What are these for so many?

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” (Jn 6:9)

Have you ever been captivated by a single verse? Admittedly, there are verses that seem worthy of captivating us. Verses like Rom 6:23 or Rom 8:1 or Phil 1:21 or Mk 10:45 or Jn 6:35 and several others. But what about the thousands of other verses that play important, but supportive roles to these "keynote" verses? Have you ever been captivated by a verse that would never make it on a coffee cup or as the caption on a Thomas Kinkade calendar?

The other day as I was reading Jn 6, the disciple Andrew's question in verse 9 shot like an arrow into my stomach. It was not so much his concern about the feeding of the 5,000 or his lack of perception of the problem in front of him that grabbed me. Instead it was the very sinking realization that his short-sighted assessment of his situation is often my short-sighted assessment of my own situation. How often do I ask, in my own words and in my own way. "What are these for so many?"

Clearly my gifts and abilities are limited. Clearly my circle of influence is small. Clearly my shortcomings and blind spots provide excellent opportunities for the enemy. Clearly the needs of Christ's kingdom are as great as ever. Clearly the gospel is still desperately needed both here and around the world. Clearly Satan, while ultimately defeated, still prowls around like an angry lion. So, how can I not ask "What are these for so many?"

Can I pause here and say that today is one of those days when I am so grateful that God has given us the entire Bible and not just a book on systematic theology or an instruction manual on how to live a good Christian life. We have all of that and so much more. And all of it is integrated, empowered and exposed by the Holy Spirit. As a case in point you can have someone read Jn 6 one day and be provoked by the question in verse 9. He sees Jesus' then and there answer the question by providing both the physical but also the spiritual solutions to the dilemma, yet not having that truth sink in. Then, on the following day while reading in 2 Chr 20 about Jehoshaphat's approach to the invading hoard of Moabites by praying "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." God responds by saying "the battle is not yours but God's." and providing the deliverance. All of this while using a Bible reading plan established over 200 years ago.

My point in all of this is to say I can easily adopt the attitude of the disciple Andrew and become fixed either on the smallness and limitations that I see in myself and the situation in which I find myself or in the bigness of the task in front of me (or both!) Instead, the call of the gospel is to adopt the faith of Jehoshaphat and say "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." And isn't that really the point of Jn 6. When we need something physically, we look everywhere but to the only one who can provide it. And, when He does provide it, we fixate on the provision and seek more of it rather than seeking the One who can give us what we really need: eternal life.

Father forgive me. Help me to remain dependent on and committed to your Son, the One who is the Bread of Life.

To God Alone be the Glory