The Hungry Crowd

After hearing that John the Baptist had been beheaded on orders from Herod Antipas, Jesus and his disciples wanted to withdraw from the crowds for a little time for themselves. But the crowds followed them in droves.

Instead of being irritated with the crowd, Jesus was filled with compassion for them. Jesus knew the heart and heartache of each and every person who gathered around them. He saw them for what they were: sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus healed the sick and taught them until late that day. His disciples were ready for the day to be over. Everyone must have been exhausted and hungry including Jesus and His disciples. The disciples told Jesus to send the people away so they can go find something to eat.

But Jesus had more to teach all of them.

All four gospels tell us about the events that followed. But John is the only one that tells us about the conversation Jesus had with His disciple Phillip.

“Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” Jesus asks Phillip in John 6:5.

We know less about the personality of Phillip than we do about Peter, James, and John. So what do we know about him? Phillip was from Bethsaida, the same city of Andrew and Simon Peter. As soon as Jesus called Phillip to be a disciple, Phillip told his friend Nathaniel who also followed Jesus. Phillip is listed with the twelve disciples in several places.

But here on this late afternoon, the Word tells us that Jesus asked Phillip about bread to feed the crowd in order to test him. Jesus wanted to know how Phillip would approach the situation. Jesus already knew what He was going to do. But Phillip didn’t know what Jesus would do.

We aren’t told why Jesus singled out Phillip with this question to test him. Was Phillip usually one that hung back in silence, letting the others talk first? Was there a spiritual lesson Jesus was trying to teach Phillip? Or does this remind us that even in a group of believers, each soul communes with God on their own?

After Jesus asked “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” immediately Phillip began figuring up how much money it would take to feed the crowd.

“Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little,” calculated Phillip. A denarii equaled a day’s pay.

The practical minded Phillip stated the obvious. We can’t feed them, it can’t be done.

Unless . . .

“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fishes, but what are these for so many people,” said Andrew suddenly.

Had Andrew already made the jump in faith to understand Jesus could work a miracle? Had Andrew already assessed the situation just in case? Clearly he had already asked around and found the one boy who had one meal with him? (I’ve heard it said that the first miracle was that the boy had not already eaten his lunch!)  

“Bring them to me,” said Jesus.

Jesus instructed them to organize the crowd into groups of fifties and hundreds. More than 5000 men were there plus an unknown number of women and children. The total number could have been 20,000 people or more.

Jesus took the five loaves and two fishes and gave thanks for it. Jesus gave portions to the disciples. Then the disciples (including Phillip) handed out portions to the crowd. Miraculously, the small lunch never ran out. No matter how many pieces of bread and bits of fish were handed out, more remained. Thousands of people ate bread and fish. Not just a bite for each person, but enough that every person was filled with food. The leftovers collected after the meal filled twelve baskets.

Most of us have read about this miracle many times. It is so familiar that we sometimes forget to really consider what happened that day. Jesus, Son of God, showed His disciples and the crowd a miracle. This was a different type of miracle than healing the lame, blind, and diseased. This was a miracle of making much out of little.

Maybe this event was meant to show them that the constant care of Jesus never ends. That when the Lord supplies it, what seems like little is more than enough. Or maybe we need to learn like Phillip did, that sometimes the answer to our issues does not rest in our human capabilities-but in Jesus hands.

Carla Killough McClafferty