John 6:4-15
One of the very first “Mission Impossible” is recorded in
the verses listed above. Have you ever
been part of a mission that seemed impossible?
Put yourself in Philip’s shoes for just a moment, yes, use your God
given imagination, it’s you that Jesus is asking this question, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may
eat? If you are anything
like Philip, then you are going to look at this large crowd and say something
much like he did; “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a
little.” Now a denarii was a
Roman coin and the coin's purchasing power in terms of bread in the first
century AD has been estimated as equivalent to $21 in 2005. So you would be saying if we had $4,200 it would
only buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.
You and I, much like Philip, often forget who ask the question,
we are quick to think how dumb of you to ask the impossible, when the one who
has posed the question already has the answer.
Jesus always has the answer, but like a Philip we are quick to look at
the impossible, and tell everyone that it is crazy. It is also wise to understand that someone
like an Andrew is listening to your exchange, someone who in the past has
experienced the majesty of Jesus and shyly asked, as Andrew did, “There is a boy
here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so
many?” Have you been an
Andrew, have you been on that committee with the assignment to do the “Mission
Impossible” for the kingdom of God, and all the faith that you have in a big
God is to say, as Andrew, but what are they for so many?
I remember Jack Archer calling Jan and I and a handful of
others to go to a Lay Witness Mission in Amarillo, Texas at a large church, and
he needed many more team members. It was
only a few days till the mission and no one seemed to be able to work Amarillo
into their schedule. Jack ask us to pray
that God would put His team together, it was looking like a “Mission
Impossible” and I remember calling Jack the day before the mission and the
report was not in keeping with our prayer, he had only a few new members on the
team. But Jack reminded me of whose mission
it was, and that he believed that God would send just the right number, and He did. That happen many years ago, and yet like
these disciples it changed my understanding of the term “Impossible.”
Do you recall what Jesus said after being told about the
young boy with the five barley loaves and two fish? “Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”
Now we are told that in that place was a large amount of
grass, so about 5000 men plus their families sat down and Jesus took the loaves
and gave thanks to His Father for the provisions and began to distribute it to
those seated. He did the same thing with
the fish and told them to eat all they wanted.
Now after they had eaten and were full Jesus told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
I am fearful that often
in our excitement of the moment we forget to gather up the leftovers, and often
much gets lost. But back to verse 13, “So they gathered
them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves,
left by those who had eaten.” Do
you find it of interest that John does not give an account of what was done
with the gathered up baskets, but this we can be sure of, Jesus had a plan for
those baskets.
Now the story reminds me of our culture, these people who
just got fed are much like people in our country. The people were looking for someone to care
for them, some one who could come through on the promise of “Hope and Change”
and Jesus, perceiving that they were about to take him by force to make him
King, withdrew again to the mountain by himself. If only they would have asked, Jesus would
have given them living water, and they would have experienced the blessing they
were looking for. Are you looking for a
king, someone to take care of you, or do you need life? Choose life, Jesus is the giver of life!
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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