Recognizing our source

The inspiration for this post is the message our Senior pastor delivered yesterday out of John Chapter 6.

The Gospel of John in chapter 6 records the story of Jesus feeding the five-thousand. It's an impressive miracle. Thousands of hungry people fed - starting with only a few loaves and fish. They even gather up several baskets of left-overs.

In the miracle narratives, we often focus so much on the miraculous event itself, that we fail to notice the dialogue that goes on between Jesus and his disciples. There is usually some good stuff in that dialogue.

Looking at the enormous crowd, Jesus asks Philip "where can we buy bread to feed all these people?"

Philip replies, "even if we worked for months we wouldn't have enough money to feed them."

Here's what strikes me in this short dialogue - Jesus asks "where?" Philip doesn't answer the question. Instead he discusses the "how" - specifically "how" it's not possible, even with eight months wages.

Did you catch that? The question Jesus asks assumes it's possible - while Philips answer assumes it's not.

Jesus is the "where" that Philip needed - to get the bread. Jesus was pointing to himself as the solution to life's problems.

The point of the message - never measure the challenge you are facing by your own ability to solve it.

Philip saw no solution because he saw the problem framed from the perspective of what he himself could do.

But God loves impossible circumstances - He is our source.

~ Truly Free