Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - July/88

Contributor - Rev. Tom Welscott

Title - Are You Hungry?

Topic - Jesus Christ

Jesus was a very popular person in his day. Whenever you saw a crowd, you could usually safely assume that Jesus was in the middle of it. In our day whenever there is going to be a crowd the free enterprise system, and the potential for profit means that certain of our basic needs are looked after by the entrepreneurs large and small. In Jesus' day that was not the case. That meant that on a number of occasions Jesus ended up with a crowd that was totally engrossed in his miracle working and clever stories, but famished, perhaps even to the point of exhaustion. With no hot dog stands or MacDonalds over the next hill, this became a problem for Jesus who was always looking after people's general well being.

If you would like to read about one of these occasions you will find it in the Gospel of John, chapter 6 verses I - 15. if you had been one of those thousands of people on that hot hill-side that afternoon, and were asked, "Are You Hungry?" I'm sure your answer would have been an emphatic, "Yes, of course, what do you expect after all this time in the hot sun!" In Jesus' day, if you were hungry, then you would look for bread. Bread went with everything. Three loaves of bread, the way they made them, were usually sufficient for each meal. Each day enough bread was prepared for your family for the day. That's why, when Jesus observed that the people had been there for a long time and needed something to eat, he told his disciples to feed them. They were dumb-founded, what an impossible task. Two hundred days work wouldn't feed all these people, if you could even find a place to buy enough bread.

Jesus always took advantage of each situation to teach something about himself and something about faith. In this story, Jesus wanted the disciples to respond to the people's needs. Their need, at that point, was very basic. We are hungry.

Jesus had made the observation that the people were hungry and then asked his disciples, "How will we buy bread for this crowd?" Their initial response is one that is very typical for anyone given that kind of assignment. Philip says, "We couldn't possibly do that." But Andrew starts thinking and says let's go gather up what we have. Andrew comes back with a boy's lunch - five barley loaves and two fish, and asks Jesus what this can do for a crowd of over 5,000 people. Jesus thanks his heavenly Father, and begins distributing these few small morsels. No one understood how it could be, but the distribution kept going on until all were full. There were even twelve baskets left over.

"I Am the Bread of Life"

"When the people saw the signs which he (Jesus) had done, they said, 'This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world'." The people realized that even though it was nice to have an "All You Can Eat" free lunch, this was a sign. It was a sign that only the Son of God could do. Jesus wanted them to understand not only the power inherent in his person, but also what kind of nourishment he wanted to provide for each of them.

Jesus takes this vivid lesson, and uses it to explain how he is not only the source of physical nourishment in this case, but he is also the source of an endless supply of spiritual bread. In John 6:35 Jesus says, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst."

Jesus was taking this illustration one step further. He is really asking questions like: Are you spiritually hungry? Do you need security about your eternity? Do you need healing?. Do you need forgiveness? Do you need courage? Do you need inner peace? This is the reason I am here, to feed you spiritually. Look to me in faith, and I can feed you.

Jesus' response to the needs around him was not just for 2,000 years ago. Jesus wants to respond to all these needs in our life as well. The point is made vividly in the story, and the offer Jesus makes has no expiry date.

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