Building Project

Over the years I have observed that for every person who thinks something can be done there are always more who say that it cannot. This is true for everything from overnight package delivery to space travel. Such an observation might still be doubted were it not for the fact that it is so often illustrated in scripture. Believers should be hopeful and optimistic but this is often not the case. To illustrate that I want to look at one of the few stories related in all four gospels (Mt 14:13-21, Mk 6:30-44, Lk 9:10-17, Jn 6:1-14) commonly called "The Feeding of the 5,000".

The story opens with Jesus and the disciples arriving at "a remote place" (Bethsaida). But their arrival was observed and they were soon beseiged by a multitude. Mark records that Jesus "had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd". At some point as the day wore on Jesus turned to Philip and asked, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" But "He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do." Philip's response?: "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Excuse #1. Overwhelming Need

The answer was seemingly so difficult that, in effect, Philip ducked the question. Did Philip pass the test? Ask yourself, when you heard about the elders' decision to build and, especially, the cost involved, ($1 million this year), what was your first response? Were you like Philip?

The story continues as Andrew says: "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Excuse #2. Insufficient Resources.

Did you notice how Andrew emphasized that the loaves and fish were "small"? In other words, "whatever we come up with still won't be enough!"

There is another character in this story who doesn't speak, but his actions speak well of him: the boy. He is not named in scripture, but were he to appear in the pages of "Pilgrim's Progress" he might be called "Generous". When it comes to their money and possessions many people are like the seagulls in "Finding Nemo" who said "mine, mine, mine...". Thankfully, this boy was not like that. Consider that when Jesus took the loaves that had been offered the boy did not know what was going to happen. Jesus might have said "thanks kid!", then sat down on a rock and eaten the boy's lunch! Instead, Jesus looked up to heaven, gave thanks and distributed to those who were seated "as much as they wanted". This includes the boy. At this point in the story Philip and Andrew should be feeling rather foolish.

Great stories have great endings. John says that when everyone was through eating Jesus commanded that the uneaten fragments of bread be collected. Lo and behold, there sat twelve baskets of food in a grassy field. This is an example of what theologian and pastor Dr. Jack Hughes calls "the divine neener-neener." A wordless response to the faithless apostles.

Calvary's building project is a test. The question is, "Will Calvary Bible Church be intimidated by the seeming size of the need and the limited resources, or not?" "Will Calvary respond to the leadership of the elders or not?" Will we be like "Saved Seagulls", saying "His, His, His..." or not? The answer will not be long in coming. We will either fail the test by name (like Philip) or succeed anonymously (like the boy). The only correct answer is to be like that boy, who offered what he had without considering the size of the need. The result was that "all were filled" and a sermon illustration (in the form of a basket full of bread) was left over for each apostle.