John chapter 6 opens with an account of the occasion when Jesus fed thousands of people with only five loaves and two fish. Pretty exciting stuff! But before going any further, I’d like to focus on just the first three words of verse one, “After these things…” Why? Because there’s ALWAYS a backstory. And this phrase lets us know there’s a context for what follows.
The first four verses of the chapter set up the “loaves and fishes” story by giving us the time of year and the location where it happened. We’re told that it was springtime just before Passover and in a deserted area across the Sea of Galilee.
But by saying, “after these things,” John lets us know there’s even more to the story and implies that we should consider these additional details. He makes it clear they’re worth digging for.
And we don’t have to search far. The other three Gospels – especially Mark – fill in the six-month gap between John chapters five and six. And we find out that there was a reason Jesus had taken His disciples across the lake. He was leading them to a wilderness area for some rest. They were all dealing with the emotional impact of John the Baptist being beheaded by Herod. The Disciples had just returned from their first ministry tours and needed debriefing. And the intensifying of Jesus’s miracle ministry was creating so much activity that we’re told they didn’t even have time to eat.
So that’s why they crossed the lake. And it makes a difference to know that, doesn’t it?
In a very crude way, it’s like this sign here. Unless you take the time to stop and read it, you probably wouldn’t give this tree a second thought. But if you do, you find out that it was brought to this island by a sea captain from a distant port and planted here more than a hundred and fifty years ago. There’s a backstory. And digging for it makes a difference in how you see the tree.
And that’s true for people too. There’s ALWAYS a backstory.
But we usually interact with others based on the superficial. We rarely stop to even think that there may be more to consider.
And this is especially true for how we relate to ourselves. We waste so much of our emotional resources focused on our surface issues instead of asking Jesus, “What’s the backstory here?” But if we did, we’d be much more likely to discover the context for what He’s trying to deal with in our lives and be better able to cooperate with Him as He brings us healing and deliverance.
So, I encourage you today, when you find yourself wrestling with the “stuff” in your life – and you know what I mean – ask the Lord to help you see the backstory. Stop ignoring the real issues while whining about what you think God should be doing to help you but isn’t. And be willing instead to stop and read the signs that reveal how these things got rooted in your life in the first place. Then, you’ll be better able to allow the Lord to set you up for what comes “after these things.”