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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 said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the 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
In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His discourse to the religious authorities at the Feast of Weeks, after healing the paralytic at the Sheep Gate. He said, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 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. 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 has sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. 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. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. As we begin reading the sixth chapter of John we enter into a kind of parallel of the Passover and Exodus of ancient Israel. In Exodus (see Exodus 11-17), there were first signs by God performed against Pharaoh, and then instructions were given on how to be saved at the time of Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14). Here, the multitudes are following Christ, we're told, because of His signs. We note, also, the Passover is near. The chapter will continue to give us other parallels with the Exodus. Also noteworthy here is the journey involved: crossing over the sea, going up on the mountain.
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?" My study bible suggests that Christ tests Philip here to increase his faith, and to give Philip needed help to understand Him (see 14:8-10). Two hundred denarii are over six months' wages for a laborer. Andrew shows a great faith than Philip. He knows the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), he offers the food brought by a lad. Yet, still weak in faith, he questions, "What are they among so many?" It is Christ who must show the answer. Again, the scene mirrors a component from Exodus; the people, to follow Christ, have in haste left without taking provisions.
Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the 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. This scene is central to each Gospel. The feeding of five thousand men (and more women and children) is parallel to yet another focus of the Exodus, the feeding of the people in the wilderness with manna from heaven. We note how it mirrors the Eucharist: Jesus gives thanks and distributes to the disciples, they in turn take it to the people. "As much as they wanted" indicates the abundance of this food, the grace of God. The twelve baskets filled with leftover barley loaves mirror the Twelve Tribes of Israel, but also symbolize the food that is going to go to the whole world -- to all the nations -- via the Twelve Apostles.
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 says that although Jesus had performed greater signs than this, the crowds here are so desirous of an earthly Messiah that they declare Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only when they were filled with earthly things. Therefore Jesus departs from them, because of their misunderstanding.
What can we take from this central event, so important to Jesus' ministry and to the Gospels? There is the sense of faith, in that people followed Christ because they felt they had such need for Him, heedless of taking provisions. It is perhaps because of such a show of faith that both Jesus' compassion and this sign is given to them. This is the fourth sign in of Jesus' divinity in John's Gospel. But the whole passage, as my study bible pointed out, is about faith. We see the levels of faith of the disciples Philip and Andrew. Jesus challenges Philip's faith, and Andrew's is a little greater, although still not full or complete in terms of truly "knowing" Jesus. In this sense, this feeding in the wilderness is a picture for all of us. Everybody may be at a differing level of faith. Even these chosen apostles are at differing levels of faith, and do not have as yet a "complete" faith. Faith is something learned, that grows as we go forward in it. We come to "know" Christ in faith, in the same sense as that we come to know another person through relationship, even someone close to us whom we love as a family member, for example. The care and feeding of these in the wilderness is an example of just what closeness in faith truly is and becomes: dependency. A reliance on faith is something that is with us, within us -- something that serves as help and strength, especially in a time of need or challenge. When we find ourselves in circumstances beyond our control or understanding, or beyond our experience and seeming ability to cope, it is astonishing what help comes through faith and particularly prayer -- including insight into options we might have that are not obvious nor apparent to us. Unfortunately, the faith of those who are fed in the wilderness is also, as yet, immature. We don't really know what they will go on to understand, or even if they all remain followers of Christ in the times to come. But Jesus has not come to the world to convince people by signs to be His followers, nor to be made king in response. Nether is His power a thing to be used or coerced in return. Christ calls us to a kind of faith that is a form of love, and that is entirely voluntary -- not created via compulsion, nor manipulation, nor signs. His signs are pure grace, a gift -- not a coercion, a promise, or one made for a kind of personal gain. The gain to Christ is love, faith, and trust, and these come from the heart.
