Last time, we talked about how John 6 verses 5 and 6 show Jesus using a need – the hunger of thousands – to test faith. We learned that when God allows our faith to be challenged, His purpose is to INCREASE our spiritual health not deplete it. And we also learned that our Lord is ALWAYS in control of a trial’s outcome. He can be fully trusted.
Now, verses 7 through 9 reveal three different types of response to this test of faith. Let’s see if we can find ourselves in them, and by comparing, discover a better way to handle the faith-trials WE encounter.
Jesus had posed a question. “How are we going to feed all these people?” And the first response came from Philip. He whipped out his calculator, did the math, and reported to Jesus that there was no way they could AFFORD to buy anywhere close to enough food. He focused on the size of the need and said, “It’s too big.”
Next up was Andrew. He came to Jesus with five barley loaves and two small fish he’d gotten from a kid who’d brought a lunch with him that day. But then, he asked his own question, “What are they among so many?” You see, he was focused on himself and was saying, “I don’t have enough.”
But there’s another person involved in this episode, the boy with the lunch. And although the text doesn’t specifically say so, it clearly implies that this young man freely offered his loaves and fishes. They weren’t taken from him, they were given. And by doing so, he was demonstrating that he was focused on Jesus, and by his actions, saying, “I believe You can do anything.”
Oh, the faith of a child!
Dear Lord, when I next face a need that tests my faith, may my response be the simple childlike trust demonstrated by that young man. May my choice be not to focus on the size of the need or my own limited resources to meet it. Help me instead, to trust in the greatness of Who you are. May my heart’s cry be, “You can do anything!”