Welcome to Day 16 of our 40 Day challenge! John 6:1-14

(Catch up with us, with our reading list March, reading list for April,  and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15)

Today we are reading John 6:1-14:

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

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^[a] 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?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).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.” ¹⁵ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

What stands out most to me in today’s passage is when Jesus asks, where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? I try to pay attention to the questions Jesus asks.

Sometimes they seem obvious, but they make us clarify what is going on for ourselves:
Do you want to get well? to the invalid of 38 years. What do you want me to do for you?, to the man born blind, and even why were you searching for me?, when he got left behind at the temple, and his mom was scared.

Sometimes they challenge our assumptions:
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Where shall we buy bread for these people? Which of them will love him more? about the men having their debt forgiven

Sometimes He asks about our beliefs:
Who do you say that I am? to Peter, Why are you so afraid? before He calmed the waves.
Do you believe I am able to do this? to the two blind men, why do you call me Lord and not do what I say? to the group on the plains.

Sometimes His questions are mercy and an invitation:
Where are they? Has no one condemned you? To the woman was condemned by the law. Do you love me? to Peter after his betrayal.

One of my favorites is when He shows us what we should focus on instead of our lack:
How many loaves do you have?

This last question is a question I ask myself almost weekly, and I’m sure it would come in handy in your life as well: What do we have? It’s always easy to see what we do not have when there is such great need all around. But we serve a God who takes the little we have and transforms it into more than enough. He doesn’t just give them a little snack to tide them over. He provides what they need with more left over to share. Amen amen.

Options for further  journaling or discussion throughout the challenge:

• Choose a part of the passage to write out by hand. Writing by hand helps us slow down and focus on what the Lord might highlight for us in the passage. Our brains can focus and remember better by writing than just reading alone.
• Journal about what the passage brings to mind. Does the passage tell us anything about God? Does it tell us anything about our response to Him?
• Does your heart respond in gratitude to any part of the passage? Write or pray your gratitude to the Lord.

We’ll see you next time, for Day 17 and Luke 8:40-56

♥ Samantha