Sermon prepared for
Messiah Lutheran Church, Auburn WA
By Gregory S. Kaurin, pastor
July 26, 2009
Texts: 2 Kings 4:42-44 & John 6:1-15
Philip’s Test
A few days ago, I had a little surprise. I’m sure it was a message or sign of something. It all started one year ago. When we drive to or from Great Falls, MT, we always stay overnight at the same Super 8 hotel in Spokane. They have an indoor pool for the boys; they accept pets. So a year ago, I was walking Katy, our dog, in the scrubby lot just out in back of the hotel for her potty break. I was thinking and praying and playing with the coins in my pocket. As I walked around the bushes and trees, I came across a wide flat stump, and pulled out the coins…just a few pennies, six or eight, I think. I don’t know why, exactly, but I paused for a moment there and on a kind of whim, with a little blessing, I laid those pennies on the stump and walked on.
Then, I forgot about them, the stump, and the pennies…completely out of my mind until a few days ago. I was walking Kate in that same field out back of the Super 8 hotel, and was thinking about how much that scruffy lot changes each year when I came across a wide flat stump that had a bunch of pennies scattered over it. And, honestly, I still didn’t remember anything until after I counted the pennies…twenty-one of them. Then, it slowly came back to me.
Now, I’m not saying at some intervening moment Jesus came down and multiplied those pennies for me. If so, then I should have left eight Ben Franklins. I don’t know if the pennies will be there the next time, and I still can’t say what to make of it. Were other hands involved? No doubt. In my mind I can imagine that someone came by and added a few more coins; someone else came and took everything but the pennies, and so on. It’s a small sign, with a little prayer; I leave it in God’s hands.
Jesus had more than pennies to deal with, but thousands of hungry followers, thousands. When we have more than a couple hundred people coming to this congregation as guests for a funeral, an art show, or a concert, what’s the first thing we concern ourselves with? Right, how’re we going to feed them, will it be enough, is it a luncheon or just cookies, what’ll it cost, who pays for it?
Jesus saw the crowds approaching, and sensed their hunger. He turned to Philip and asked, “Where can we—notice, where can we—buy some bread for them to eat? How can we provide for them?”
This was critical. Crowds of traveling people get excited, feed off each other’s emotions. And they are fickle, even dangerous. Ask organizers of big rock concerts or events. What happens if people get a bit hungry or tired, if someone announces the wrong thing? It doesn’t take much, and something that seems little can set groups of people off. So, if I had been Philip—in Philip’s shoes…no, let me say it this way…
When I find myself in Philip’s shoes, because we do get in situations like this, maybe not so big, with so many people and needs, but situations where I say to myself, even to God, “What? No way. There’s not enough money, not enough time, not enough space.” Or—“There are too many other things to do, too many people and groups and needs already! Send him away, send her home…let them go somewhere else.”
The gospel tells us that Jesus said this to put Philip to the test, to catch his attention and teach him something new. Philip answered with all reason and credibility, “Two hundred denarii wouldn’t be enough,” he said. The value of a denarius was a day’s wage for a soldier, or unskilled worker, so in today’s rate, Philip was looking at that crowd of 5000 men plus women and children and saying, not even $4000 would be enough to feed them adequately… and where would they find $4000-worth of food on such short notice? I can hear him adding, “You know, Jesus, it’s nice that you want to do something for them, but you can’t make bread from nothing.” It looks as though Philip failed this test. But has anyone here done better? Philip was about to learn from his mistake. The question is will we learn from Philip’s test?
That’s when Andrew, good evangelical Andrew, the Connector, stepped forward. He’s the one who connected Peter to Jesus. He’s the one who brought a young boy forward, “Here’s someone, Jesus, offering his five loaves and two fish.” But, Andrew caught Philip’s scowl and pessimism and had to agree, “but what is that among so many thousands?” Of the group, there was one hero. Doesn’t even have a name, just some young boy willing—willing—to get things started with two fish and five loaves.
J. Hampton Keathley III says: “Measuring our ability or capability or success in any aspect of the ministry (or whatever God may call us to do) by the puniness of ourselves must automatically confine us, resulting in confusion and defeat.” Apart from Christ, apart from God, Philip and Andrew are exactly right. This Christian movement, is too big for you and me, too large, too many, too expensive, too many unknowns to plan for. Left to ourselves, we’d be wise to shrink back, and worry only about preservation. Close the ranks. Tighten the restrictions. Members first.
My wife pointed out to me that this was one of a very few miracles of Jesus that directly included a mass group. He once healed ten lepers, and changed water to wine for a wedding party, but in most of his miracles, Jesus reached to the individual, and he taught us to care for people, for each other one-to-one. So this may seem to be an enormous miracle…and it’s about reaching out.
All a group like ours needs is a few youngsters…and oldsters…willing to offer what they can to get things started. And this isn’t just about the power of positive thinking. Norman Vincent Peale’s crowd might like to tell their children that you can do anything you put your mind to, etc., but they’re wrong. A brief article in the latest Time magazine is titled, “Finding Your Inner Loser” (July 27, 2009, p. 55). Actually, the title and illustration miss the point. It’s not about accepting mediocrity and ambivalence. It’s about being honest about our own limitations. Expecting perfection, thinking we can overcome obstacles of power, hunger, or meet the needs of whole groups of people, expecting that power or ability from one or more of us is expecting too much.
No, we cannot achieve anything we put our minds to, but together with all the flawed people of God, with prayer, with willing sacrifices, hard work, and the hand of God, that we can do. Then, we can do whatever God needs us to do.
And then, what happens in crowds and groups is that the Spirit is catchy. One person might start it, then each of us is lead, moved, embarrassed or whatever it takes to add our part. Then, as the movement begins, suddenly God adds his providence, and we discover more resources and abilities than we ever thought we had. If we depend on ourselves, we will fail. If we wait until we’ve got it all figured out, the crowds, the people will give up on us, and we will fail.
Some congregations and people are sitting back, or pulling into themselves to preserve and protect whatever they’ve got left. And we stumble at times when Jesus is testing us. There are plenty of Philips in every group, plenty of times when I have failed right alongside Philip.
But like Philip, I am willing to learn. I am always willing learn a new tune, a new way to talk and think in order to tell the old, old story. And when it comes to meeting needs of hunger and loneliness; or to reach more people, connect them to the Jesus we know, there are too many Andrews in this congregation, too many folks, old and young, willing to get things started.
Christ intends to shape your life. From the time you were born and baptized to the day you die, you and I are called to be more and more like that young boy who offered his five loaves and two fish to the crowd. God has given you what you have. God has blessed this congregation incredibly. The question, the test is… what are you going to do with it? What are we going to do with it?
