Jesus Tested the Faith of Followers

What Did Jesus Do?

Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread,
so that these people may eat?”
John 6.5b

An exclamation point puts emphasis on what has occurred. Two exclamation points tell us it's really important. Three exclamation points and we begin to realize that it was something very special. Four exclamation points and our attention should be arrested, and we would do well to take a closer look at the details. The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle performed by Jesus which is recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 14.13-21;Mark 6.30-44;Luke 9.10-17; John 6.1-14); if this doesn't make it stand out, we are definitely missing something. If we were to somehow overlook John's account of the miracle of the loaves and fish we would miss this detail:

He [Jesus] said this [6.5b] to test him [Philip]. (6.6)

John's is the only account to include this little detail of testing. And, as I said above, with the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand appearing in all four Gospels, we need to look at the details. The “need” for the miracle arose because, in addition to the twelve apostles who had been accompanying him for some time, quite a sizable throng had begun to tag along after Jesus. Drawn after him by the works he had done, the multitude was anxious to witness more miracles. But it was one thing to believe in the miracles, and quite another to believe in the man. And so, Jesus tested the faith of followers.

The Greek word for test which John used in this instance would often have been used to describe how the quality of a precious metal would have been proved. Jesus was not in any doubt about how he would deal with the hunger of the five thousand, but he was anxious to see how far the faith of the apostles had come. Had Philip and the others grown beyond their astonishment and fascination with miracles to begin to have a genuine appreciation of just who it was who was performing the signs and works? Faith sustained only by miraculous signs is faith that will falter when no signs are to be found. Belief in a miracle worker evaporates with he performs no miracles. Belief in the Son of God is not built upon works, yet from faith works will come. So Jesus tested the faith of followers.

The Lord well knew that in the future there would be no miracle to spare him from arrest and trial, from beating and scourging, and from the cross. In the coming crucible of the Passion the faith of the apostles would be tested, its quality would be proved. Now, beside the Sea of Galilee, when nothing more threatening than empty stomachs impended, what did the apostles believe about Jesus? Would a mere lack of funds confound the Lord when presented with the challenge of feeding the multitude? If Philip, and the other apostles, lacked the faith to trust that Jesus could overcome something as simple as hunger, how could they believe that he could ever overcome sin and death? So Jesus tested their faith.

The truth is, not one day passes but that there are many occasions when our faith is proved and tested. If we doubt that Jesus is able to deal with what comes our way day in and day out, how can we trust him when we face death and eternity? Faith that is daily tested and proved is not free of doubt, but it overcomes all doubt by trusting in the Lord. Rather than bemoan that we are tested, we may be confident in Christ, that our faith will be proved.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4