John 6:1 Some time later, Yeshua went over to the far side of Lake Kinneret (that is, Lake Tiberias), 2 and a large crowd followed him, because they had seen the miracles he had performed on the sick. 3 Yeshua went up into the hills and sat down there with his talmidim. 4 Now the Judean festival of Pesach was coming up; 5 so when Yeshua looked up and saw that a large crowd was approaching, he said to Philip, “Where will we be able to buy bread, so that these people can eat?” 6 (Now Yeshua said this to test Philip, for Yeshua himself knew what he was about to do.) 7 Philip answered, “Half a year’s wages wouldn’t buy enough bread for them — each one would get only a bite!” 8 One of the talmidim, Andrew the brother of Shim‘on Kefa, said to him, 9 “There’s a young fellow here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish. But how far will they go among so many?”
10 Yeshua said, “Have the people sit down.” There was a lot of grass there, so they sat down. The number of men was about five thousand. 11 Then Yeshua took the loaves of bread, and, after making a b’rakhah, gave to all who were sitting there, and likewise with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 After they had eaten their fill, he told his talmidim, “Gather the leftover pieces, so that nothing gets wasted.” 13 They gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the miracle he had performed, they said, “This has to be ‘the prophet’ who is supposed to come into the world.” 15 Yeshua knew that they were on the point of coming and seizing him, in order to make him king; so he went back to the hills again. This time he went by himself.
16 When evening came, his talmidim went down to the lake, 17 got into a boat and set out across the lake toward K’far-Nachum. By now it was dark, Yeshua had not yet joined them, 18 and the sea was getting rough, because a strong wind was blowing. 19 They had rowed three or four miles when they saw Yeshua approaching the boat, walking on the lake! They were terrified; 20 but he said to them, “Stop being afraid, it is I.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and instantly the boat reached the land they were heading for. (Complete Jewish Bible).
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There was still some left over! Do you see that? After the disciples worried that there was not enough food for all those people (a worthy concern when you consider how much they had to work with) there were leftovers. Scarcity and anxiety turned into abundance and a promise that there will always be enough.
Isn't that really the nature of Jesus? Our Lord takes our own short-sided vision and expectations and completely turns them on their head. Sometimes I think we fall into the trap of assuming there is no way forward. Like the disciples who felt there was no way to feed that many people, we often put limits on what God can do for us and through us. Yet, time and again God does more and God is more. Think about it for a moment--when was there a time Jesus did something for you that completely out did your expectations? Really, think. Have it? Now find someone to tell about that God. The story of God's abundance must be told--and you get to be the storyteller.
God of surprises, shake us from our complacency and stir us to be radical storytellers of the ways you fill our gaps and out do our expectations. Where we are limited in our scope, expand us. Where we are sure there is no way forward, show us your ways among us. Amen.
Justin A. Grimm '05
Director for Evangelical Mission Assistant to the Bishop for Next Generation Ministries, St. Paul Area Synod, ELCA St. Paul, Minn.
John 6:Feeding the Five Thousand
1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.[John 6:1 Gk of Galilee of Tiberias] 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 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?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages[John 6:7 Gk Two hundred denarii; the denarius was the usual day’s wage for a laborer]would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they[John 6:10 Gk the men] sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 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. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 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.”
15 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.
Jesus Walks on the Water
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[John 6:19 Gk about twenty-five or thirty stadia] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, “It is I;[John 6:20 Gk I am] do not be afraid.” 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were goin (New Revised Standard Version).
15 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.
Jesus Walks on the Water
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[John 6:19 Gk about twenty-five or thirty stadia] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, “It is I;[John 6:20 Gk I am] do not be afraid.” 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were goin (New Revised Standard Version).
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