(John 6:1-21)
This is a unique story in our bible in many ways. But one of the most unique things about it is that it is the only miracle that is included in all four gospels. We find it in Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9 and, of course, from the 6th Chapter of John. I think it is very significant that all four evangelists chose to write about this story. What that tells us is that it was obviously a very important event to them and I think it should be to us as well.
Before we read the text, let me put it in its context. This story takes place right after Jesus has healed a sick man at the Pool of Bethzatha (or Bethsaida). If you remember the story, this was the man who had been sick for some 38 years. And he had been hanging out near the Sheep Gate where there was a pool, which was believed to have divine healing properties. For a long time he had tried to be the first one in the pool when the "waters were stirred," but someone always beat him to it. The belief was that the first one in the pool received the healing from the spirit that stirred the water, but his illness prevented him from getting to it quickly enough. So, as the story goes, on the Sabbath, Jesus happened upon the man, took pity on him and healed him. This did not sit well with the authorities. They interpreted the Law as strictly forbidding healing on the Sabbath. A resulting argument took place between the Jewish officials and Jesus about his authority and the rightness of healing on the Sabbath.
So, at this point, Jesus is not winning any friends from among the ruling elders because he is bucking the system, so to speak. He is doing things that witness to his relationship with God - and claiming an authority for himself that does not originate from those currently in command of the Jewish faith. But, on the other hand, he is winning a large following from among the common people who see him as miracle-worker and as hope.
So what we are about to read is the very next story in John's gospel. Let's now listen for God's Word today as we find it in John's gospel.
John 6:1-21 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" 10 Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." 15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Throughout the centuries of the Christian faith, there has been an on-going struggle between emphasizing the things of the spirit versus the things of the flesh. In some ways, we have been led to believe that the things of the spirit are somehow more important than the things of the flesh. From this perspective the spiritual life is a much higher form of expression than the physical life. And in this way of thinking, our physical body is actually an impediment to attaining a truly spiritual life. This is our Greek philosophical heritage.
Well, I am going to make a fairly bold assertion: that the physical stuff of our lives matters to God, too. It is not just the spiritual things that concern God. In other words, it is not wrong to recognize the physical needs we have as human beings. After all, that is how God made us. (This is the "duh" moment of the sermon!)
There are countless stories in the bible that validate this very point. The healing miracles themselves illustrate the physical wholeness that God created us to have. So, there is nothing wrong with praying for physical health. The feeding miracles confirm God's intention for the human body. For example, God provided for Joseph's family during a famine by bringing them to Egypt. And years later, when they escaped from Egypt, God fed the wandering Hebrews with manna and quail in the desert. God also caused much needed water to gush out of a rock. So, obviously, nourishment is essential. I am sure that goes without saying.
Well, in today's scripture we also find a story about food and the importance of it. But in today's story - even though it is about feeding hungry people - there is a spiritual element in it as well. We know that our existence depends on physical nourishment, but just so we don't turn into a bunch of gluttons and hedonists, we also have to remember that our existence is, in fact, spiritual as well.
The ministry that Jesus came to demonstrate elevates body and soul in such a way as to confirm the importance of each. And this story seems to point out that dual perspective - body and soul. The way this story plays out reveals some important details about Jesus and the things that really concerned him. I mean, what does Jesus do in the story? How does he react to the people? What things are important to Jesus? And…what does he resist? I think if we pay close attention to the details of the story we will find some critical clues that shed some light on the reasons Jesus came; and see some important details about our own lives that need challenging.
To me, I think this story is about keeping a proper "faith perspective." In other words, how do we maintain a correct perspective of God even in the midst of a miracle? Because too often the miracle itself becomes the object of our focus - when actually our attention should be on one who creates the miracle - not on the miracle itself.
I mean, let's face it…we are human after all. And it is so easy for us to become distracted from the things that are truly important. Think back to the story and ask yourself, "What seems to be the most compelling part of the story?" …For most of us, it is the miracle itself. Admittedly, it is an amazing thing; to take one boy's meager box lunch and turn it into a meal with enough to feed thousands is a pretty remarkable thing! And, to make it even more remarkable, after the crowd had eaten its fill, there was enough left over to fill 12 more baskets - that was 12 times more than they had to start with, even before they fed anybody!
The crowd had to be amazed by it - as are we! Of course the people were there because Jesus' reputation for doing exactly this sort of thing had spread throughout the countryside. And to be sure they were not disappointed: a recent healing at the pool of Bethzatha and now this!
Well, not only were the people amazed by the miracle, but Jesus actually provided something the people really needed - something practical. He recognized their hunger and he fed it. I think part of the power of this story is simply in that fact. Jesus saw their need; he went to the people, and gave them what they needed. When you think about it, that is the story of Jesus' life. The story of his life, death and resurrection is a continuing story of God searching for us, knowing our hunger and emptiness, and giving us exactly what we need. Salvation has come to the world because God saw our need, came to us and gave us what we could not give ourselves - in abundance, no less!
Jesus certainly did this for the crowd at the lake in grand fashion! But even in the midst of this breathtaking miracle, there is enormous irony in this story. This is what I want to look at today. By the people's reaction, it appears that they saw this event for exactly what it was - a miracle. Listen to verse 14 again: When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." But ironically, the fact that the people recognized the miracle - oohed and ahhed over it even - is exactly why Jesus retreated from the crowd!
Doesn't that seem odd? Jesus did exactly what the people needed him to do. And they were ecstatic over it. They even wanted to make him king! Yet when Jesus saw that the people recognized the miracle, he bolted. He went into seclusion.
Why would Jesus perform such an incredible miracle if he did not want people to notice the power he had? It seems to me that Jesus would want the people to understand how much power and authority he had. Why run from it when the people began to see it?
Well, I think the more we look at it, the answer can be found in the text itself. As we already saw in verse 14, the people had an epiphany - an "aha" moment. Based on the miracle they had seen, they came to the conclusion that Jesus was indeed special. But if we look at verse 15 Jesus left because they were about to come and make him king.
And herein lies the problem: the people wanted to make him king based on the miracle. His authority - in the people's eyes - was based on what he could do for them. It is kind of like voting for a president based on campaign promises. Everybody likes a candidate who promises peace and prosperity. The problem, I think, is that Jesus was not running for office. He was not trying to win the hearts and minds of people based on what he could do for them. He was doing for them so that they could see who he was - God Incarnate. His actions were meant to point to Almighty God, not draw attention to the miracles themselves.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what caught the people's attention. To the crowd's way of thinking, Jesus was powerful and a perfect candidate for king because he could bring the goodies. And they would bow to him as long as the goodies kept coming. That was the sentiment that seemed to be rumbling through the crowd - "let's make him king, look at the stuff he can do."
I know there are some long-time Presbyterians out there who grew up learning the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Do you remember the first question in the catechism?...What is the chief end of man? The answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Our sole purpose in life is to worship and glorify God. There are no conditions or restrictions. It is not subject to approval and there is no "90-day satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" clause in this statement. Our chief purpose is to glorify God. Period.
But Jesus' audience took a look at the miracle and essentially turned that question on its head: "What is the chief end of God!" Their answer?: the chief end of God is to satisfy man and provide for us forever. You see, the miracle - while providing for the needs of the people - was completely misunderstood by the crowd. They looked at the bread and only saw a baker; they saw the fish and only saw a successful fisherman - one who could fill their bellies. And based on those criteria, they thought, certainly he would make a great king!
But Jesus didn't come to make us wealthy or fat. Now granted, to be deprived of food makes one far less effective as a disciple. Clearly we need food. But the object of faith is not to have a full pantry, or a nice car or a big house with a six-car garage to put it in. And yet that seemed to be the motivation of the people that day. After experiencing one of the most amazing miracles in scripture, the people began to think that this was the reason for his presence - to keep them satisfied. They wanted to make him king - but king for the wrong reasons.
And Jesus withdrew from that kind of thinking. He knew that the motivation to make him king was based purely on selfish motives. And if it turned out that they did not get a perpetual free lunch, if they did not become completely healthy or prosperous, if he could not provide political freedom and strength…then their allegiances would turn to somebody else who would promise them what they wanted.
It was not long until this proved to be exactly the case. The people would soon realize that Jesus was not what they expected him to be; would not do what they expected him to do; and would not give them what they wanted. They wanted to make him king just like the crowd that victoriously waved palm branches when Jesus entered Jerusalem. But, for the same reasons they too would soon be shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" He would not be the kind of king they wanted. Even though they did not realize it yet, he came to be the kind of king they really needed.
While we know that we depend on God for all of our physical needs, the things we pray for are not the source, nor are they the subject of our faith. The subject of our faith is God alone. As the Scots Confession says so beautifully: We confess and acknowledge one God alone, to whom alone we must cleave, whom alone we must serve, whom only we must worship, and in whom alone we put our trust.
The power of the gospels lies certainly in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And while in part of his life we saw him do amazing and miraculous things, the most amazing thing he did was to give himself for us. This is the example we must follow. We may look for miracles along the way, and I pray that we see miracles in every moment of life. But the greatest miracle of all is that we are called to live a life worthy of Christ. This means making miracles for others. It means taking our eyes off of ourselves - our needs and our desires - trusting that God will provide for us. It means sacrificing what we want and looking for ways to meet the needs of the world. This is the life of Christ.
We love miracles. They are dramatic and make great stories. But the way we respond to them demonstrates our faith. Do we ask for more or do we use them to show the love of God to the world. When we worship is for our own benefit only? Do we come here for the sole purpose of being fed with God's word? Or do we take that nourishment and go from this place looking for ways to nourish others? Jesus fed the crowd because they needed it. And God feeds us because we need it. But once we have been fed, our response to should be a full and grateful heart that is empowered to feed the world.
Maybe one of the most overlooked parts of this story is the left-overs. Remember, there were 12 extra baskets of food left and Jesus told the disciples to gather it up. Why? Because there are more hungry people in the world. Those left-overs are for us - not to eat because we are already full - but now that we have been fed it is our turn to make miracles in lives of those who are still hungry. And you know what…I will bet that if we take those 12 baskets and give them all away we will have twice as much left over. I don't think we can possibly out-give God when we go into the world serving as Jesus commanded us. Our cup will always runneth over.
Now that we have been fed by God's Word and Spirit, let us go into the world and serve as we have been served. Amen.