Daily Bread 2010 - John 6
Daily Bread 2010 – John 6
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
1Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
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.
7Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
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?"
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.
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.
As Jesus continues to do the signs which would show the world who he was, he developed a large following. As thousands followed him, he realized they would need something to eat. He uses the occasion as another teachable moment for the disciples. He asks them how they are going to feed all these people.
Philip realizes the need is too great and begins to calculate the cost of feeding the 5,000. Andrew sees a possible solution in a nearby boy, who has five loaves of bread and two small fish, but also realizes that this probably won’t get the job done. But Jesus proceeds as if there would be enough to feed everyone.
As Jesus gives thanks for what has been given, he distributes the fish and the loaves and all are fed as much as they want and there are even leftovers. Jesus had performed another sign.
So what can we learn from it? Obviously we can’t explain how he did it, but what can it teach us? How does this sign show us who Jesus was and is? First, we might learn that if we see a problem that we don’t think we have enough resources to solve that doesn’t mean we should walk away from it. I love Jesus’ rhetorical question to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
Secondly, Jesus takes what they have and give thanks and offers it to those who need it. He did what he had with what they had and through His presence there was enough for everyone, even leftovers. Again how that happened we will never know, but the point is with Jesus there was enough in what they had to feed five thousand and have leftovers. Later he will teach them that he is the “bread of life” and whoever is fed by him will never be hungry. But for now he feeds the hungry crowd what they needed for today through their offering in faith what they had.
Where are the areas in your life where you are overwhelmed and the need is much bigger than the resources you have available? Are you tempted to walk away and say “that’s not my problem!” How can you take what you do have and offer it up to Jesus so that he can do much more with it than you could ever ask or imagine. In the end Jesus did the multiplying, he only asked the disciples to go on faith with what they had to meet the need before them.
Dear God so often we feel overwhelmed with the needs we see before us, and ill-equipped to provide within our own means. Help us to offer what we have to a world that is looking to be fed with you the Bread of Life. As we offer what we have in your name giving thanks to God through it, you will do more than we could ever ask, imagine or explain. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
1Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
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.
7Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
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?"
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.
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.
As Jesus continues to do the signs which would show the world who he was, he developed a large following. As thousands followed him, he realized they would need something to eat. He uses the occasion as another teachable moment for the disciples. He asks them how they are going to feed all these people.
Philip realizes the need is too great and begins to calculate the cost of feeding the 5,000. Andrew sees a possible solution in a nearby boy, who has five loaves of bread and two small fish, but also realizes that this probably won’t get the job done. But Jesus proceeds as if there would be enough to feed everyone.
As Jesus gives thanks for what has been given, he distributes the fish and the loaves and all are fed as much as they want and there are even leftovers. Jesus had performed another sign.
So what can we learn from it? Obviously we can’t explain how he did it, but what can it teach us? How does this sign show us who Jesus was and is? First, we might learn that if we see a problem that we don’t think we have enough resources to solve that doesn’t mean we should walk away from it. I love Jesus’ rhetorical question to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
Secondly, Jesus takes what they have and give thanks and offers it to those who need it. He did what he had with what they had and through His presence there was enough for everyone, even leftovers. Again how that happened we will never know, but the point is with Jesus there was enough in what they had to feed five thousand and have leftovers. Later he will teach them that he is the “bread of life” and whoever is fed by him will never be hungry. But for now he feeds the hungry crowd what they needed for today through their offering in faith what they had.
Where are the areas in your life where you are overwhelmed and the need is much bigger than the resources you have available? Are you tempted to walk away and say “that’s not my problem!” How can you take what you do have and offer it up to Jesus so that he can do much more with it than you could ever ask or imagine. In the end Jesus did the multiplying, he only asked the disciples to go on faith with what they had to meet the need before them.
Dear God so often we feel overwhelmed with the needs we see before us, and ill-equipped to provide within our own means. Help us to offer what we have to a world that is looking to be fed with you the Bread of Life. As we offer what we have in your name giving thanks to God through it, you will do more than we could ever ask, imagine or explain. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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