Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

My husband and I have four children, two of them eleven year old twin boys, all four of them avid athletes. The rules of eating in our household are as follows: eat a lot, eat without ceasing, eat variety, and when finished, eat some more. And, we are a pastor’s family…so we often have people over unexpectedly, sometimes one, sometimes, two or three, sometimes a family. It’s fun. It’s adventurous. Sometimes, it’s taco soup for sixteen and sometimes it’s Indonesian stir fry for twelve. But I have never fed five thousand people. Never. And I have never fed five thousand with three loaves and two fish. And, I do not know what I would do if my husband told me he had just invited five thousand people and their families home from work. “Honey, I’m home. And, I invited everyone in the church and the next five churches over and their families for Sunday lunch. Hope that’s okay. Sorry, I didn’t have time to call.” Ah yes, new uses for frying pans…
But I digress.
John 6 is a beautiful story about a huge surprise dinner to which Jesus invited five thousand people and his disciples. Let’s get to the text:
1Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4The Jewish Passover Feast was near. 5When 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?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages[a] would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8Another 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?"
10Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distr ibuted to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.”
This is a very familiar story. We have read it and perhaps even taught it many, many times. But, one day I was reading it and I saw something for the very first time. (I love when God does that!) Before I get to that little gem, let’s go back and remember how the story plays out.
People had been crowding around Jesus all day. They followed him to listen, to learn, to "get a miracle." It’s the kind of thing that wears me out (not that I have thousands following me, but I do have four children and that’s hard enough some days.). I suspect, however, that Jesus did not mind. But, after the whole day, people were still following Him. Now Jesus, instead of sending them away, turns to Philip and asks “where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
From the disciples, we find two reactions to Jesus’ question.
Philip, being an honest and tactless sort of guy, said in the presence of the guests (no doubt), “Eight months' wages[a] would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Hear the hopelessness and maybe even sarcasm in his comment?
Andrew, on the other hand, answers in his own innocent and sheepish kind of voice “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" I imagine him saying it somewhat hopefully and helpfully and then swallowing his words realizing the silliness of his statement and offering. But at least he offered it. Notice Jesus was not testing Andrew’s heart, but he was testing Philip’s heart.
The little phrase that caused me to rejoice and weep with relief was “he already had in mind what he was going to do.” Isn’t that incredible? Jesus already knew what He was going to do. He asked Philip not because He didn’t have a solution to the problem. He asked not because he thought the disciples had a better idea. He asked to test Philip’s heart. Philip’s heart responded with the flesh: “what can I do” “what can I produce?” “how can I figure this problem out?”
Beloved, the test was not to see if Philip could figure it out. Of course he couldn’t. Jesus knew that Philip could not figure out a way to successfully and satisfyingly feed 5000 surprise dinner guests. The test was to see if Philip knew the ways of Jesus yet. The text is clear: Jesus already had in mind what He was going to do. He just wanted to see if Philip knew Him well enough yet, to know that Jesus knew and to turn to Him and say “I’m not sure Jesus. But YOU know, and that’s enough. Do you want to let me in on the secret? Tell me what to do.”
So many times, I am faced with a similar situation: 5000 surprise dinner guests and the cupboard is bare. Or, a trial with one of the children. Or, a difficult relationship. Or, spiritual dryness or wandering. And Jesus asks me the question, phrased ever so slightly differently: Ellen, where can we find strength for this pain? Ellen, where can we find finances for this adoption? Ellen, where can we find work in this troubled economy? Jesus asks me this to test my heart. Because my Jesus already has in His mind what He is going to do. He just wants to see if I will turn to Him or try to figure it out all by myself and then either give up in despair or disgust or if I am going to see how far I can stretch my paltry resources.
Sometimes, I answer like Andrew. Well, Lord, with regard to that issue, I have 53 cents but how much good will that do in light of soaring costs?
Sometimes I answer like Philip. Well Lord, might as well forget it. Eight months wages couldn’t be enough!
Usually, I answer like Ellen, which is a little bit of Philip and a little bit of Andrew. And then I remember that Jesus already has in His mind what He is going to do. The response He is looking for is: Lord, I don’t know how to handle this problem. But You know; You already have in mind what you are going to do. By your grace, let me part of Your solution.”
Beloved friend, what does your unexpected company look like? Is it literally feeding hungry people? Is it unexpected bills? Is it a broken relationship or some betrayal? Is it a pain in your heart that time has not seemed to mend? Is it some awful physical illness? Jesus already has in mind what He is going to do. Answer Him: Lord, You alone know the answer to this question. Tell me what is on your heart.
There is an added beauty which we find in the ending of the story: In verse 11 we read that Jesus distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” Everyone who ate was satisfied. None went home hungry. And there was ample food left over. It was a feast day for the five thousand …and for Philip and Andrew as well. When we turn to Jesus and discover what He has in His mind to do, we find our satisfaction and our fullness. Amen.