April 1, 2025
Feeding 5,000 - Part 2
John 6:5-7
04/01/2025
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?''
6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what
he would do.
7 Philip answered him, ``Two hundred denarii would
not buy enough bread for each of them to get a
little.'' (ESV)
This week we are studying Jesus' miracle of Feeding the
5,000, which is the only miracle, aside from the resurrection,
which is recorded in all four Gospels. Saint John continued:
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?'' He said this to test him, for he himself knew
what he would do. Philip answered him, ``Two hundred
denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to
get a little.''
Even before the crowds found Jesus on the mountain with His
disciples, Jesus saw them. He knew that the crowds would require
food, so He asked His disciples to ponder the solution to the
problem. They had time to discuss the issue, but could only come
up with one solution, travel back to the closest town or city and
purchase food. However, the disciples did not have the resources
or the money to make that happen, so they were dismayed.
Jesus was testing their faith. The disciples had witnessed
Jesus' power over nature, and had tasted the water which was made
wine. Yet the solution to trust Jesus, to request that He
perform a miracle, was never proposed. Is it appropriate to ask
God to supply our needs when we have no resources? Does He not
already give us everything to support this body and life? Didn't
Jesus say, ``Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things
will be added unto you''?[1] As an old favorite hymn reminds us:
``Oh what peace we often forfeit; O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.''[2] May
our Lord grant us faith to trust in Him even for our daily bread.
Amen.