“Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” John 6:5
Our Lord often used questions as he taught, giving his disciples an opportunity to reason through the answers as he patiently, gently, and kindly led them to find answers.
5000 men (most likely 10,000 or more when adding in women and children) had gathered that day and as Jesus taught, the day grew long and the people grew hungry. The disciples wanted to send the people away to fend for themselves, but Jesus had something else in mind. He would not only be filling empty tummies, but filling up hearts and minds with powerful truth.
The question was posed to Philip, but it seems all the disciples heard it. Maybe Philip was the numbers or finance guy in the group.He replies to Jesus in verse 7, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite.”
He counted noses, did the math, and figured out it would require a whole lot more money than they had to feed the crowd.
Phillip looked at the proverbial glass and saw it way more than half empty. Philip chose to focus on what they didn’t have, what wasn’t available to them. We are defeated when we choose to focus on what we can’t do, what we don’t have, where we are unable, unqualified, and ill-equipped.
When a need comes before you and me, do we automatically look at our own proverbial glass half empty – is it easy then to come up with reasons why we can’t? Is God giving us a task too big for us on our own? A task that requires Him to equip us?
We know that apart from Him, we are nothing. We know that our salvation is completely dependent upon Him and not ourselves. So – why do we think our lives living out our salvation can be done on our own? Just as we needed Him to save us, we need Him to live as saved women.
The Gospel was for that day — and it also is what equips, encourages, and enables us for this day!
Instead of being like Phillip and focusing on what we don’t have, perhaps we should be more like Andrew and look at what we do have. Back to the proverbial glass again – Andrew sees it at least a little bit full. Far less than half – he sees just a smidgen – but at least he sees something. He acknowledges there is a little bit available.
“Hey, Jesus, here’s a kid with a couple of fish and five little biscuits – it’s not much but…here it is.”
Just a tiny bit of lunch – enough for a little boy. Just a wee bit of faith demonstrated by Andrew. But the resources were offered up. The smidgen of faith was directed at Jesus.
On our own, we are never enough. The task is too great, the needs too many. If we are relying on ourselves to be the need meet-er, we go from being overwhelmed to feelings of disappointment, defeat, and despair. Our insufficiency must drive us to Him who is all sufficient.
We are not, but He is. We are lacking, He is complete. We cannot. He can.
The woman of God looks to Jesus to meet needs.
Are there needs in your life and in the lives of those you love that seem overwhelming? Impossible?
Are you trying to meet a God-sized need with human effort? Are you a glass half-empty person like Philip – pulling out your calculator and crunching the numbers to prove the task impossible?
Are you a glass half-full person (or just a smidgen full) like Andrew taking inventory and offering up to Jesus the pitiful amount you do have with an expectant heart of faith?
Where do you take inventory and find you don’t have nearly enough– not enough patience… not enough love….not enough courage…not enough time or talent….how about enough FAITH? Are you willing to take what you do have and offer it to God, acknowledging it is not nearly enough from you…but trusting in faith that He will fill in what is missing.
Do you believe Jesus can?
Listen here for the entire teaching lesson from John 6 to find out how He provided food (and leftovers) for the hungry crowd:
http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-of-john-chapter-6lesson-6/
Photo attribution: www.friarmusings.wordpress.com
