Feeding 5000

Down-turns, down-sizing, re-organizing, minimizing, loss of income, loss of job, loss of life-style, re-evaluating … when the VA told us that they were changing my husband’s disability status, we were a bit stunned. We thought the status was permanent and we’d made a lot of financial decisions based on that. Then it felt like we were the only ones who’d received such a stark blow. But it turns out several of our friends and acquaintances have been or are currently going through the same thing. What a weird experience this is. As I was talking to God about it this morning I began reading where I’d left off in John yesterday.

John 6 (NIV) Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

⁵When 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?" ⁶He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

God was not surprised at the VA’s decision. Nor was He or is He surprised by anyone else’s misfortunes.

⁷Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages^[a] would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Have you ever asked that question? Where will we …? How will we …? Ever been in a place where the need, both personal and communal, was so great that it occurs to you that no one … absolutely no one can supply this need …? Except God?! Philip looked at what it would take to solve the problem and the answer he came up with was staggering. If you saved eight months of your family’s wages how much would that be? … and how far would it go?

⁸Another 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?"

Have you ever looked at your resources, and then looked again, and yet again, hoping to find something anything that you could use? Andrew looked at what they had and was appalled because it wasn’t enough… it wasn’t really enough for one grown man much less a multitude on a hillside.

¹⁰Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. ¹¹Jesus 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.

Jesus asked the question, I believe, because He wanted them to understand what they were about to see. He knew what they had and what they didn’t have. But more importantly, He knew what He was going to do. Jesus took what they had, and He gave thanks, and had the disciples distribute it to everyone who was seated, about 5000 men (not including women & children) and … and they had as much as they wanted.

¹²When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." ¹³So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

I believe that following His example is probably a good idea at this point in our lives. Look at what we have, give thanks, and distribute what we have to the need that God sets before us. Then let Him be responsible for multiplying it. He can do the most amazing things if we’re thankful … and obedient.

In the book of James, chapter one, He tells us to … ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.