Other People (Part II)

Jesus tested Philip in this.  Remember the feeding of the five thousand?  John 6 records, ⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered Him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸ Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

What is the test for Philip here?  We need to understand what the test represents.  I often wonder if Jesus knew Philip would fail.  Was He hoping that Philip would pass?  Philip is the disciple, being asked by Christ to provide physical needs for “other people”.  Let that sink in as it might relate to us today.  Jesus says, “Philip, how are you going to provide for these ‘other people’?”  What is Philip’s answer?  Isn’t it simply “I cannot”?

Apparently, this conversation is heard by the other disciples and Andrew has gone and taken inventory.  “This is what we do have and it isn’t in any known way of the world enough.  There aren’t enough resources.” 

Continuing in the event, ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Jesus takes the little physical resources they do have and their willingness to share with “other people”, and through His conversation with God, it becomes enough to fulfill the immediate needs of all the “other people”.  And upon its provision to them, they immediately see Christ as the Son of God.

So, how did Philip do with his test?  I submit that he got it partly right.  He recognized that he couldn’t meet the needs of the “other people”.  He could not.  What he missed is that all he needed to provide for them is Jesus.  A more complete answer would have been, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!  But You can feed them now.”  I cannot meet their need, but Christ can meet all their needs.

Seeing the physical items in this world is not relevant, no matter how they might be used by “other people”.  Who knows how the bread and fish might have been wasted?  Did someone feed it to their dog?  Did someone take more than they needed and hide it to keep it for themselves for later?  Surely they did, they were “other people”.  These physical items are not the issue.  God will provide more as necessary.  Providing for “other people’s” physical needs, when blessed by Christ, will reveal Him to the world.