Bible Reading: John 6:1-21
Dear Friends, The disciples have a problem: Jesus has grown a little too popular. After they came back and told their teacher of their exploits, he called them away to a deserted place for a time of rest and renewal. But it didn’t last all that long; in fact, it’s hard to tell if it ever actually happened, as Mark told us last week that the crowds saw where they were headed and scurried around the shore line to beat them there. So when they came ashore they were surrounded. Jesus wasn’t angry, or disappointed, or frustrated, as one might understandably expect given his desire to retreat. Rather, he had compassion for the crowds and so taught them, instructing them in the ways of the kingdom and uplifting them in spirit. By the end of the day, however, the disciples have a lot of hungry people on their hands, people who have travelled some distance with little or no provisions.
And so the disciples have a problem. They also see a solution “Send them away,” they tell Jesus, figuring that only he has the authority to disperse this mob. It’s easy to hear the disciples’ reaction as rather rude, but keep in mind that they’re tired, probably also hungry, a little overwhelmed by the crowds, feeling definitely ill-equipped for the situation, and probably a little bummed out if their promised time of retreat was either cut-short or pre-empted entirely. In this context, “Send them away” actually seems rather charitable. But Jesus doesn’t agree. “Give them food,” he orders. And then ensues the faith-building conversation. “No way we don’t have enough.” “Before deciding that, why don’t you count your assets.” “We have it’s five loaves and two fish.” “Offer it, and it will be enough.” And it was. It’s easy to point to the disciples’ lack of faith in Jesus. After seeing Jesus cast out demons, heal the sick, even calm the storm, they still don’t really know who they’re with and so don’t turn to him with a request to feed the crowd but only to send them away.
But Jesus doesn’t chastise them, as he did at sea. Rather, he turns them back to their own resources. Because the disciples’ problem isn’t just that they don’t have enough faith in Jesus, but also that they don’t have enough faith in themselves, in what God can do with, in, and through them if they simply offer who they are and what they have to God. I wonder if that’s always the way it is. Does faith in God also expect, even demand, faith in what God can do through us? I mean, it’s one thing to pray that God would enter into a troubled relationship of friends or family members and bring peace, and it’s another altogether to ask that God enter into the relationship through us to bring peace. Faith in God, it seems, implies a willingness to be the instrument through which God works. So Jesus throws them back on themselves twice “give them something to eat” and “go see how much you have.” And when they do, an amazing thing happens: God uses what little they have to accomplish an astounding thing. May it also be so with us.
Solomzi