The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of the Lord that is recorded in all four gospels. Turning water into wine is the only miracle that is recorded just in John’s Gospel. This story describes Phillip as a mediator. This doesn’t mean that Philip was in any way superior or better, but because Philip was local to that community, a native of that area, Bethsaida. (Ref. John 1:44 “Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida”). Philip was the logical one to be asked because Philip was from this area and he would know where to go and buy food. Just like Mary in the wedding at Cana, this should not lead us into any more than interpretation than that.
We all have responsibilities. We have individual and family responsibilities,and we have social and civic responsibilities. God looks at you and me as God’s messengers to our communities. The chapter of John 11:1 reads: "Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha." He calls the place where you live as the city where Mathew lives, or Ed lives or Don lives. We are all given a life, and a place and circumstance to live. Our family, our community, our society, our church are all our neighborhoods. Jesus is asking us to look around and see the needs. Are we taking them to Jesus or asking them to go home to eat.
This was not the first time such a miracle had been performed. Our Old Testament lesson tells us that this is what Elisha did with 100 people. (2King 4:42-44).
Nor was this the last time this kind of miracle took place. Later on in his ministry, Jesus fed another multitude with a small amount of food – that time feeding a mere 4,000 people. (Matthew 14 tells of the feeding of the 5,000, followed by Matthew 15 and the feeding of the 4,000. Matthew 16:9 and 10 mentions the feeding of both groups).Matthew (14:21) specifies 5000 men, and further emphasizes the point by adding, “besides women and children.” Many Bible scholars believe the actual number fed that day could have been 15,000—20,000 people.
As John tells about this particular miracle, he seems to be more interested in how different people became involved in the miracle. The first person John’s Gospel lets us meet is Philip. We know only a little about Philip. He was a Jew, but he had a Greek name– very multicultural. He was one of the followers of John the Baptist. And he seems to have been a very practical person. When Jesus asks Philip “where can we buy bread for all these people to eat,” Philip responds by saying it would take more than 200 silver coins. Basically, Philip looks the situation over, and then responds by saying, “It’s hopeless. Nothing can be done.” But while it is good to be realistic about any situation, Philip’s approach is not a very good one because there is no effort positively to change the situation.
Commitment of Mother Teresa stands out as a great example. Mother Teresa rescued newborn infants form trashcans and public areas. More than half of them died in 6 months. People have asked her why she did this when half of them died, she said, “humans have a right to die in a place of love”. She said “None of us can do anything great on our own, but we can all do a small thing with great love".
When we believe that nothing can be done, then the situation does indeed become hopeless. As we face our problems at work, or with our families, or in our church or society, there will be no improvements, no resolutions to our problems, if we sit back with Philip and to complain that it is hopeless, that nothing can be done. That algebra test is coming on Monday – but nothing can be done, so why study? That stack of bills keeps growing, it can’t get any better, so why not just keep running up the credit card charges? Work will never get better – so why try? The marriage is over. That teenager is hopeless. The church is dying, so let's close the door. The power of negative thinking is real and it is destructive. Well, that’s one approach, but it’s not a very complete approach to dealing with the overwhelming. It is good to be realistic and practical – but you have to have more than that.
Philip is the classic example in the New Testament of someone facing a difficult problem who looks at it discouragingly, but does not bring God in on it. King Saul and Israel in I Samuel 17 is an Old Testament picture of the same type of failure. They had a problem with Goliath and the Philistines that seemed to be insurmountable. They left God out of the picture. Young David, as he surveyed the same situation, brought God into the picture and went forth to claim the victory. Jesus was teaching the disciples that when you face a problem do not face it in your own strength and resources. Include God in that situation and it will change the circumstances.
Let’s take a look at a second person that John highlights -- Andrew. Andrew was born in a community on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. His father ran a successful fishing business, which employed, among others, Andrew and his brother Simon Peter. Never assess a difficult situation in the light of limitations. Look around. God has provided multiple sources. Simply put, we need to look outside the box. We figure, we sweat and agonize about something that we cannot do and finally out of desperation we let God handle it.
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, seems to have thought more about matters of the soul than about fishing, because he left his fishing nets to follow John the Baptist. Then one day, the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Messiah. And like Philip, Andrew began to follow Christ. At first, Andrew seems to speak with the voice of faith. “There is a boy here” (John 6:9). He remains a businessman - someone who directed others. So unlike Philip, Andrew looks around to see who can help. And Andrew finds a boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish. Then in a realistic tone, he adds that although this is a beginning, it is certainly not enough to feed the large crowd. Thus, instead of saying, “The situation is hopeless, there is nothing I can do” Andrew seems to be saying, “I’ll see if there is anyone who can help.” There is a big difference in the two approaches to this problem. Unlike Philip, he does not despair. He does not sit back and do nothing. He takes the time to call out for help. And he finds a boy with some food. So often, we are overwhelmed by our job, our family, our finances -- whatever, think about the people who can help us.
Let’s take a look at another person John highlights in this story - the boy. He doesn’t even have a name. All we know is that he had a lunch bag and he was willing to share it with others. Philip had looked at the situation over and was very realistic about what he was facing – but he stopped there. Andrew had a slightly better approach and he decided to find someone to help share the burden. The boy went even further. He looked around and said, “Here I am, I will give what I can to solve the problem, then leave the rest to God.”
We often think what we have is insignificant or can’t be used! Too often we think, “I’m too young, there’s nothing God can do with me.” You will be amazed how many people have come to visit and join our church because a classmate at school or a seatmate on the bus invited them to Church, which introduced them to this church and a renewed relationship with God. Some of us think we are too old. “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and I’m going to place my life in his hands.” You’re never too old to place it in God’s hands. John Wesley while he was 83, still preached six sermons a week. God didn’t expect that boy to have enough to feed the 5,000. He only expected the boy to place it in his hands, and leave the rest up to God.
Not only does God want you to place your gifts and energy and talent in his hands, he wants you to place your pain as well. Many times we cling to our grief, we cling to our bitterness, and we cling to our anger in such a way that we cripple ourselves. Just as God wants to take the offering of our barley loaves and fish and multiply it, he also wants to take what’s eating away at our souls, robbing us of the joy in our lives, and do away with them.
You also need the Bread of Life – Jesus. Everything else will leave you still hungry for more. Only Jesus satisfies completely. Not everyone will accept Christ. In John 6, after Jesus feeds the multitude, the people ask for a sign. In verse 30, the people ask, “What miracle will you do? If we can see a miracle, then we will believe you. Our fathers ate manna in the desert… what will you do for us?” Isn’t that strange? But it isn’t enough – people keep demanding another sign. And without being satisfied with the miracles he has already performed – they leave.
Our need is big but God is bigger!
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