The God Factor

 

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 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?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 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. 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. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 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.”

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.

I started doing these reflections on January 1 this year. Although there was the great enthusiasm that marks the beginning of every ambitious project, there was also a sense of trepidation. Would I be able to do this day after day? Would I get fresh insights? Would I get weary at some point and decide to quit? Would people get weary of listening to me? Would I be able to continue when I was on mission, sometimes for weeks on end? 

Well, day after tomorrow will make seven months that I have been doing this without skipping a single day, and the reason is simply because of the ample provision that Jesus makes available to those who depend on them. We see this in the passage that we just read, the only miracle recorded in all four gospels which suggests how important it is.

There are several lessons that one can learn from this passage but I’d like to focus on just one, because it has tremendous relevance to all of us who say we have faith. When Jesus sees a huge crowd of about 5,000 people approach, he asks Philip: “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” Scripture says that Jesus said this to test Philip because he himself already knew what he was going to do.

Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if we could have said: “You know, I was there when you changed water into wine. I saw you walk upon the water in the middle of a storm. I heard you call out to Lazarus to come out of the tomb and he came out; this was four days after he was dead. This is nothing, Lord. You can feed them all.”

But instead Philip answered, “We don’t have enough money to buy food to give them!” Would we have responded any differently. I doubt it. The question I want us to reflect upon is: why? Because we are rational people. We are calculating people. Unfortunately, when we calculate, we calculate without Christ. The next time around, let us factor Christ into the equation. And what is impossible, becomes possible.

Like these reflections. If you enjoy them do let me know.