Belonging (S2) : WK 1 - TUE
(John 6:4-6) (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.
I’ve never liked tests. They scare me. I never feel prepared enough to feel confident that I will do well. And if you see my report cards from high school, you will see that I wasn’t prepared enough.
The idea that God would test us is a scary one to me. What if I am not prepared enough? What if I fail? What does it say about me if I drop the ball?
John writes that Jesus was testing Philip at this moment. What’s interesting is that Jesus wasn’t concerned about how much money it would take to feed the people. He just wanted to know where to get the food to feed them, almost as if Jesus knew the money was not an issue. For Jesus the question that needed to be answered by Philip was where the solution was going to come from. The resources needed to make the solution happen were secondary.
When you read passages like Psalm 50:10 you understand Jesus’ attitude.
For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
Jesus knows that for God, resources are easy, and feeding a crowd is nothing. God has access to all the money, all the animals. According to Psalm 50:10, if God wanted every person in the crowd could have had filet mignon.
So the real test here was whether or not Philip believed that Jesus could feed all these people through him. Did Philip believe Jesus could do his will of helping all these people through the work of his disciples?
Jesus stated his mission when he read the words of the prophet Isaiah,
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
Isaiah 61:1-2
Jesus is going to accomplish this mission. The test isn’t if you can do the mission of Jesus. The test is if you believe that God will do the mission through you.
I’ve never liked tests. They scare me. I never feel prepared enough to feel confident that I will do well. And if you see my report cards from high school, you will see that I wasn’t prepared enough.
The idea that God would test us is a scary one to me. What if I am not prepared enough? What if I fail? What does it say about me if I drop the ball?
John writes that Jesus was testing Philip at this moment. What’s interesting is that Jesus wasn’t concerned about how much money it would take to feed the people. He just wanted to know where to get the food to feed them, almost as if Jesus knew the money was not an issue. For Jesus the question that needed to be answered by Philip was where the solution was going to come from. The resources needed to make the solution happen were secondary.
When you read passages like Psalm 50:10 you understand Jesus’ attitude.
For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
Jesus knows that for God, resources are easy, and feeding a crowd is nothing. God has access to all the money, all the animals. According to Psalm 50:10, if God wanted every person in the crowd could have had filet mignon.
So the real test here was whether or not Philip believed that Jesus could feed all these people through him. Did Philip believe Jesus could do his will of helping all these people through the work of his disciples?
Jesus stated his mission when he read the words of the prophet Isaiah,
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
Isaiah 61:1-2
Jesus is going to accomplish this mission. The test isn’t if you can do the mission of Jesus. The test is if you believe that God will do the mission through you.
- What would your response to Jesus’ question have been if you were Philip?
- Have you ever been tested by God? What were the results?
- What is something that God is challenging you to do at this point in your spiritual journey?
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