Where can we buy enough food for them to eat? (John 6:5)
With these words, Jesus launched Philip and the other
disciples on a path of discovering more clearly who he was and what he
had come to accomplish. Of course he was concerned about feeding the
crowd of people who had come out to listen to him. But he already “knew
what he was going to do” about that (John 6:6). He asked this question
to help his disciples become more confident in their ability to build
his kingdom on earth. Jesus didn’t want this miracle of loaves to be the
last time God miraculously took care of his people. He wanted the
Twelve to become familiar and even comfortable with the idea of
performing miracles themselves.
And so Jesus involved his
disciples in every step of this miracle. He asked Philip to assess the
situation: the size of the crowd and the inadequacy of their own
resources.
When Andrew brought him a bit of food and a lot of
skepticism, he accepted the gift and told the disciples to make the
people sit down, to pass out the loaves, and to collect the fragments.
From beginning to end, the Twelve were an integral part of the miracle.
What
did the disciples learn that day? They learned to look at needs through
the lens of God’s compassion. They learned to put their own meager
offerings into Jesus’ hands, and to do so unselfishly. They learned to
give thanks to God before and after each request. And they learned to
rely on the power of God as they built the kingdom.
Jesus wants to
do the same thing for us. He wants us to become vessels of his grace in
the world. So whenever he brings a need to your attention, pay
attention. He is not just asking you what you think. As he did with
Philip, he’s inviting you to join him in doing something wonderful about
it. If you’re alert for his direction and willing to take a step of
faith, you’ll see wonders!
“Jesus, make me a co-worker with you. Teach me how to cooperate with your Spirit.”
from wau.org
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