Weekly Saturday Affair

Yesterday was so so good. At service, Pastor Paul Scanlon preached from John 6 - the 5 loaves and 2 fishes and the feeding of the 5000. I've read and heard this chapter and story so many times; but yesterday, I learnt something else, about the discarded and in particular, for me, about how Jesus already knew the answer, but He asked the question, to test the disciples.

John 6:5-9 (NIV)
"When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 
Philip answered him, "It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

1. That He, as a leader, allowed room for the disciples to dig beyond themselves; to find solutions (the situation was impossible in man's eyes, feeding of the 5000). A good leader always allows the team the room to grow, to think, to suggest. That is so good. Leadership 101.
2. And it struck me the most that it was written clearly in V6 that He already had in mind what He was going to do. Hence, Pastor Paul explained that while He went along with Andrew's suggestion of the little boy's 5 loaves and 2 fishes, we never really knew what He had in originally wanted to do; that was clearly never revealed. The intention and end outcome was clear - to feed the 5000. How He had intended to do that He didn't reveal, and perhaps it did not matter. The point is that He could really work miracles as long as there was an attempt at a suggestion and effort (even if it were one like Andrew's - V9 "how far will the 5 loaves and 2 fishes go among so many?") 
3. As for Philip, Philip did not even attempt to answer Jesus's question of where to buy the bread. Rather, Philip did his sums and practically said it would cost them a lot of wages to buy enough bread. Jesus's question was where they could buy the bread for the people to eat. While Andrew didn't have the answer either, he provided a suggestion, one that he himself was unsure of. And Jesus could work with that. :)

It was so good for me - am I an Andrew or a Philip?
There were moments of reflection. How do I look at situations in my life? Practical; even resigned, or see a "half-full glass"? I do not know, but the Saturday me decided that it was just worth the time to contemplate a bit more, to slow down a little and ponder over His word. No wonder the word of God is called the living word. It speaks so vividly. :)


My weekly Sat affair - even Kenji is intrigued. :))