Knowing God - John 6:5-6

(from Pastor)

When [Jesus] looked up and saw

a large crowd coming toward him,

Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we

to buy bread for these people to eat?"

He said this to test him, for he himself

knew what he was going to do.

John 6:5-6

 

If I were writing a screen play, here's how I imagine this scene playing out:

 

SETTING: A horde of five thousand people rushes toward Jesus and the disciples.

 

PETER (THINKING): "Crowd control. How am I going to rope off -- and hold off -- five thousand people who want to touch just the edge of Jesus' cloak so they may be healed?"

 

JOHN (THINKING): "Public Relations: Where do I station the press so that we get the best coverage on the evening news?"

 

PHILIP (THINKING): "Logistics: Where are we to buy enough bread for these people to eat?"

 

You see, I think Jesus might have just said outloud what was already in Philip's heart. I mean, how many of us think things inwardly and they grow like an infection. We'd do so much better opening them up and like debriding a wound, discussing them outloud. When things are in the light, light tends to win. But when we hold thoughts, feelings, and fears in the dark, darkness tends to prevail.

 

Yes, Jesus tested Philip when he pulled the question into the light. But he didn't leave him alone to carry the weight of the worry. He showed him the path toward healing, feeding, and truth.

 

And yes ... Jesus will test you. But when you allow him to be part of your problems, he'll never leave you to carry their weight alone.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who'd prefer a test from God

than a test from Ms. Taylor

(my 12th grade Calculus teacher) 

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Yes - saying things outloud ... shining light on them ... you see them for what they really are.  Something can sound rational in your head but not outloud. Or completely impossible in your head, but when said outloud with others - completely possible.  Even admitting hurts, wounds, sins outloud to God brings a different level of healing and forgiveness to it.   Talk outloud to God makes him seem more real - there to really help.