5 Loaves and 2 Fishes

John 6:1-13 1 After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee — or of Tiberias-

2 and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he had done in curing the sick.

3 Jesus climbed the hillside and sat down there with his disciples.

4 The time of the Jewish Passover was near.

5 Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’

6 He said this only to put Philip to the test; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would not buy enough to give them a little piece each.’

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said,

9 ‘Here is a small boy with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that among so many?’

10 Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down.

11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were sitting there; he then did the same with the fish, distributing as much as they wanted.

12 When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing is wasted.’

13 So they picked them up and filled twelve large baskets with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves.

Nowadays, many of us are like Philip [in the Gospel we have read]. We don’t know what to do in a very difficult situation. Just imagine, papakainin mo 5,000 people. Hindi nga lang 5,000 yun kasi hindi pa counted dun ‘yung mga babae’t bata. Kung sa ating sariling pamamaraan, talagang mahirap. But in a very hard situation, GOD knows what to do (verse 6).Sinubukan ng Panginoong Jesus ang pananalig ni Philip nang tanungin Niya ito kung saan makabibili ng tinapay upang makakain ang more than 5,000katao. Si philip naman (o felipe) ay mas’yadong nag-isip sa tanong ng Panginoon. Oo nga naman, pa’no nga naman natin magagawang pakainin ang ganon karaming tao samantalang kung minsan sa 5 pirasong miyembro lang ng pamilya ay ‘di pa sapat ang kinakain? Mga organizations nga na nagco-conduct ng mga feeding program ay katatakot-takot na plano ang hinahanda nila dahil kailangan nilang pag planuhan ang panggagalingan ng kanilang ipapakain. Pero iba ang pamamaraan ng DIYOS. Ang ginamit ni Philip na  way of thinking ay sa tao. Iba ang way of thinking ng Panginoong Jesus at alam Niya kung anong gagawin niya sa mga ganoong sitwasyon.

   Ang malaking problemang to ay nabigyang solusyon ng isang batang may baon na limang tinapay at dalawang isda. Yes nakakain ang more than 5,000 people dahil sa batang ito na hindi nagdamot sa kanyang munting baon.

   Kung minsan kasi kapag may problema, tayo’y nakatingin sa magagawa natin samantalangmalaki naman ang magagawa ng DIYOS. Malaking kasiraan kung minsan ang paggamit ng common sense ng tao. Katulad ni Philip, hindi niya naisip nang mga panahon  iyon ay marami nang nagawang miracles ang Panginoong Jesus. Bakit kaya hindi nya naisip na may magagawa ang Panginoong Jesus sa situation na ‘yun? Dahil katulad natin kung minsan, nakadepende tayo sa ating sariling common sense at sa common sense ng DIYOS. Hindi makakilos sa ating buhay ang kapangyarihan ng DIYOS dahil hindi natin maisuko ang sarili natin dahil hindi natin maamin na may short comings tayo. We always depend on our own ways.

But unlike the boy who offered his five loaves and two fishes, he contributed all that he has and did not think of his self. Marahil maaring sabihin ng iba na hindi siya nag-iisip kasi mapapasama siya sa karamihan na walang makakain dahil hindi aabot ang limang tinapay at dalawang isda sa 5,000. But GOD’s ways are not like our ways. GOD only wants the best we can do to participate in His works. Hindi naman Niya tayo pupuwersahin na mag produce ng mga bagay na kailangan Niya to perform a miracle. Our best effort is not. Nang dahil sa munting contribution ng batang ito kay JESUS, nakakain ang more than 5,000 people at sumobra pa (verse 12-13).

  Tayo po ba sa ating buhay nakakagalaw ang kapangyarihan ng DIYOS? What are your Five Loaves and Two Fishes in life? Are you willing to lose it for GOD?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.

-Proverbs 3:5-6

(go to part 2)