/party is Philip. When Jesus asked Philip where to buy bread so that the crowd could eat, he was merely testing Philip. The verb “test” can be translated as tempt (Matt 4:1), prove (John 6:6), assay (Acts 9:26), examine (2 Cor 13:5) and tried (Heb 11:17). The most probable test was of compassion and faith. More than half a year’s wages or two hundred denarii (NASB, ESV) was the answer not only from Philip alone, but the disciples (Mark 6:37). Jesus asked, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” (v 15), but Philip answered, “More than half a year’s wages.” The question “Where” was strangely countered by “wages.” Jesus wanted to know the place, but Philip could only think of paycheck. The word “bread” occurs an astounding 21 times in the chapter.
Fourth is Andrew, who has a better portfolio in John’s gospel than other gospels because John is the only gospel where Andrew’s name appears before Peter when mentioned in the same verse (John 1:40, 44). Unlike Philip, Andrew did not think of a “what,” but “who.” Andrew’s quick wit and sharp mind scouted the area and saw a boy. Even then, Andrew could do nothing but despair, discount and doubt (v 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”). Jesus inquired about “place,” but Philip interrupted with “paycheck” and Andrew with “population.”
Lastly is the boy, who is not a boy or a young boy in Greek, but a little boy or “paidarion,” where we have the English equivalent of “pediatrics,” or the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. Of the three visitors, the boy contributed the most. It was remarkable that not only could the boy endure the distance, the desert and the difficulties, yet he shared his ration, resources and reserves even. He was the most prepared, patient and personal, so there was no panic, protest or problem from the lad.
Be Teachable and Tireless
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
Below are seven questions by a website for interns:
1. What are you most passionate about learning — personally or professionally — and why?
2. Can you walk me through the impact of a project that you worked on in a previous role?
3. In what ways would you like to create value as an intern?
4. Why did you pick your major?
5. How would your best friend describe you?
6. What’s an accomplishment you’re most proud of?
7. What was your biggest mistake?
https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2015/02/5-questions-to-ask-when-interviewing-interns
Jesus is the Master educator, equipper and examiner. In all the four gospels, Jesus never directly ministered to the people without the disciples’ participation. The exercise was meant for the disciples as much as it was for the multitude:
“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.” (Matt 14:19)
“Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.” (Mark 6:39)
“Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.” (Luke 9:39-40)
Here, in verse 10, Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”
Jesus always worked through the disciples as long as they were teachable, which was not easy to follow Jesus’ orders. It was quite an effort, an exercise and an experiment. The feeding of the 5,000 (Matt 14:21) was before the feeding of the 4,000 (Matt 15:38), their trust was stretched and strained. The disciples were to act in faith that Jesus would feed the 5,000, even though they, along with the multitudes, had seen his miracles (John 6:2). Jesus’ purpose was for the disciples to experience God’s immeasurable, inexhaustible and infinite riches in Christ, and that they were not pedestrians and passengers but participants but partners.
Can you imagine the nightmare of feeding 5,000 people? But Jesus had a plan, a purpose and a practicum. It was the best internship, discipleship and lordship experience they could get. Jesus had the administration, the assignments and the arrangements all mapped out and made clear. He directed the disciples to have all the people sit down in groups of hundreds and fifties. (Luke 9:39-40), possibly each disciple supervising 416 people. Now they were more manageable, methodical and measurable.
Be Thankful and True
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
“Ah!” said a woman who in her poverty had done much for Christ and who had a great sum willed to her, “I cannot do as much as I used to do.” “But how is that?” someone asked. Said she, “When I had a nickel purse I had a silver heart, but now I have a silver purse and I have only a nickel heart.”
Here are some thanksgiving quotes:
“When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty, my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup!’’
“Be grateful for small things, big things, and everything in between.”
“Pray not only because you need something, but because you have a lot to be thankful for!”
In the end, the disciples picked up 12 baskets – one for each disciple to carry. Their work was not done. At first I thought they had leftovers doubling their five loaves to twelve loaves, but on closer examination, a basket has more than one loaf of bread. So they had plenty of leftovers. It would be handy and helpful in the desert. Besides, they did not know how long Jesus or the crowd would stay.
The focus in the text is the purpose clause (hina subjunctive) “(not) waste”) in verse 12, of which the verb elsewhere is translated as destroy (Matt 2:13), perish (Matt 5:29) and lost (Matt 10:39) and departed (Rev 18:14). This brings us back to verse 6 – Jesus tested him. Why was Philip and the disciples tested? To test their compassion for the multitudes and their commitment to the Lord. Did they follow Jesus for the fun, food and favors? Did they understand what it meant to see, save and serve the lost, the loveless and the leaderless?
This is the third time Jesus “withdrew” (v 15, anachoreo) from the multitudes – when John the Baptist was first imprisoned (Matt 4:12), when John the Baptist died, which led him to the desert (Matt 14:13), and this time when they wanted to make him king (v 15). Jesus was true to his mission – to be the Savior of the world (John 4:42), the Shepherd of our souls (1 Peter 2:25), and to be the Servant King. He was to be the Crucified King, the Condemned King before He’s the Conquering King, the Rejected King before He’s the Reigning King, the Despised King before He’s the gruesome King before He’s the Glorious King.
The worst thing, however, happened. The multitudes wanted to make him king. Jesus was true to his mission and departed again to a mountain by himself, declining their offer, dismissing their company and even ditching the disciples this time.
Conclusion: Christ not only cares for us, but calls on us and comes to us in our need. He is our anchor, our assurance and our abundance. Material things can never satisfy, smarten or save us. Jesus is not just bread, but the true bread of heaven (John 6:32), the bread of God (John 6:32) and the bread of life (John 6:32). The noun “bread” astonishingly occurs 21 times in the chapter.
Are you the giving type or the receiving sort? Do you see the opportunity or the obstacle? Have you offered your time, talent and treasures to God for His use? Do you see, feel and meet the needs of others? Do you see your poverty and forget the riches of Christ? Do you depend on your own sufficiency and deny the supply of Christ? Do you observe your deficiency and overlook the deliverance of Christ?
