5 When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?”

6 But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.

7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”

8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,

9 “Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”

— John 6:5-9

42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.”

43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’”

44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.

— 2 Kings 4:42-44

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, peace and Joy to you from Christ.

One the mountain where Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd with 5000+ people coming toward Him, He tested and said to Philip , “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” After Philip did the math, he determined the situation appeared impossible. God often allows His children to recognize the hopelessness they face apart from His intervention. In wisdom and brilliance, Jesus used moments of dire need to prepare His disciples to notice His handiwork. He does the same for us today.

Jesus needed no help in carrying out His miracle. He could have fed the thousands that day without human assistance or the meager lunch the disciples gathered. However, like foreshadowed by Elisha in the Old Testament time, Jesus sovereignly and lovingly included and incorporated humans, whom He created and valued very much, as His coworkers and enabled them to experience the wonder of His supernatural power. Jesus wanted to reveal the ultimate fact that His disciples and the people in the crowd needed more than a solution to a problem, or a meal to eat. They needed much more than a meal. They needed a Savior. They needed Jesus! We all need Jesus the Savior.