“It Is I!”
2 Samuel 11:1-15 John 6:1-21
Often…when I hear any story about David…I am
reminded of the story of his encounter with Goliath. No one else ever faced a creature like
Goliath. He was huge. He had killed many others. He was intimidating.
Yet…no one ever attacked a problem
with greater vigor than David attacked Goliath.
David responded to Goliath’s threat by telling the giant that he had
come in the name of the true God. As
David ran toward the giant he put his hand into his bag…took out a stone…and
let it fly. The stone hit the Philistine
right between the eyes…and it was over. Have you ever wondered? What was David’s secret? Where did he get his courage? How was he able to attack this gigantic
problem with such vigor? The answers can
be seen in today’s passage from John. It
is the sufficiency and power that come from God…given to us through Jesus
Christ…the one who told the disciples…”It is I.
Do not be afraid.”
The story begins with a problem that
came from the success of Jesus’ ministry.
The disciples and Jesus drew huge crowds. They got in a boat…crossed the sea to
Bethsaida…hoping to find a time of rest.
The people saw where they were going and followed them. In Mark’s gospel Jesus was described as
having compassion for the people because they were like sheep without a
shepherd.
In their anxiety to follow Jesus the
people likely didn’t think to pack a lunch.
They, too, were tired and hungry.
Jesus knew what to do…but he asked the disciples a question…in order to
test them and to expand their spiritual understanding. Jesus wanted the disciples to learn how to
gain his power and his sufficiency.
Philip didn’t really answer the Lord’s
question. Instead he responded with some
statistics. He basically said it would
take six months’ income to feed the crowd.
He acted like a bean counter. In
fact…other references to Philip suggest that he was one who wanted
clear…verifiable…logical… evidence. Just
about every family has a person like this…the same can probably be said for
every business and every church.
I wonder what it would have been like
if David had needed a calculator and evidence that he could down Goliath. Now, let’s see…”ten feet tall times a certain
number of pounds per inch. My
goodness…he weighs at least 500 pounds….there’s no way I could do this. God, you’ve got the wrong guy.”
Like Philip…some of us need to toss
our calculators out and become more like David.
Then…Andrew brought the boy with five
small barley loaves and two fishes to Jesus. His response seems to be an improvement. At least he had been out in the crowd looking
for resources. But…he too…was
calculating…when he asked how far those few resources would go. He did not look past the resources he could
actually see and touch.
Then the others went to Jesus. They suggested that the crowds be sent away
to fend for themselves. They felt the
people could not possibly be fed with the five loaves and two fishes. Anyone with common sense could see that. But…there are times in life when common sense is very close to stupidity. The
disciples wanted to avoid the problem…ignore it…and let it just go away.
The disciples had greatly
under-estimated the wealth they possessed.
They had seen Jesus change water into wine…seen a nobleman’s son healed
from a distance…seen Jesus heal the paralyzed man lying by the pool of
Bethseda. Yet…they couldn’t understand
what Jesus could do in this situation.
The disciples had a defective view of
Jesus Christ. That was their
problem. Very often that is the root of our problem.
The solution for the disciples came in
a miraculous display of Jesus’ power.
This was the most public of his miracles. It is recorded in all four Gospels.
After they had sat down…Jesus gave
thanks. The loaves seemed to multiply as
the disciples distributed the bread.
Thousands were fed. There was so
much food that there were leftovers to be gathered. God provides for those who serve him.
This note of interest…the loaves were
made of barley…the cheapest of all breads.
In fact…it was a bread that was unpopular because it was the bread that
was called for as part of the offering from a woman who had committed the sin
of adultery. Jesus used this food to
show his disciples…with him then…and those in the pews this morning…that no
matter what they had…even the tiniest thing…if they really gave it to him…he
could use it. A little is a lot when God
is in it. Jesus wanted us to see that truth.
We should admit it. Sometimes we feel like saying, “Lord, you
don’t understand my problem. If you knew
how I feel…I have calculated it all out…I have thought it through…I have
consulted the authorities…and there is nothing I can do.” You see…we find it harder to give God our
weaknesses than it is to give God our strengths.
But the Lord says…”Give me whatever
you have…including your weaknesses.”
Many people have missed the great miracles that God wanted to give us
because we have been unwilling to do that because of our pride. If you have calculated all of the angles of
your difficult situation…just want to run away and hide…do you know what the
solution is?
First…realize that God wants to help
you. He wants to pour his grace upon
you. He wanted to help the disciples on
the hillside that day…just as he did help the people on the hillside. From Isaiah 30:18 we receive the promise…”The
Lord longs to be gracious to you….”
Next…we have to realize that God is
big enough to help. Nothing much will
happen if you don’t.
The Belgian Christian author…Elisabeth
Elliott…in her book…. World Wide Challenge…beautifully tells us this truth.
She wrote…
“If the only thing you have to offer is a
broken heart, you offer a broken heart.
So in a time of grief, the recognition that this is material for
sacrifice has been a very great strength for me. Realizing that nothing I have, nothing I am
will be refused on the part of Christ, I simply give it to him as the little
boy gave Jesus his five loaves and two fishes—with the same feeling of the disciples
when they said, “What is the good of that for such a crowd?
Naturally in almost anything I offer
to Christ, my reaction would be, “What is the good of that?” The point is, the use he makes of it is none
of my business; it is his business, it is his blessing. So this grief, this loss, this suffering,
this pain—whatever it is, which at the moment is God’s means of testing my
faith and bringing me to the recognition of who he is—that is the thing I can
offer.”
What do you have to offer?
Is it more…or less…than five loaves
and two fishes?
It doesn’t matter to the one who told
the disciples…”It is I. Do not be
afraid.”