Most of us, if we are a Christian, say we believe that God can do anything. However, do we truly believe that? When faced with a seemingly impossible situation, do we honestly believe that He can step in and work an astounding miracle on our behalf? There are some, including some church leaders, who will say that God doesn’t work that way, especially if the miracle needed would go against what is normally, naturally possible. Our Gospel reading for today tells the account of just such a miracle, one where the disciples were faced with an impossible situation, and the Lord Jesus provided a miracle that was completely against what would be naturally possible, showing that God does work that way.
As our Scripture from the Gospel of John opens, Jesus saw the huge crowd surrounding Him, and He knew that it had been a while since most of them had eaten, and He wanted to provide for their needs. So Jesus asked Philip, one of the twelve disciples, where they could get enough bread for the crowd (vs. 4-6). Philip looked at the multitude, and estimated that it would take at least a year’s salary to buy enough food to feed everyone (vs. 7). He was thinking of solving the problem through man’s ideas and worldly means. That is so frequently the way we face problems, and if there is no normal, human way to solve the problem, we give up. So often I have heard religious leaders so piously say that a miracle, one that would go against what is naturally possible, is just not the way God works, at least not today.
Jesus was testing Philip and all of the disciples, because He knew what He was going to do. He wanted to see if they would turn to Him and request the miracle that was needed. Sometimes the Lord will set a seemingly impossible task before us to test us to see whether we react in fear or in faith.
Andrew, Peter’s brother and one of the twelve, started to take a baby step in faith, as he pointed out that there was a little boy who had brought a small lunch with him, some small loaves of bread and a couple of fish (vs. 8-9). Then his faith started to droop again, as he figured that wasn’t even enough to feed more than just one or two people. That little boy may have been sitting nearby where Jesus and the twelve were, and overheard their discussion of food. Perhaps he tugged on Andrew’s robe, and offered him his lunch. That boy didn’t let the notion get in his way, one that many unbelieving theologians have today, where they say that God won’t break the physical laws of nature to provide a miracle. Andrew took a step of faith by bringing the boy and his lunch to Jesus’ attention, but then doubt set in.
We should not assess our circumstances from a worldly perspective. Financial resources are not always the most important ones. We can limit what God does in us by assuming what is and is not possible. Five small bread rolls and two fish cannot humanly feed over 5,000 people. It’s not naturally possible. However, God is above what is naturally possible! He can do the miraculous! Here the Lord Jesus multiplied a lunch to feed a multitude (vs. 10-13). He parted the Red Sea and also the Jordan River, something against nature, for the people to cross. God also heard and answered the bold prayer of Joshua to stop the sun in its path across the sky, something also against nature, in order to give extra daylight for the need he had (Joshua 10:12-14). Joshua certainly did not listen to the naysayers that might have told him that God would never stop the earth in its rotation (which is what He actually did), and so he prayed to God in his need.
God is greater than the needs of the multitudes. Since He can provide for them all at one time, we can have confidence and trust Him for our own daily needs. When we face a seemingly hopeless situation, we should not ask “What am I going to do?” Instead, we should ask “God, what are You going to do?” On that day He borrowed a sack lunch to feed over 5,000. God has a plan to guide us safely through every seemingly impossible situation if we simply trust Him instead of our own resources. Cast your cares on Jesus, because He cares for you (I Peter 5:7). Trust Him to provide the resources that you need.
That day the boy gave what little he had, and it made all the difference. If we offer nothing to God, He will have nothing to use. But God can take what little we have and turn it into something great. Remember, little is much if God is in it.
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