Day Fourteen - Jesus Feed the Five Thousand - John 6:1-15

When you read a movie script, the scriptwriter will often insert the letters POV at strategic points in the dialogue. It stands for 'point of view,' the perspective of the actor or actress - a cue, if you would, for how the part should be acted. When I read through this section of John I find that there are at least three points of view for us to consider..

The first one is that of Phillip. Jesus is looking out over the crowd with him, and asks, "Where shall we fine enough bread for these people to eat?" Philip's point of view is focused on the crowd. He listens to Jesus' question and then goes into an analytical mode. He looks at the sea of faces and concludes by telling Jesus that it would take a years wages to buy enough food for them all. He's focused on the problem.

Andrew, who always seems to be hanging out with Philip in Jesus' presence, has a different point of view. His is focused on Jesus. Perhaps he listens to the exchange, and even senses what Jesus is doing - a test of some sort John tells us. He scurries among the crowd looking for resources, and the best he can come up with is a kid with a lunch box. He simply brings what he has found to Jesus and places it in his hands to see what he might do with it. This is faith.

Then there is Jesus' point of view. "Have the people sit down," he tells them. He takes the barley loaves - it's poor people's bread - and the fish, blesses it and tells his boys to start handing it out. John says, without commentary, that "everybody ate as much as they wanted."

My question is, "Who was this about?" Certainly not the crowd, and while it is about Jesus, it is about something he has in mind for the disciples. This is about discipleship, this is about ministry.

Ministry in Christ's name is always full of challenges. Depending on what part of the world one lives in, some have been and are momentous - others paltry and pointless. The issue is this - what is our point of view? Are we focused on the problem or are we focused on Christ?

For the disciples, they learned that day that Christ will use them and whatever they bring to him to meet the overwhelming needs of humanity, of persons. His followers need not be afraid of expending their resources to do so, because God always provides left overs - enough for each of the twelve who probably thought the food would run out before they got any for themselves.

I wonder if that was the test - the thing that Jesus already knew he was going to do? What's your point of view?