1 After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or
Tiberias). 2 And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that
He was performing by healing the sick. 3 So Jesus went up a mountain and sat
down there with His disciples. 4 Now the
Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 5 Therefore, when Jesus looked up and
noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him, He asked Philip, “Where will we buy
bread so these people can eat?” 6 He asked this to test him, for He Himself
knew what He was going to do. 7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii worth of
bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” 8 One of His
disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There’s a boy here
who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?” 10 Then
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that
place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000. 11 Then Jesus took the
loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated—so
also with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were full, He told His
disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they
collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley
loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.14 When the people saw the
sign He had done, they said, “This really is the Prophet who was to come into
the world!” 15 Therefore, when Jesus knew that they were about to come and take
Him by force to make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain by Himself. John 6:1-15
Today I wanted to focus on the story of the feeding of the
5,000. In all actuality, it probably would have been closer to 7,000 or 10,000
if the women and children were included in the counting. That’s right Jesus
actually fed that many people with five barley loaves and two fish. There is so
much going on in this story that I could probably write several different blogs
on it, but today I want to focus on one thing in particular.
It’s the idea that Phillip’s response is different than that
of Andrew. Jesus asks Phillip a question to test him, “How are we going to meet
all of these people’s needs?” Now in this instance it just so happens to be
that food is their need. Phillip responds with what would seem to be a natural
human response, “8 months worth of wages would even help everyone have a
little.” In other words, in his own mind and in his flesh he can’t see a way to
possibly help all of them.
Andrew on the other hand says something quite different. I’m
not sure exactly what was going on in his mind that made him say what he does,
but we see a glimpse of faith in Jesus from Andrew that Phillip didn’t display.
Andrew says, “I don’t know how it’ll help you Lord, but here is the little that
we have.” If I was another apostle I probably would have chuckled under my
breath and thought Andrew was ridiculous for even bringing that up. He seriously thought that five loaves
and two fish has the potential to make an impact in everyone’s lives, enough so
to fill all of their needs. That’s crazy, and seems preposterous.
Check out what happens next though. Jesus takes the little
of what Andrews offers up, he blesses it, and….. He meets their needs with it.
Now That’s Crazy!! Imagine if we as Christians came to the Lord in a similar
way to Andrew.
There is a lot of hurting people in our city, workplace,
schools, and families. It seems as though that the challenge to meet their
needs is unbearable. That all the work in the world we could do wouldn’t meet
their needs. However, God is longing for a people, a generation to come to him
with the little we have, let him
bless it, and watch it feed the masses. It in fact will not only feed them
until they are satisfied, but it will fill them to the point of over flow.
Some of you reading this would say that you fall under the
idea that, like Phillip, there is nothing you could possibly do! Does this
story back that claim up?
What would it take for you to come to the heart of Andrew?
One that says, "Here is the very little I have, but I know you can do something
with it!"
I love you beloved
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