Do We Get The Point?

Sermon by Pastor Dennis Gleason  - July 13, 2003

 John 6:1-71

In the heyday of the New York Yankees, manager Joe McCarthy once interviewed a coach being brought up to the majors from a Yankee farm team. "How much do you know about psychology?" McCarthy asked. 

The coach said he had studied it in college.

"So you think you're good," said McCarthy.

The coach replied: "I don't know how good I am, but it's a subject I've studied."

"All right," McCarthy said, "I'll give you a test." McCarthy said that a few years before he'd had a problem and had gone to Frankie Crosetti, his shortstop.
Frank," McCarthy said, "I'm not satisfied with the way Lou Gehrig is playing first base. He's too lackadaisical. I want you to help me. From now on, charge every ground ball. When you get it, fire it as quickly and as hard as you can to first base. Knock Gehrig off the bag if you can. I don't care if you throw wild or not, but throw it fast and make it tough for him."
Crosetti demurred and said: "Maybe Lou won't like the idea."
"Who cares what Gehrig likes!" McCarthy snapped. "Just do as I tell you."
McCarthy then said to the coach: "Now that's the story. What conclusions do you draw from it?"

The coach considered the matter for a minute, then answered: "I guess you were trying to wake up Gehrig."

"See?" McCarthy shrugged his shoulders in resignation. "You missed the point entirely. There wasn't a thing wrong with Gehrig. Crosetti was the one who was sleeping. I wanted to wake up Crosetti." 

There are times when we just don’t get the point. We simply fail to understand. All the information we need is right in front of us, but we just don’t get it. Today we want to consider the principles that should motivate us to follow Jesus Christ.

The disciples were faced with the same thing. They spent time with Jesus and listened to him preach and teach about the Kingdom of God. We have seen in the last several weeks that their understanding of the Kingdom of God is, and remains for most of the time they are with Jesus, very human and very worldly. Remember that James and John send their mother to Jesus requesting that her boys be seated at the right hand and the left of Jesus when he comes into his Kingdom.

Our text today is John 6:1-71. This is a lengthy chapter and we do not have time to consider it in detail. However, there are four movements in the chapter that all speak to us about discipleship:

1. The Miracle of the feeding of the 5000. 
2. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee 
3. The Sermon to the people and then the Jews 
4. The Sifting of the followers of Jesus

The feeding of the 5000 -- Principle: whatever is required Jesus can deal with it.

It was the time of the Passover of the Jews and the disciples had just completed their tour of going out to Israel to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the people. Jesus had sent them out as his representatives and they had completed their task. Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee with his disciples.

But the multitudes followed them because they were seeing the signs he was performing on those who were sick. They had been impressed with his compassion and the power to heal those with physical illnesses and demon possession.

Jesus, seeing the multitudes coming, said to Philip "Where are we going to buy bread, that these may eat?" There is no necessity for feeding them. They have just arrived. It is not one of those occasions where they have been with Jesus for days and now there is a moral necessity to care for their needs.

He had a plan in mind. There was something that he was going to do. He said this to test Philip.

This is the only place in your New Testament where you will find Jesus asking for advice. In this case, Philip does not answer the question of "where"; it is as if he is saying "What is the point of where when we don’t even have the money to buy." The amount equal to 200 days wages would not even be enough for this group of people! His answer is the answer of calculation with no sense at all of the question from the standpoint of our Lord’s ability.

Andrew goes a little further. He finds a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. It is boy’s lunch and brings him to Jesus…but almost in amusement, he responds: "but what are these among so many?" Andrew makes a venture of faith and then half laughs at his own suggestion.

Neither of them has come to the point at which…in the face of all they have seen and heard…they are ready to say: "But you can deal with it." They did not see it. They did not get the point Jesus made time and again with the meeting of the needs of the people when he healed their illnesses and diseases.

Jesus effectively says to Andrew: "OK Andrew, I will take your suggestion. Make the people sit down. Look at the crowd. Look at the supply. The boy and Jesus. The boy’s supply is inadequate, but with Jesus, the boy’s inadequacy is sufficient for the need of the hour. Jesus can take the five barley loaves and the two small fish and make them suffice.

The response: Mark tells us that the disciples did not understand the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. The people who were fed wanted to make him King by force if necessary. They have a false conception of the Kingdom and the King. They only see the materialistic side of the Kingdom and none of the Spiritual aspects of it.

Jesus withdraws.

The Storm -- Principle: We can trust in Jesus’ wise, loving care for us.

As Jesus withdrew, he dismissed the crowds of people. He told his disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake. He went up to the mountain to pray.

The disciples in the boat encounter a sudden storm when they are about half the way across the lake. The wind is contrary to them…and the row and row and row and make no headway against the storm. He sends them away from the danger created by the attempt to make him King right into the danger of the storm.

These men were accomplished fishermen. They understood boats and the nature of the lake in a sudden storm. When the wind is contrary, there is only one thing to do and that is to put the boat about. There is danger in doing so, especially when the boat is broadside to the wind, but skilled seamen can manipulate the wind and waves successfully so that they are blown back to safety.

They don’t turn about. Why? Because Jesus said, "Go to the other side." They never dreamed of going back. They did not really understand the Master’s Mission but there was no thought of going back.

They had no expectation of Jesus saving them from the danger of the storm. We know that because they are afraid when he comes to them walking on the water. The wind is contrary to them and they are making no forward progress, but Jesus is walking toward them in spite of the wind. The sea was raging, the wind was blowing and Jesus was walking toward them. They saw him and thought it was a ghost. The fear of the ghost is greater than their fear of the storm.

Now we may not believe in ghosts; but if we ever saw one we would be frightened too!

And then they heard him say, "It is I, be not afraid." The Lord was with them and they were safe.

He came to them in time and suddenly, miraculously they had gone from the middle of the lake to the other side. He had provided for them. While he would not be made king by the people, he revealed to them his kingly power and authority. He gave them a demonstration of his present kingship and authority in the realm of nature. As if he said, I will not be crowned king on the basis of bread, but make no mistake, I am King in every realm! Contrary winds cannot hinder me; the tossing seas can not overwhelm me. I am King.

Their response: Though they did not understand him…they worshipped him. They expressed their faith in him as the Son of God. True kingship is based upon the spiritual and will include the material; but it is never based upon the material. When the disciples did not understand this message given in the feeding of the 5000, he gave them this sign of his Kingly authority and power in the natural or material realm.

The Sermon to the ordinary people and to the Jewish leaders --Principle: Discipleship is always tested and disciples are always sifted and some will turn away.

The multitudes discover that Jesus has gone and they go off looking for him. When they find him (verse 25), they want to know: "Rabbi, when did you get there?"

He answers them not by answering their question but by telling them why they are following him: "verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled…

They had seen the wonders and the power of God put forth through Jesus, but they had not caught the significance of it all. He says to them, you are not here because of the sign (miracle) but because you ate the loaves and you were filled and that is what brings you here. He rebukes their false interest. They have not come after him because they understand his teaching about the Kingdom of God, but simply because he fed them. He rebukes their false interest and then appeals to them to believe that he is the Son of God, sent here by God, authorized by God and sealed by God.

They want to know "What must we do that we may work the works of God?" Let’s put it another way. People even today are not asking us what is right and wrong. They are asking us how on earth are we going to do what is right? So it is with these people. They want to know how they are going to do them.

Jesus takes the question and puts the answer into a spiritual context: the work of God is to believe in the one he has sent.

Verse 30 reveals to us that they have not sought after him because they have seen the signs, or miracles, by asking him for a sign so that they might believe. What are you going to do for a sign for us…is their question. He just did one. They missed it. They are still looking at the material for God’s answer and provision for them. They wanted life. Life to them was when their bellies were full, when the physical was satisfied.

The answer from God through Jesus is spiritual. True disciples will be sifted. Their faith will be tested. Why is this so? It is because we are not immune from the false beliefs that tripped up the early disciples or the multitudes who followed Jesus.

Perhaps we can look at it from the perspective to the prodigal son. Why did the prodigal son leave home? He wanted life…to live. How did he interpret life: He wanted clothes, and shoes and jewelry and plenty to eat and drink. Life is to be interpreted by the material, the physical. This is what these people are after. Now let’s go back to the prodigal:

All the things he sought, he found when he got home. His father said, bring for the best robe and put it on him. He went out to get clothes and lost them, but the father had them. Put shoes on his feet. That is what he went out to get and he came back bare-footed. But his father found them. Put a ring on his hand. He wanted jewelry, but he lost his jewels when he was away, and found them when he returned. He wanted to have plenty to eat and drink and found starvation and want. It was his father who said, bring out the fatted calf and let us eat. He wanted a good time and found misery. It was the father who said, let us be merry.

Everything he wanted was in his father’s house. All the things people are trying to get are in the father’s house. They wanted life through bread; Jesus offers life through the spirit.

The response: The Jews therefore murmured. (verse 41). They were grumbling. The reason for it was they were having trouble with his Person. After all, they knew his father and mother and how could he be sent from heaven?

In verse, 52 we are told they therefore strove with each other (arguing). Here they were having problems with his Purpose.

And verse 60 we find that many therefore of his disciples…went back…turned away from following him. They found the spiritual nature of his sermon more than they could believe or understand. Following him had become very hard ( rough, offensive, objectionable) and they left him.

When the disciples (the 12) were grumbling among them selves, he asked them if they were leaving too. Does this cause you to stumble? What will you do if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? If you cannot understand what you have heard and now think about leaving me…what on earth will you do when you are confronted with the cross, the resurrection and the ascension?

The ultimate is not the physical but the spirit.

And many turned away from him.

They were only thinking of the material world. He had fed them and they wanted to make him king. He claimed to be the bread of life and told them that the only way to life was through him and many were offended.

The response of the disciples was: "To whom shall we go, you have the words of life." Who else can meet our deepest need?

Whatever is required in our situation, Jesus can handle it. He is more than sufficient.

Because he is wise and cares for us…Jesus is more than able to take care of whatever we need him to do for us.

Our Discipleship will be tested to see if we are committed to the right things just like the early disciples.

--Dennis Gleason