Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" Then Jesus, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So them men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

- John 6:1-15

Yesterday's reading continued a series of readings beginning on Saturday, in which we read of Jesus healing the paralytic by the Sheep Gate at the pool called Bethesda. After this, the authorities sought Him, because He had violated the Sabbath rest. He told them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore they sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. On Monday, Jesus began to teach about His identity as Son, His power to Judge which has been given to Him by the Father, the alignment of His will with the Father's. Jesus taught, " For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man." In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued, teaching them about His union with the Father in judgment. He gave them witnesses to Himself: the first is John the Baptist. He said, "Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light." Next are His works, and the Father Himself as witnesses: "But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me." He taught the witness of the Scriptures: "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me." Jesus taught them: "But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. In the various Gospels, we read frequently of Jesus sailing on the Sea of Galilee, or crossing over. Sometimes He's in Gentile territory, sometimes among the Jews. But there is always a lot of movement over the Sea, here in Galilee. It's actually a large lake about 7 miles wide and 13 miles long. We recall the disciples central to His ministry who are former fishermen on the Sea, and come from towns along its coast. Peter's home, in Capernaum on its north coast, is a sort of headquarters for the ministry. My study bible says of the Sea of Galilee here, "Its crossing by the Savior is reminiscent of the crossing of the Red Sea by Moses and the Israelites." A great multitude of people has followed Him across the Sea, to this mountain, because of the signs they've seen.

Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" My study bible points out that the Passover coincided with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, "which commemorated not only the Exodus from Egypt , but the first food from grain eaten in the promised Land after the crossing of the Jordan." This particular approaching Passover Feast is the second reported in John's Gospel, during Jesus' ministry. Many of the signs in this Gospel focus around events celebrated in the feasts, just as today's reading recalls the events celebrated in Israel's spiritual history.

But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." The story, and Jesus' question here, emphasizes the impossibility of feeding these people in this wilderness on a mountain, far away from cities. Two hundred denarii is about 200 days wages for these working men. As is so common in John's Gospel, Jesus' questions are drawing them in to the problem, and the answer, at hand.

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" Andrew draws attention to the loaves and fishes, but, as my study bible points out, cannot see the potential in them. It is another way of drawing us into the story, the teaching at hand. Barley, says my study bible, "was generally used by the poorer people -- it cost less than wheat and was ready for harvest in the springtime at Passover."

Then Jesus, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So them men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. Jesus takes charge, teaching what must be done. This feeding miracle is reported in all four Gospels, so central is it to the ministry, teachings, and Person of Jesus. To give thanks is from the Greek verb eucharisto. The overtones of the Eucharist are unmistakable in the giving of thanks, and the distribution to and by the disciples. Fish are, of course, symbols of abundance, and also an important early Christian symbol. The ancient Greek word for fish (ΙΧΘΥΣ) forms an acronym for Iησους Χριστος Θεου Υιος Σωτηρ: "Jesus Christ God's Son Savior." This phrase reflects the teachings of Jesus about Himself and His identity to the leadership in our recent readings. In the distribution of the food, all have as much as they want. It is a fulfillment of the "type" of the feeding of Israel in the wilderness with the miraculous gift of manna.

So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. As with the manna, Jesus says that "nothing should be lost." But here is more abundance: there are twelve baskets left of the bread, one for every apostle to continue His work.

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. My study bible has a note which explains the use of the term the Prophet: "The Galilean Jews, with their misguided messianic enthusiasm, equate Jesus with the Prophet of Deut. 18:15-19, whom they expect to be an earthly, political leader who will lead them against the occupying Romans, as Moses led his people out of bondage. Because He is not to fulfill these expectations, Jesus withdraws from the crowd." What we note for ourselves is Jesus' firm lines about who He is and what He is. He will not be persuaded by the desires of the people who follow Him. Whatever gifts He gives, whatever miraculous sign He produces, it is clearly with a mission in mind, and the will of the Father for His work in the world.

What does it mean that these crowds want to make Jesus a king because He's fed them? It shows us the warnings He's made all along, concerning the shallowness of belief that comes strictly from His signs, without understanding the power of God that is truly there, and the depth of relationship toward which each is called. John's Gospel has already told us that Jesus would not entrust Himself to those who believed only through signs (especially true of the Galileans who had seen His signs at the Festival), and so we are prepared for this response. But the power of Christ's ministry rests in something deeper than the signs He performs, although the signs truly do point to His origin and His identity. So we are left with the question for ourselves: why do we believe in what Christ offers to us? What are we after? Is it His love that guides us? Do we take to heart what He has to teach? Or do we suspect that Christ will provide us with everything we need in a material sense? The difference between these two types of expectation is the difference between love and want. Faith asks of us a kind of trust that we will be led to what is best for us. Want merely demands, and offers a list of what others should do for us. Jesus never merely gives in to the wants and the shoulds. His ministry is for the life of the world, and as such He is here to give us the life He offers, not the sort of life that we might demand. We must open our eyes to really receive this gift. We must make room in our hearts for His Way.