(Read today’s passage.)
This is the only miracle outside the final week of Jesus’ life recorded in all four Gospels.
This particular day, in all likelihood, began with the news of the death of John the Baptist. Jesus has lost a dear friend.
As the day progressed, the disciples began returning to Jesus from their short-term missionary journeys.
And as the disciples are returning to Jesus, they are being followed by five thousand men and their families.
With me so far? Jesus gets the devastating news that John the Baptist has been beheaded. He sees the return of his disciples. They are all juiced up and wired after their exploits of healing and miracle working. But 5,000 men, plus their wives and children have decided to tag along with the disciples back to see Jesus. So Jesus tries to get away from the crowd by crossing the sea.
Makes sense. He probably needs some time to sort things out. He might want some time alone with his disciples to talk about what they have seen and learned. But when they get across the water, they find that the crowd has journeyed around by land, and is waiting for them on the other side.
Now, this miracle contains four points of identity. Four groups or people that we might empathize with, or we are able to relate to. The first is. . .
1. THE CROWD
What do we know about the crowd?
They were following Jesus because of the miracles He was doing. (v. 2)
They were an unrelenting bunch. (Matthew 14:13, Mark 6:30-33, Luke 9:10-11a)
They were disengaged, and seemed to leave all the work to the disciples.
They were focused on an earthly agenda rather than heavenly mission (John 6:15)
Descriptor – Selfish
“Feed me, care for me, heal me, teach me!” Take, take, take.
So the disciples do what most of us would probably do, and they look at Jesus and say, “Send the crowds away! We’ve taught them. We’ve healed them. We’ve accommodated their every need. Now they’re getting hungry. If we don’t send them away, they are going to want us to feed them on top of everything else.”
So Jesus turns to Philip and asks a rather interesting question. “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?” Now, keep in mind that Philip has just come off a mission trip where he has been forcing out demons and healing all kinds of sickness and disease, so we might expect him to be optimistic. A bit of faith would seem appropriate. He’s just spent several weeks seeing the impossible happen. But how does Philip respond?
Verse 7 (read). Philip says, “We would all have to work a month to buy enough bread for each person to have only a little piece.” Interesting response, isn’t it? Rather than looking to God for the miracle, he’s looking in his wallet.
And look at some of the words from the other disciples. Like these recorded in Mark’s account, “No one lives in this place and it is already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the countryside and towns around here to buy themselves something to eat.” (Mark 6:35–36) It does not even seem to cross the disciples’ minds that they might be the solution to the problem.
So there is our second point of identity. . .
2. PHILIP
Let’s look at Philip’s call (John 1:43-46). . .And this call reveals him as a. . .
Calculating & Logical Person
In this miracle, Philip is trying to figure out where they could buy bread. How are they going to get the money? Who would have this much bread in stock? How would we get it all here? If we go to get it, what if all 5,000+ of these people hop up and start following us again? Can you see this picture? Seven or eight thousand people walking into Burger King, and Philip saying, “I’ll have a Whopper with cheese. Oh, and the next 8,000 in line are on my tab.” He is trying to calculate this situation logically.
It happens all the time in the church. Someone says, “Let’s buy a van, and go pick-up some kids in the housing developments, and bring them to church.”
• Well. . .who will sit with them during the service?
• What if they aren’t dressed and ready when we get there?
• What if they start misbehaving on the van?
• What if they say some words around our kids that our kids shouldn’t hear?
• What if they are dirty, or smell, or can’t behave?
• Who will take them back home?
• What if it takes an hour or two to take them back home. . .how do we eat lunch together?
We see all the problems. All the “what if”s. All the things that might, could, likely will, always have, and every other disclaimer you want to put on it related to going wrong.
I tried to think the other day about an exception to the rule, and I was having a hard time coming up with one. In the church, within committees and decision making bodies, it seems like whenever an idea is thrown out. . .especially a really good and crazy one, the interaction always starts with what could go wrong. What won’t work.
It rarely if ever starts with, “Man! That would be awesome. We might see 10 or 12 kids get saved. And then their parents might start coming. And then we could buy a second van. And then God might open the door for our church to start a multi-ethnic service. And then we might be able to reach a whole ‘nother group of people.”
That isn’t what happens. Like Philip, we calculate and logicate. We go immediately to why it won’t work. Why we shouldn’t try. Why it would be a bad idea.
I have had some people tell me that they just do that, propose logical and calculated push back, because they think it is important for someone to help us consider all the possibilities. They say, “Someone needs to play Devil’s advocate.”
No they don’t. The devil doesn’t need anymore advocates. There are cities, and churches, and board rooms filled with Devil’s Advocates.
We need some Almighty advocates. Some people that can see things like Jesus sees things. Not as obstacles, but as opportunities. Not as problems, but as possibilities. Not as time for a migraine, but as times for a miracle. Philip was a very logical and calculating individual. What else do we know about Philip?
Self-focused with the other disciples.
Later we see, he just doesn’t get it. (John 14:7-11)
Descriptor - Limited
Then there is Andrew. The disciples don’t seem to see any hope of a solution, except for possibly Andrew. Only Andrew had such a thought, but even his faith was pretty small. Verse 9 (read). “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, but that is not enough for so many people.”
You have to give it to Andrew. He at least comes to Jesus with an idea. May not make much sense. He still may not see how it will help much. But he at least hasn’t completely thrown in the towel. He at least thinks there might be some small glimmer of hope, or remedy to the situation in these five loaves and two small fishes. He is our third possible point of identity.
3. ANDREW
Brother of Peter & a fisherman
Clear on resources, not ignoring reality. . .but not limited by it.
Questioning Positively
Direct (John 12:20-22)
Descriptor – Eager
So the boy gives Jesus his lunch. Verse 11 (read). There is our last point of identity.
4. THE BOY
Lack of information = lack of pushback
Descriptor – Sacrifice
Key question for today - Which one are you? Which point of identity can you most relate to? Selfish? Limited? Eager? Sacrificing?
Because as we meet this man called Jesus, it is good to be honest with ourselves about what grounds we are approaching Him on. What paradigm we are coming to Him from.
Is it a “feed me” paradigm? Is it a “there is only so much He can do” paradigm? Is it a “what might happen next” paradigm? Is it a “whatever I have is yours Jesus” paradigm?
On what grounds are you approaching Jesus as we launch into this effort to get to know Him better?
And then, what can we learn about Jesus from this episode?
This miracle tells us something about Jesus. I believe that start to finish – the feeding of the five thousand is a story of Jesus’ desire to involve the disciples in the work of miraculous need meeting. Jesus desires that we be involved in the work of miraculous need meeting.
(Step by Step Letter Excerpts)
And Jesus will take a number of steps to make that happen. Look at what He did in this event, and how He often makes this happen. . .
Opens Opportunities With Questions
Note verse 6 – We are placed in situations where God
already knows the solution.
Engages With Responsibilities
Placing the people in groups.
Distributing the food.
Personalizes Things Practically
12 baskets was no accident
I want you to spend some time this week reflecting on which group or person you can most identify with in this story. And as you consider the desire, and longing of Jesus to engage you in miraculous need meeting, ask Him to open your eyes to the possibilities that might be before you.
Let’s pray.
