(John 6:1-15)
I already wrote about the feeding of the 5000, from Matthew’s version of events. That they are exactly the same event is an assumption; we know for sure that Jesus fed a multitude on at least two occasions, which we refer to as the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000, but John’s account can reasonably be seen as referring to the same event as Matt 14 et al.
But there are a couple of reasons to cover John’s version as well. One is more technical (why have the translators read it this way?), and the other more likely to impact your life. Technical first.
As the NIV has it…
“Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.” (John 6:1-2 NIV)
But this is strange for a number of reasons. In John 5 we are in Jerusalem, at a feast of the Jews and Jesus heals a man who had spent 38 years in his weakness by the pool. (ἦν δέ τις ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖ τριάκοντα ὀκτὼ ἔτη ἔχων ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ αὐτοῦ·) There is then a long passage about Jesus’ authority and who testifies on His behalf.
John 6 opens with “Μετὰ ταῦτα”, which is not in any sense “some time after this” (a phrase which implies the passing of significant time) but rather “after these things”. It can be a day or two later, or a week, or it could be straight away: it is a statement of the order in which things happen, not of the passing of time.
So the question is, what does “Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Γαλιλαίας τῆς Τιβεριάδος.” mean; and in the context of “Jesus has just done some things in Jerusalem, it has to be, “After these things Jesus went away beyond the Sea of Galilee, [beyond] Tiberias.” The picture is that Jesus travelled from Jerusalem, northwards, beyond Tiberias to the north west shore of the Sea of Galilee, and not (as the NIV at least suggests) from Capernaum to some undisclosed location across “the Sea of Galilee, of Tiberias”. On this occasion πέραν is “beyond, further than”; it is the adverbial noun πέρα + the genitive, and not the adverb πέραν “on the other side”, which occurs later in the same chapter when the disciples do cross the lake.
This reading is confirmed in verse 17 when the disciples go down to the shore of the Lake and get into a boat (a boat which happens to be there); not the boat (the boat they came over in, because there was no such boat.) They hadn’t come across the lake, they walked from Jerusalem. It is a good two day journey at least; we don’t know how long it took them, nor do we know what portion of the crowd walked all the way from Jerusalem – clearly some of them, since they had seen the signs Jesus had done upon the weak or feeble (ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων – same word as the man at the pool.) – and how many they had picked up along the way and as they came through or around the major centre of Tiberias.
Does this correction matter a hill of beans? In one way, clearly not; and yet just changing the text because we think it probably meant to say something else is a bit of a risky venture. Furthermore, it is only when we understand the journey Jesus had taken that we can understand the likely dynamics later in the chapter, when some of the people who were fed followed Jesus to Capernaum and start asking Him questions. I have already mentioned the disciples climbing into a boat; but what about those trying to follow Jesus. If they had crossed the lake following Jesus in the first place, where were their boats; and if they had walked from Capernaum, why didn’t they just walk back? Instead they do nothing until some skiffs from Tiberias turn up, and then take those across the lake. Sounds like they were operating outside the territory with which they were familiar; and – unless you posit a fleet of 4-500 skiffs – it also sounds like not everybody who got fed, then tried following Jesus to Capernaum. Ask yourself who would be concerned to do so (and look at the questions they ask when they do find Him.)
For now, let’s look at the feeding of the 5000 itself.
Jesus goes up into the hillside (mountain is rather overstating the case) and sits down with His disciples. It was near to the Passover, the Feast of the Jews. Therefore Jesus lifting His eyes and seeing that a great crowd was coming towards Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread in order to feed these?” He said this to test him, for He already knew what He was about to do.
Pause a moment. We know from the temptation by Satan that Jesus was not prepared to do magic, turning rocks into bread. (Before you ask: water into wine, yes, and both are drinkable liquids). And we know – or should know – that Jesus works with what is on offer, be it everso small; but never with nothing. Jesus already knew what He was about to do implies that He knew something was on offer. He could have known this by revelation, but I think it is far more likely that when He raised His eyes, He saw not only the crowd, but also the answer to how they could be fed.
Philip tells Jesus what isn’t available (ever do that?). Andrew says “there is a small boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish; but what is that to such a great crowd?” Which is of course “the something” Jesus blesses and with which He feeds the 5000 men reclining on the grassy hillside.
The way the story reads, there is no suggestion that word had gone out over the hillside saying “where can we get bread to feed this crowd”, and that the boy had then responded by bringing his lunch to the disciples. I think it is far more likely that the boy, for whatever reason, had decided to bring some food to Jesus and His disciples, probably because he thought they might be hungry. So when Jesus raised His eyes to look at the crowd, He also saw that a boy had brought food to offer to them (Jesus and His disciples) to eat.
So why does He ask Philip where they can buy bread to feed the crowd? To test Him, yes – provided you understand that this is Jesus coaching Philip, not trying to trip Him up. And also, I would argue, because Jesus’ goodness includes the best sense of humour, ever. Do you think it is possible that Philip didn’t spend the rest of his life recounting this one? “Remember that time that huge crowd turned up on the hillside, and Jesus with a straight face asked me where we were going to buy bread for them all. And there was I running the numbers and feeling desperate, and the next minute He is giving thanks for some little kid’s lunch and next thing you know, 5000 men are stuffed full! He was always pulling my leg in the hope that I would finally get it – and in the end I did!”
And, critically, after everyone is stuffed to satisfaction, Jesus tells the disciples to gather up all the leftover fragments, in order that nothing be wasted. Twelve baskets of food. The disciples didn’t miss out on the blessing the little boy was bringing them as their lunch; instead of 5 loaves and two small fish between 12, they each had their own basket of bread and fish.
So here’s the thing that matters. Jesus was never showing off what He as Son of God could do; He was forever modelling what we as His disciples need to be doing, and how we go about that. So what model do we see here?
- When you see huge need (which in the Kingdom is the same as huge opportunity),
- don’t leap into action until you can identify (with Holy Spirit’s help)
- the little bit of what is needed which you and He can work with to meet the opportunity,
- give it to Jesus,
- do exactly what He tells you, and
- have your eyes open for the overflowing double portion which is there for you once the need is met to full satisfaction.
Don’t let anything be wasted!
Seeing the Kingdom 