Jesus was crossing the Sea of Galilee headed for Tiberias. I think he sailed because it was one of the only times he did not have a horde of people around him. The people followed him everywhere he went. It was a good thing, but it would take it's toll on anyone. They followed to see miracles, but Jesus would use that to spread the good news and teach.
One of the lessons that he taught was faith. He tested Phillip this way by asking him to do the impossible. Only faith could make it happen. Phillip was in charge of getting food for hundreds of people. He didn't have the food or money to even pay for that amount of food if he found it. It would have been eight months worth of wages.
Needless to say, Phillip was overwhelmed and could not do it without Jesus' help. (None of us could either. We will be put in impossible situations where all we can do is rely on Jesus through faith.) He could only see the situation through his worldly eyes.
Another Apostle, Andrew, pointed out there was a boy with five loaves of bread and two small fish. Andrew didn't have any more perspective than Phillip, but he saw something which was better than nothing. The food was really only enough for the boy to eat. Jesus using that small amount of food to feed about 5,000 men plus their wives and children. This became his fourth recorded miracle.
He turned that meal for one person into a meal for all the people to represent that he was was the bread that feeds the soul. If the soul is fed, then everything else is just semantics. Jesus had them organize the people to get ready for their meal. When it was over he organized picking up all the scraps, so that nothing was wasted. Jesus doesn't believe in wasting anything.
When it was over Jesus realized that the people wanted to force him to be come their king. That was never part of the plan. He used them being distracted to sneak away to pray in the mountain. He had his apostles to go on without him with the promise that he would catch up. When he was ready it was already dark. He began the three to four mile walk over water to catch up with the boat they were on. This was his fifth miracle.
It was rough waters, so when he was approaching they thought he was a ghost. They couldn't see him clearly through waves, dark, and watery wind. Understandably his apostles were amazed by seeing him walk on water. That went against the laws of nature. It proves that Jesus is the one in control of the laws of nature, the supernatural, and beyond.
The people followed by land to see more of what Jesus could do and to listen to his words. They did not understand what they were witnessing. They thought he was a prophet. Jesus tried to correct them, but the time of understanding had not come yet. He informed them that he was the bread of life and his blood gives life. Believe in him and you will be sustained forever. He was telling them how to have eternal life. He will not drive anyone away that seeks him. Yet they thought he was talking about cannibalism.
Anyone who has faith has all that they need. Faith is hard to teach because we have stubborn hearts. You can know the Bible inside and out and still go to hell. Knowing the stories and who God is is not the same as knowing God. Faith is believing, trusting, and following into the unknown without any certainties in life. It is action more than understanding. It is taking what you know (the Holy Spirit gives life) and using it daily to be his light in this world. It is the Holy Spirit that gives life and you can only have the Holy Spirit live within your soul if you are true Christian.
Many people only see the sacrifice. Some people just never understand that it is not about the rules and regulation because those are merely healthy boundaries. To live within the boundaries produces a perfect world. There are many excuses for people to make not to ever live by faith.
Too many people turn away from Jesus once they understand what it takes to be a true Christian. It can't be inherited. It can't be earned. It is 100% based on faith, but then the change begins. People don't typically like change. Only true believers will follow him even into death of this life. It doesn't mean that you are perfect, but you die to yourself daily so that you can live for God. It is accepting His correction on how you live your life.
John 6
No comments:
Post a Comment
This Blog is open for discussion. Please share your thoughts.