John 6:5-10, Jesus Tests his Disciples

5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,  9"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" 10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.  

Having had his short vacation interrupted by the unrelenting crowd, Jesus decides to take this opportunity to test Philip. Most likely, Philip served as the spokesman for the disciples. Coming from nearby Bethsaida, he knew the area better than any and that there were no available food resources for such a large crowd. With 5,000 men present, at minimum the crowd would have been 10,000 people when the women and children were included – but may have been closer to 20,000! Jesus’ suggestion to buy food was absurd, with no catering company in sight. Even if there were, the expense would be astronomical. Two hundred denarii, about eight months of wages, would buy only a morsel for each person to eat. 

Up steps Andrew with another idea. He has found a boy with food—salted fish and barley bread, the food of the poor. Yet he knows this is even less than one could purchase with 200 denarii. These people are poor with no money to purchase food even if there were a modern grocery store nearby. Jesus remains unruffled. He has a plan and is working the plan in the sight of his disciples to build their faith in him. He will feed these people through a sign that will point to him as the master Creator. 

Traveling to and fro between the Galilee and Jerusalem, Jesus saw and experienced first-hand the needs of his people. He was not without resources or a plan. Jesus is the same today as he views the earth from his throne room in heaven. He knows the needs and concerns of each person on a personal level, and he calls his followers, his disciples like a Philip and Andrew, who have witnessed his power, mercy, and grace, to serve others as he served. He had a plan for them, and he has a plan for you. 

Where is Jesus calling you to serve the needs of the lost, the poor, the unloved, the hungry, the sin-sick? He has a plan for you, and he has resources for you. Speak to him as a friend about what he has in store for you today to serve him.