Overlooking the Obvious

When you set out to overcome an obstacle or tackle a difficult problem, does the size of the problem discourage you?

I have always been intrigued by those who can ignore the complexity and magnitude of a problem or situation and just get started anyway.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter¹s brother, said to him, 'There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people? - John 6:8-9

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus poses a problem for his disciples.  He sees a large crowd coming toward him and he turns to Philip.  "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"

Philip grasps the enormity of the problem and tells Jesus they would need more than six months' wages, but Andrew offers a hint at how to begin to solve the problem.

What is it that Andrew sees that Philip fails to see?  He sees a boy with some food.

Now we all know how this story goes.  The five loaves and two fish that the boy had wind up feeding thousands.  Bit let's go back and take a close look at the obvious for a moment.  (It is how my brain works, so bear with me.)

First, what wages is Philip talking about?  The disciples didn't work, did they?  And where did the boy come from, and why is he the only one carrying a basket of fish and bread?

Some commentators suggest that Philip was the road manager for the group, the guy who was responsible for logistics and supplies.  So, Jesus presents the problem of feeding the people to him first.

Now I know a lot of folks who would have said to Jesus, "Don't look at me, J.  I'm not responsible for all these people."

The fact that Jesus asked the question at all gives us an important hint to the ministry of this group.  They did see themselves as responsible for the masses, for all who would come out to listen and to be with them.  How different it s for us today.

We expect the people to come to us to be spiritually fed, but we see it as their responsibility to bring the supplies and the money to keep the church going, not the other way around.

But look at what Andrew sees.

The boy may have been selling his fish and bread.  It could have been his livelihood, and yet Andrew sees it as an offering, and that offering, though meager compared to the population, is something to consider.

So here are my questions.  Did Philip pay the boy for his basket?  Did others come with baskets of food to sell?  If you read ahead you will see that they gathered up twelve baskets of fragments of barley loaves and fish.  Where did those other baskets come from?

Perhaps we need to read between the lines here and see what the message might be for all of us.  If we don't, we will see it as a miracle and assume it has no implications on us.

We would be wrong.  Somewhere in the crowd there were eleven more baskets, or possibly more.  Just like the twelve disciples, there was a basket for each, and that could be a sign for all of us.

There are good people in the crowd who have some resources and may be willing to help.  Each of us is called to go out and find them.

The miracle began when Andrew saw the possibility, and it played out in the generosity of the people who needed to be moved to action.

As deacons, our job is to gather up the baskets, yes, but to do that we need help.  We need people with baskets to join us.

As we begin a new year, each of us should look at the meager offerings we have and see if we can look beyond the obvious, to see possibilities where none seem practical, and to get out there and do something.

Now, let me see what I have to offer.  Perhaps I can gather up a few loaves myself.

More to come...