Monday, October 28, 2024
Healing
And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. John 6:2
Please read and/or listen to John 6 today. This miracle of Jesus is the only one recorded in all four gospels. It is one place where we see the beautiful harmony of the gospels as each writer gives his own perspective on the event. (See Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17) Those passages and the context around them help us see the context of the miracle as John records it. Remember that John is writing so that we may see that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. It is very possible that Jesus is coming to this place tired and emotionally exhausted. Mark chapter 6 tells us his cousin has been killed and that Jesus saw the need for the disciples to have rest because of all the people that had been coming to see him. This crowd of people ran on land to get to the place where Jesus was going by boat. He said he was going to a quiet place. Turns out it was not. When he saw the people, he had compassion on them because of the helplessness and harassment they experienced. This crowd was there because of what they had seen. Specifically, what they had seen he was doing on the sick. Jesus is about to perform a very public miracle with incredible significance. Most in the crowd will miss the significance because they are focused on their immediate need. They will miss the eternal because of the focus on the temporary. This week we will consider how that may happen to us. The first temporary need is that of physical health. Life gets really hard when illness steps in. Many times, all we want is to be well. Depending on the severity of the illness, it can be overwhelming and understandably can take much of our focus. Even more so in the time of Jesus. It is understandable that the crowd would be focused on healing that would be temporary in nature. Today, consider if there is some healing that you are longing for that may be keeping your focus fixed on the temporary as opposed to the eternal. It could be physical or relational healing or some other type of healing. Ask the Lord to help you stay focused on the eternal.
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Riches
Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” John 6:7
Please read and/or listen to John 6:1-15 today. You may want to read the account in the other gospels as well to see the harmony. (See Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17). Only John records that Jesus and Philip have the conversation about the food. Clearly, the rest of the disciples are there when the conversation is happening (John 6:3). It is very near the time for Passover. This would have people focused on Moses and the Exodus. Also, at this time there was a heightened waiting for the fulfillment of the promise of another prophet coming (Deuteronomy 18:15ff). There are 5,000 men in the crowd. It is thought that there may have been as many as 20,000 people counting women and children. They are hungry. It does not say that they stated they were hungry, rather it seems Jesus knew they were. Jesus turns to Philip (perhaps because they were near his hometown) to ask where they could buy bread. John tells us this is a test. Jesus is using this opportunity to teach his disciples. It allows us to consider how many times situations in our lives are there so that we can learn! Philp has in mind a temporary solution. Money. Riches. The currency of the temporary world. There is not enough money. Even if they had a lot of money, it would not be enough. How many times in our lives are we tempted to think about money as the solution to our problems? I realize all too well that money is needed to live. But does money and my temporary need for it keep me from seeing the eternal? Are there times when I think that money will solve a problem that is too big for the money available to me? Have there been any times in your life when you felt called to do something and you didn’t do it because you didn’t think the resources would be there?
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Insufficiencies
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” John 6:8-9
Please read John 6:1-15 again today. Think about this boy. Do you think that he was the only one in a crowd of 20,000 people that brought a meal? I have wondered about that many times. Andrew found this boy who was willing to give up his meal. It is a meal of a poor person. That is what the barley descriptive makes clear. God has provided through this boy, but it does not seem to be enough. It is insufficient. There is no doubt about that! I must admit that if I were there at the time I would have felt the same way! 20,000 people. Five loaves and two fish. No way this is enough. I pause here to consider my own perspective on what has been entrusted to me. I ask you to do the same today. Consider what you have been given by the Lord (remember that everything you have comes from him). Are there any ways that you are tempted to focus on the insufficiencies of what he has given you? I am not speaking here of just physical provisions. I am asking us to consider every aspect of our lives. Am I satisfied with thinking that what I have been given is enough and that if I need more the Lord will provide it? This does not mean that I do not seek to gain—Andrew went to find the provision. But as I live, am I satisfied with what I have at that moment? Am I content or am I focused on the temporary limitations of the provision, once again missing the eternal?
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Excess
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” John 6:11-12
Please read John 6:10-13 today. Within the Jewish community is the Hamotzi — the blessing over bread. It blesses God for enabling bread to come forth from the earth. It is recited any time that bread is consumed. It is very possible that this is the blessing that Jesus would have offered over the bread as he prepared to amaze the people. “Blessed are you, Lord our God, ruler of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth.” Take some time to read those words and ponder what the crowd may have thought as Jesus spoke them. Words like this can become rote and meaningless. They were about to take on great meaning and power as God would indeed bring forth bread from the earth!! Once again God had given exceedingly, abundantly, and more that anyone could have asked or imagined! They didn’t just get a little (John 6:7), they ate their fill with leftovers. Lots of leftovers. One large basket for each disciple to carry. God gives in great abundance. While sometimes it may feel as though the provision is insufficient, at other times, with the right perspective, we can see the great abundance that we have. Therein is a potential problem as well. We can focus on our temporary excess and once again miss the eternal. How much is enough? That can be a really big question for us. Are there any things that you have that allow you to see that God has given you great excess? How do you see those things and what are you doing to steward that which has been entrusted to you? As with each of the things we are looking at this week, this is not just financial or physical excess. Excess of time, relationships, or talents can all be considered.
Friday, November 1, 2024
Leadership
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. John 6:15
Please read John 6:14-15 and Deuteronomy 18:15-22. The people have just seen an amazing miracle. Bread from heaven has come to them. Passover and the Exodus are on their mind. Manna in the wilderness. All of these things are lining up. Roman rule has been oppressive and they long to be free. They long for a new prophet to come. They long for a new king to lead them and to defeat the apparent enemy. They seek to make Jesus king—by force. Ponder that for a moment. Forcing Jesus, making him king. They cannot make him king. He already is. What they are seeking is to make him a king when he is THE King. They want a temporary leader—he is the eternal leader. They want temporary, partial reign—he offers eternal reign with the rightful expectation of total reign. The crowd has missed the point of the miracle. They are so focused on the temporary they cannot see the eternal significance. Like their ancestors, they are not satisfied with the King they have, they want one they have designed. Are there any ways that you are seeking earthly, temporary leadership in a way that keeps you from basking in the joy that comes from full surrender to the reign of the King of kings? You don’t need to make him King—he already is. You just need to decide to make him your King! Don’t design him into who you think you would like to follow—follow him for who he is!
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Life
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35
Please read John 6:22-59 today. There is so much more we could look at together this week, dear friends. But as we close the week, I would like you to see what the sign was to lead people to believe and what it means for us. The bread is Jesus. He is the bread of life—eternal life. Focusing on the temporary misses the eternal. What is mortal has been designed by God to be swallowed up by life (2 Corinthians 5:4-5). There is so much more than the temporary. Jesus calls us to look upward. He came to do the will of the Father—that is to make the Father known. Jesus makes the eternal knowable in an amazing way. John will not let us consider Jesus any other way than eternal. The world needs Jesus—eternally. He alone is the Giver of life. He is life—true life—full life—abundant life—eternal life. Ask God to show you the ways that you are missing out on the eternal because of an inappropriate focus on the temporary. Ask him to help you keep your gaze fixed upward instead of inward. Find the joy of never hungering and never thirsting again! To God be the glory. Amen
Tomorrow we will be looking at the fifth sign—John 6:16-21. Walking on the water.