So many similarities between this reading and the Old Testament reading of Elisha. Funny how God keeps doing the same thing, still asks his people to do the same thing, is still a God of abundance and generosity – but needs us to work with him!
What have I got Lord?
What can I give?
The need is so vast,
I don’t have that sort of money,
I feel unprepared
and unable to help.
There are only scraps,
that’s all I have,
nothing much.
But you can have them
if you think they can help
– though I can’t see how
my meagre offering
is any use.
In your hands Lord
what I have to offer,
however small,
is somehow enough
and beyond.
You can take it,
and it becomes something
beyond my imagining,
beyond my expectations,
beyond my hope.
So I bring to you Lord,
what I have
and pray that you will
make it something
of use
and abundance
in your name
and for your glory
John 6:1-21 (CEV)
Feeding Five Thousand
6 Jesus crossed Lake Galilee, which was also known as Lake Tiberias. 2 A large crowd had seen him work miracles to heal the sick, and those people went with him. 3-4 It was almost time for the Jewish festival of Passover, and Jesus went up on a mountain with his disciples and sat down.
5 When Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?” 6 He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered, “Don’t you know that it would take almost a year’s wages just to buy only a little bread for each of these people?”
8 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the disciples. He spoke up and said, 9 “There is a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these people?”
10 The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples to have everyone sit down. About five thousand men were in the crowd. 11 Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.
12 The people ate all they wanted, and Jesus told his disciples to gather up the leftovers, so that nothing would be wasted. 13 The disciples gathered them up and filled twelve large baskets with what was left over from the five barley loaves.
14 After the people had seen Jesus work this miracle, they began saying, “This must be the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 Jesus realized that they would try to force him to be their king. So he went up on a mountain, where he could be alone.
Jesus Walks on the Water
16 That evening, Jesus’ disciples went down to the lake. 17 They got into a boat and started across for Capernaum. Later that evening Jesus had still not come to them, 18 and a strong wind was making the water rough.
19 When the disciples had rowed for three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the water. He kept coming closer to the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said, “I am Jesus! Don’t be afraid!” 21 The disciples wanted to take him into the boat, but suddenly the boat reached the shore where they were headed.
