Fourth Sunday in Lent (1)
JOHN 6
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of
the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of
people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the
sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4
The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When 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?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind
what he was going to do. 7 Philip
answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough
bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another 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?” 10 Jesus said, “Have
the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat
down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus 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. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his
disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So
they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley
loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus
performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into
the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by
force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
There is much to take away from this story. The human
condition survives in part by managing tragedy, illness, and loss by often
saying things like “ It could have been much worse.” Or “At least now s/he is
at peace and no longer suffering.” This approach allows for a positive aspect
to be found even in the midst of a very bad situation.
What happens though if the “bad situation” is really quite
an impossible one. This is what Jesus disciples faced with the feeding of the
crowd of five thousand. Jesus was testing the faith of his disciples and was
able to provide beyond their needs but they certainly did not know how it was
all going to turn out!
The original Dr. Who series with a time travelling machine
was very gripping. I used to think “Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be able travel
back in time and see some of these events! What expression would be on Philip’s
face? Would Jesus look relaxed, worried about the future?"
Let us praise and thank God who provides a Table of Plenty
for us at all times, even when it does not always seem that way.
- Wayne Edwards