Lent 4 March 31, 2019 The Sunday of the 5,000 Feeding
Lent 4
John 6:1-15
March 31, 2019
“He Knew What He Would Do”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Jesus feeding the 5,000 is one of our stained glass windows. The one with the great crowd of people on the West side there, second from the back. Jesus was on a mountain with His disciples when they look out and see just how large this crowd is that’s coming to hear Him. And Jesus knows exactly what He’s going to do. That’s what the Bible says. He knew He would take five loaves of bread and two fish and multiply it to feed everyone. He knows that. But Philip doesn’t know that. So Jesus decides to test Philip—to see what Philip knows. To see if Philip trusts Jesus.
Now there are good tests and there are bad tests. You can’t just say, “All tests are bad.” Because they’re not. It depends on who is giving the test and why they’re giving it. Good teachers give good tests all the time because they care about their students and want to see if they’ve mastered the material. Bad teachers might give a really hard test because they want to see a bunch of their students fail. That would be a bad test. So a test can be good or bad depending on the circumstances.
Was this a good test when Jesus asked Philip where they’d get bread for everybody? Of course it is. We know it’s a good test because Jesus is the one giving it. We know because He loves Philip. So this is easy. It’s a test meant to draw Philip closer to Jesus.
But what about when the devil tested Jesus? His three times of testing in the wilderness? Was that a good test? No, because it was the devil and He wanted Jesus to fail. So Jesus told him, “No, I won’t test God.”
So we need to be very clear about testing. It can be good when God tests us for our good. It can be evil and bad when the devil and others test us to make us fail. Today we’re talking about good tests. Like when God tested the Israelites in our Old Testament reading today. He tested them with hunger to see if they would trust Him. He gave them manna every morning, testing them each night if they would trust Him to provide it the next day again. They often failed the test. But God would use it to strengthen their faith all the more.
But the one you’re probably most concerned about is yourself. When is God testing you? Why does He test you? Remember that God always tests us for our good. He tests us to see where we’re weak. Where we need help. To see where there are things (idols) keeping us from trusting Him and loving Him.
So picture again Jesus and Philip. Standing there side by side. Jesus with His arm around Philip. Both of them looking out at all these thousands of people. And then Jesus says, “Where will we get enough bread?” He lovingly tests him. Even though He Himself knew exactly what He would do. Jesus very often is standing right next to you looking with you at the trouble ahead of you, asking you, “Where and why and how and when?” Even though He Himself knows exactly what He will do. He’s testing you to make sure you love Him and trust Him.
To give you an easy example, in a small way, He’s testing our congregation right now. Our offerings have been down through the first part of this year. We just had a church council meeting a couple weeks ago and we said, “Yikes, our general fund balance is pretty low.” Guess who else was in that room with us? Guess who else was saying, “Where will we get enough bread, guys?” Jesus is testing our congregation. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a great big test. We’ve been in this position before. It’s a small one. But it’s a test. Will we trust Him to provide? Will we maybe cut something somewhere and trust Him to take care of it? Will we all give and trust Him to multiply our gifts for the benefit of His Church? Because He will. There truly is nothing for us to worry about. He knows exactly what He will do with us here at Trinity. We don’t know. But He does. Whatever that is, we will trust Him.
Or how about a more personal test. How about when you at home are running short on money? How about when you have, not a big crowd of people coming toward you, but a big crowd of bills coming toward you? How about when you can’t buy everything you want to buy? Guess who else is there with His arm around you asking, “Hey, where will get enough bread for all these bills?” Remember the verse—“He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” Sometimes we really need to be tested with money. Because we make money our god. Our idol. And we think money will take care of all our problems. But Jesus knows how He will take care of us. Again, it might be that we have to cut a bunch of things and trust Him to take care of us. Or it might be that He will surprise us with money from somewhere we never expected. Who knows? Jesus does. And He tests us in order that we would trust Him.
I think Jesus is testing Christians in a big way right now in America. And in all the western world. For a while, Christianity was the main sheriff in town. Almost every American was Christian. Now it’s not that way. Now we have the rise of secularism. Now we have abortion running out of control. Killing our babies. Now we have gambling poised to take over the country with the legalization of sports betting. Now we have marijuana ready to take over people’s brains and lives with a bunch of Illinoisans wanting to make it legal. Now we have Christians trying to run for office and being interrogated about their Christian faith. Now we have people being fired from their jobs because they don’t support same-sex marriage or whatever the movement of the day is.
And Jesus is standing next to us, with His arm around us, saying, “Where are we going to get enough bread? What are we going to do about this? Are we going to survive this? Should we run and hide somewhere?” But remember the verse—“He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” He knows what He will do. What will He do with America? With western Europe? I have no idea. Maybe it will get worse. Maybe it will get better. But either way we trust Him. We speak the truth and love our neighbor and allow Jesus to multiply it.
If any of you have had the chance to see the movie Unplanned, I have been very inspired by the story of the organization 40 days for Life. When I have more time this summer, I want to read the book from the founder of 40 days for Life, Shawn Carney. Talk about God multiplying efforts. All they did in 2004 was got together and said, “What can we do against abortion?” Planned Parenthood had opened an abortion clinic right in their town. “What can we do?” they said. And they met to pray about it for an hour. Fifteen years later, that clinic in their town is shut down and that office is now their international headquarters. Also, they have 40 days for life campaigns in all 50 states. Also, in countries around the world. Also, they’ve been instrumental in the closing of almost 100 abortion clinics. Also instrumental in over 500 workers leaving their jobs at abortion clinics. Also instrumental in saving 15,000 babies from abortion (just the numbers they know about.) 15,000 people who are fifteen years old and younger are alive today because of their work. They started with prayer and Jesus multiplied their efforts in ways they could have never imagined.
Testing can be good, right? We know it can be good because our salvation came through testing. The testing of Jesus. Hebrews says, “He was tempted and tested in every way we are, yet without sin.” He was tested all the way to the cross. And unlike us and Philip, who so often fail the test, He passed it. He was faithful. He loved God His Father and He loved us.
Because you have Jesus Christ and because you’re baptized into Him, you already have passed the salvation test. When God tests you, it’s not whether you’ll pass and get into heaven. You already have eternal life because of Jesus. Now God tests us only to strengthen that faith in Jesus.
Everybody knows that the right way to study for a big test at school isn’t to hold an all-night cramming session. Even though many of us have done those. The right way is to be learning and studying all along through the semester. Same way with us when we’re tested in life. You go to Church every Sunday—not just when you feel like you need it. You go every Sunday. And you do your prayer and devotions every day. Not just when you feel like it. Because then when the test comes, you’re more than ready. Notice how the more someone is going to Church and the more someone is praying every day—notice the less crises they have in their life? It’s not a coincidence. Because when the big trials and tests come, they’re ready for them. They’re “test-ready”. Christ is with them and they trust Him.
Finally, a word about you testing yourself. Fasting is a big part of the Bible. Jesus told us to fast. But fasting has fallen out of style for a while in the Church. Now people are rediscovering the benefits of it. One way to test yourself is through fasting. It’s self-discipline. You take something away and learn to trust God. Fasting is a way of discovering those idols that keep us from loving and trusting God. You can still fast this Lent if you want to. Skip one meal a day. Or give up a certain food. Or give up one hour of your day to pray for something in particular. But it’s a good way of testing our own selves to draw closer to God’s grace.
Whenever you’re in doubt or don’t know what to do—remember this verse, “He said this in order to test Him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.