John 6:1-21

More than once I have heard people saying that Jesus had a good sense of humor. The first time I heard this was from one of my professors, and I have to confess that it was kind of shocking to me to hear that, because the image I had of Jesus was a “serious person”, always preaching and talking about “serious issues.” But little by little I begun to know him better, and scriptures from the Gospels, like the one we read, kind of confirm that in fact he had a good sense of humor. Can you imagine Phillip’s face when Jesus asked him “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat.?” He wanted to feed over 5 thousand people, besides, the Gospel says, Jesus “asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”  Phillip’s answer was -and I am paraphrasing here-: it is not matter of where we are going to get bread, is matter of how we are going to buy it “Two hundred denary worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” Another version says, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 

Poor Phillip, Jesus just put on his shoulders the responsibility to feed over 5 thousand people and Jesus did it just “to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” Jesus had in mind to feed the multitude; he knew he could do it. The question is, how was he going to do it?John does not say it. I think and this is personal, he had in mind to make bread or quails come down from heavens, as he did when Israel was in the wilderness. However, something unexpected happened, Andrew shows up with a little boy. I believe, this little boy was playing and overheard Jesus asking Phillip how they were going to get food for all this people, and maybe this little boy saw Phillip’s face before the task Jesus had put on his shoulders, and with the innocence that only kids have, he said to Andrew, “Jesus needs food to feed all these people, I have these two fish and these five pieces of bread, he can use them.”

It is good to put our imagination to work when we read these stories in the bible and try to visualize these events. Imagine how Jesus felt when his grown-up disciple, the one who saw him heal a cripple, clean the skin of lepers, make people free from the power of evil spirits, transform the water in wine and rise people from the dead, telling him that there is no way to feed these multitude. Maybe he was disappointed. Now, try to imagine Jesus’ face when this little kid places in his hands his lunch so everybody there could eat. I believe happiness and hope shone on his face. I said before that I think Jesus was going to make manna, bread and maybe quails descend from heaven the same way he did before in the wilderness, but now Jesus is willing to change the menu to feed the multitude because a little kid was willing to help.

Traditionally the center of this scripture is the multiplication of the fish and bread. But today I will invite you to see something else revealed in this scripture and that is, how personal, how simple, how humble our God is. The almighty God, the One who in the beginning created heavens and earth by himself, the one who defeated Pharaoh’s army without any help. He, in Jesus Christ now is accepting what a little boy has, and he is willing to work hand by hand with him to perform a great miracle. However, this is not the first time God has partnered with humans, we have many examples of this partnership in the Bible. The almighty One invited a young lady called Mary to be his partner in the business of incarnation; he also invited and prepared uneducated men and women to be his partners in the business of growing his kingdom. Now, he is allowing a little kid to be his partner in the business of catering. What a God we have.

Thanks be to God for the little ones, they are spontaneous. The nameless kid from our story just wanted to help, he was unaware of what Jesus was going to do, and with the kind of innocence that faith rewards, he came to Jesus with what he had. If we compare five pieces of bread and two fish with the need of a hungry multitude of more than five thousand, five pieces of bread and two fish is enough only for one person. But this person, this little boy did not think, did not question, did not doubt as the grown-up Phillip did, he only wanted to help, and the little he had, together with his desire of helping, was the spark for this great miracle.

“And Jesus knew what he was going to do” the Gospel says. When Jesus saw the multitude, he knew what he was going to do; he had plans for them and maybe he tested Phillip because, as the little boy, he also had a lunch bag. The difference was, he wanted to keep it for himself.

What is the message for us? what can we learn from this story? We can learn that God wants to work with this church and this community, God wants to work with every one of us. He knows already what he is going to do. But he does not want to do it alone, he is looking for partners, for “little ones” ready to share “their lunch.” Ready to share what they have. In this partnership he will provide his almighty power -his authority as we read last Sunday- to everyone who is willing to do whatever he asks. What we have, might have no value before our eyes or before someone else’s eyes, but in God’s hands everything changes. You see, the real value of what we have depends on what we do with it. Two fish and five pieces of bread in a kid’s hands is worth a lunch for himself. However, in Jesus’ hands these two fish and five pieces of bread are worth lunch for a multitude.

According to the Gospel when Jesus looked around, he saw a hungry multitude and he knew what he was going to do; when Phillip looked around to the same multitude, he saw what they had in the “piggybank”, and concluded there was nothing they could do; the little kid was not even aware of the multitude, he just heard Jesus talking about the need of bread, he did not see around, he saw inside his bag, he saw what he had and brought it to Jesus.

Now, what kind of need do you think Jesus is looking in our world, in our church today? What would your answer be before this great need? Would it be like the one Phillip gave to Jesus? Or as the little one did, would you look in your bag and bring what you have, so Jesus can use it as he did with the little kid’s lunch? You might be saying, I do not have much to bring, but that is not true, you have your life, your time, you have your gifts; bring them to him. Remember, Abraham did not have much when God asked to leave his land and family, but he brought the little he had, and that was enough to begin a nation; Moses did not have much when God asked him to free his people, but he brough to God all he had and when he was 80 years old, God used him to lead his people out of Egypt; David did not have much when he fought Goliath, but he presented all to God and he defeated a giant; Esther did not have much and she – a simple woman- saved her country. I can go on and on with women and men who, compare with the need and challenge they had before them, they were a simple “lunch bag”, they were “two fish and five pieces of bread.” But in partnership with the almighty God, they made great miracles. Let us work hand by hand with Jesus, and I tell you this: God and us, God and you will change our surroundings, will change the life of our community.

Reading the story of the multiplication of the fish and bread it reminded me the “stone soup story.” I believe we all know it. Jesus is the traveler or the soldier who had the pot, the stone, and the water. He knows there is a famine, a spiritual famine among us and he is inviting us to participate, he knows what he is going to do. He wants to show us what greats things we can do when we work together with him; he wants to show us that our tomatoes and our onions and our cabbage, and our beef … by themselves seated on a shelf might not be much, but all together in Jesus’ pot, in Jesus’ hands can create a delicious soup that will revive and will bring new strength into this community.  

I will finish with one more story I heard. In an interview with Mahatma Gandy a reporter said: Mr.  Gandy you have accomplished great things, Gandy replied: you say that I, one skinny and short man had accomplished a lot of things, imagine what India can accomplish if work together.

Jesus is looking for partners to transform this church and our community, would you like to be one. I invite you to bring what you have and who you are and place it in Jesus’ hands and with who you are and with the little or a lot that you have, he will make great miracles. Trust him, he can do it. Right where you are place what you have in his hands.