Nourished for Life
Notes
Transcript
I’ve shared with you multiple times during this series that 70% of what we find in the Gospel of John is not recorded in the other three Gospels. We’ve been talking about John in comparison with the other Gospels in this way, “The synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, tell you the WHAT of Jesus’ life and ministry, John tells us the WHY.”
John has been reflecting on his time with Jesus for some 50 years when he writes his Gospel, and no doubt reading the other Gospels for as long as 30 of those years. He wrote his Gospel sometime close to AD 100.
The Gospel of John is read a lot in our churches, among youth groups it is favored among the Gospels. For new Christians it is often the Gospel they are directed to as they venture into developing a Bible reading habit. For these reasons its well known, and that is one of the big challenges for those of us who have been in church much of our lives. Because we can carry much of what we’ve heard about the text or learned in the past into the text and it’s difficult to read as simply what John wrote.
In our text today we come to one of the recordings of a large feeding of 5000 as recorded in Matt 14, Mark 6, and Luke chapter 9. It is another of Jesus’ messianic signs. Jesus and his disciples have travelled to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and a large crowd follows them because they’d seen the signs Jesus was doing.
It’s close to the passover, this is the second of three passovers mentioned in the Gospel of John. The first was in chapter 2, and the last one will be in chapter 11. This is the only Passover that finds him in Galilee.
It appears that the crowd came by land as at the end of the passage they do not have boats to climb into to follow Jesus. So as our passage opens, Jesus has crossed the Sea of Galilee with his disciples, and we read v. 3 - John 6:3
Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
So from this elevated place we read in v. 5 - John 6:5
Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”
Why did he ask Philip? In doing a bit of research we find out that Philip is from the area they are in. Surelly he knows the best pizzaria to get the pizza for this crowd, right? As we continue to read we find John 6:6 “He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.” And Phillip speaks of the impracticallity of it all, John 6:7
Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, finds some food, John 6:9
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
Barley loaves were not seen as a high level bread, in fact it wasn’t necessarily liked. It was however sustenance for the poor. The fish were likely pickled or dried and likely about the size of sardines. This is what Jesus had to work with.
Jesus tells the disciples to instruct them to sit down. Then we read, John 6:11
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
Think of that, as much as they wanted. How is that possible. William Barclay points out that the people had travelled a considerable distance and no doubt being out for the day had packed something to sustain them for the journey. He suggests:
The Gospel of John, Volume 1 The Meaning of a Miracle (John 6:1–13 Contd)
It is scarcely to be thought that the crowd left on a nine-mile expedition without making any preparations at all. If there were pilgrims with them, they would certainly possess supplies for the way. But it may be that they would not produce what they had, for they selfishly—and very humanly—wished to keep it all for themselves. It may then be that Jesus, with that rare smile of his, produced the little store that he and his disciples had; with sunny faith he thanked God for it and shared it out. Moved by his example, everyone who had anything did the same; and in the end there was enough, and more than enough, for all.
It may be that this is a miracle in which the presence of Jesus turned a crowd of selfish men and women into a fellowship of sharers. It may be that this story represents the biggest miracle of all—one which changed not loaves and fishes, but men and women.
Isn’t that what we all seek is for hearts to be changed?
Let’s back up for just a moment. Note the contrast between Andrew and Philip.
Philip was asked where can we get enough to feed all these people, and he laments that more than 6 months wages would not be enough to feed them. Philip in many ways represents the realists among us. Those that look at a situation and see it simply for what it is.
Andrew on the other hand reacts very differently. When Jesus is sitting with his disciples he turned and asked Philip, Andrew is sitting there too. Instead of lamenting the cost of feeding so many, Andrew takes a different tact. He thinks, “What can I do?”, and then trusts Jesus to do the rest. No matter how you might think the miracle took place, it was Andrew who brought the young boy to Jesus.
Therein lies the lesson I want to focus on for us today.
We often look at ourselves and think,
“What do I have to offer?”
“What do I have to offer?”
We look at our situation often as Philip did in this situation. I don’t wnat to say this was how he looked at everything. Here he focuses on what he doesn’t have.
We might do the same, and have all kinds of excuses:
I don’t have enough money.
I don’t know how to make this happen.
I’m not talented enough in this area.
We can at times have the same attitude with our church.
We don’t have enough people.
Our budget would not allow us to do this.
We don’t have the people with expertise in that area.
This is Philip’s attitude, and if anything in this miracle we’re invited to think not of our own limitations, but of Jesus’ unlimited abilities. He is the one who makes even the least amount more than enough.
Rather than Philip’s attitude, let’s look at Andrew. Rather than saying, “What do I have to offer?”
We might say,
“This Is What I Offer”
“This Is What I Offer”
When we look at what it is that we have to offer it’s not a focus upon what is lacking, not a focus on what we’re missing, but instead we focus on what we bring.
We have what we have. Perhaps that sounds like we’re giving up, and in reality it is the exact opposite. It’s trusting Jesus to make up the difference.
Andrew brought a boy willing to offer his 5 barley loaves and a couple pickled fish to feed 5,000 men (not to mention women and children). What was he thinking?
Perhaps he just was like an eager young child wanting to help.
We often think that we don’t have enough to make a difference. Andrew simply brings what he’s found - ironically it’s not even his! He brings a young boy to Jesus.
Our journey as a church is much the same. Here at Mission Woods we often use the phrase, “Small but MIghty!” We make a significant difference in this community. We’re making a significant difference in the lives of people in this congregation. We’re making a signficiant difference for families we will never meet with donation to local foodbanks, St. Francis House, and local hospitals.
What do you bring?
What do you bring?
Think about what you bring? Where has God gifted you with a talent? How has God provided for you? Where has God gifted you with concern? Curiosity?
What Might God Want To Do?
What Might God Want To Do?
We’ve all heard people say, God will not give you more than you can handle. This is a misreading of 1 Corinthians 10:13 which reads: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
The verse deals with temptation, and note it is God who provides the way of escape. The reality is in this life we will often, perhaps always, face challenges that are too big for us to face alone. And God provides the way of escape. God provides the solution.
What do you see God wanting to do around you? What do you bring? Are you willing to offer it all? Where is God providing the solution?
The miracle of the feeding of 5000 according to Barclay was the changing of the hearts of the men and women on that day.
As men and women of changed hearts here at Mission Woods, may we be inspired to offer what we have to further the ministry of Jesus. Amen.
