6 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 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.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
Sometimes when I am driving around Houston on highway 59 or 69 in Houston I look a the hotel my family stayed in when we first moved to Texas, I go by some of the old places we used to live as well. There are certain gas stations and fast food places that have a special place in my heart. When our living situation wasn't certain I remember making a lot with a little staying in a hotel while we worked out where we where going to stay. I remember doing a lot with a little when my mother sister and I had to split a fast food restaurant value meal with a refillable fountain drink from the local gas station. I know about doing a lot with a little going to college on not enough financial aid but making it work semester to semester so I could earn my undergraduate degree. I am very familiar with doing what you can with what you have.
I think we all have had to make what we had work in some way shape or form. Raising children, keeping a home, keeping a job, personal and/or professional relationship, maybe even just doing day to day tasks in this thing called life. I believe very few of us have had everything handed to us, and whatever we had
God
We get to see Jesus do a lot with a little in John chapter 6. Two of the most famous miracles of Jesus are here in this passage of scripture. Jesus feeding the multitude is in all four gospels and Jesus walking on water story is in Matthew, Mark, and John. Earlier in John chapter 5 Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and the people plotted to kill him. Jesus violated a rule by healing a man on the Sabbath, the religious authorities focused more on the rule violation than the person who got their life changed forever. Jesus is getting away from those people at the end of chapter 5 because it is not his time yet.
Jesus gets away from the people trying to kill him and that is where we find him by the Sea of Tiberius in today's reading. John marks the time by mentioning Passover. The location is important because of the time of year, it is Passover season, the time when believers went to Jerusalem to celebrate, however Jesus and the disciples are over 100 miles away from Jerusalem. That is a 1:30, or 2 hour drive and the disciples do not have cars. During the time of Passover the people should be in Jerusalem but a crowd is still around Jesus.
-while we have our traditional celebrations there is another world out there that can’t or won’t be in the main place for celebration.
Jesus sees that the people are hungry and take the initiative to act, compassion moves people to act. Jesus sees that the people are hungry and wants to feed them. Jesus then asks the disciples, where can we buy food? You could have a whole sermon, sermon series, Bible study, conference, and revival on these particular scriptures. Jesus asks where can we buy food, Philip complains about the price, Andrew brings up a little boy’s lunch. If that is not the struggle of the church, I don’t know what is. Jesus asked a specific question, one that should have been answered with a location, instead Jesus got complaints, one doing nothing because of the perceived price and another trying to get the job down with the “homeboy hookup.” This is the one who has never failed asking them a specific question and the disciples, the church folk can’t get out the way of their own thinking to do what Jesus asks.
How many thousands of dollars have been lost because a church didn't want to spend a few hundred? How many things has the church missed out on by not answering the specific questions? How many visions have gone unfulfilled because the negativity and lack of action prevented the idea from even getting off the ground? How many projects are there that could have helped the community but died in committees?
Thank God that Jesus did not let the church folk stop him from performing this miracle, a sign to point people in the right direction in the kingdom of God. After performing the miracle, the people wanted to make Jesus king, it still wasn't Jesus time yet. Jesus is still trying to work without the fanfare.
The disciples ran into some rough water, in that rough water they kept pushing forward, they did not stop their trip permanently they kept working with what they had and pushed forward. In the storm, the disciples see Jesus, first on the shore, then walking on the water. The disciples are afraid at what they see, but Jesus told them not to be afraid because it is I. In the midst of the storm, a storm that is too big to handle all we can do is keep pushing forward and look to Jesus.
Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus fed the multitude and showed the disciples a sign of who he is walking on water. Jesus took care of the physical and the spiritual needs of the people, the church could and should follow the same example. William Barber said preachers shouldn’t be worried about tithes and offerings if they are not also fighting for their congregation to get a living wage. We as a church are able to do a lot more than we are doing we just have to be willing to act.
God can do a lot with our little and turn it into something great. We have to be willing to give God what we have and let God work with it. It's no secret what God can do, what he has done for others he will do the same for you.
Jesus told the disciples on the boat not to be afraid, and he told them it is I but the phrasing is better said as I AM. Phrasing there is the same phrasing that God told Moses from the burning bush I AM that I AM, the I AM when Jesus says he is the light of the world, the I AM when Jesus says he is gate of the sheepfold and the good shepherd, the I AM when Jesus says he is the resurrection and the life, the I AM when Jesus says he is the way, the truth, and the life, the I AM when Jesus says he is the true vine, and the I AM when Jesus says he is the bread of life. Here to take care of us physically and spiritually.
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