THERE IS A LAD HERE
#679 THERE IS A LAD HERE
Scripture John 6:1-14 NIV Orig. 10/29/1961
Rewr. 10/7/1977
Passage: Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 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?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Purpose: To address the need of more careful attention to the proper awareness of children and the care of their potential.
Keywords: Parenthood Miracles of Jesus Feeding of the 5,000
Timeline/Series: Gospel of John
Introduction
Those of you who read Ann Landers with any regularity recall that she occasionally addresses a questionnaire to her readers. I don’t particularly care for this, because the responses are more often from people who are bitter, or who have some burden they just want to unload.
Sometime last year Miss Landers circulated the question, “If you had to do it all over again, would you have children?” In spite of knowing what I do about negativity being more outspoken than positivity, I was shocked that this columnist reported that 70 of the people who responded stated unequivocally that if they had the choice they would retract parenthood, they would choose not to have children.
It must be that I hang around with a different class of people. Oh, I know plenty of parents who are burdened about their children I know others who have experienced their greatest burdens and heartaches in the wake of parenthood. Most of the people I encounter are people who love children, their own if they have been so favored, and also those of other people. In spite of the heartaches and burdens of child-rearing, few of life’s joys exceed the joy of watching a child transform before your very eyes, from a helpless infant, to well-adjusted, mature, thoughtful adult. In the world of nature, we gape at the caterpillar become butterfly. But for sheer wonderment, nothing exceeds the transformation that takes place as the infant begins the slow crawl to adulthood.
Our text this morning contains a lesson in profile of the “lad” whose “presence” was known only to a few. His “potential” was debated by those who knew he was there. His “power” was known only to Christ. And “there is a lad,” and “there are lasses” here, whose presence often is ignored; whose potential is jeopardized; whose power awaits. The kindling of spiritual resources through Christ. And we, like Andrew of old, are the link between them and Jesus.
I. To What Degree do We Acknowledge the Presence of These Children? John 6:8 “One of them, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes.’”
There can be little doubt in anyone’s mind that child-rearing is a risk. (1)There is the risk of abnormality; (2)There is the risk of disease and death; (3)There is the risk of rejection of our values. Give careful consideration to that provoking verse Song of Solomon 3:5, “I adjure you, O daughter of Jerusalem, . . . that you stir not up or awaken love until it pleases.” To love is to be vulnerable to love’s failings. To choose to be a parent is to accept the risks because of the rewards.
You see, the blessing so far outnumber the risks. Ruth 4:14-15 “And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman . . . . He shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age. . . .” Deuteronomy 7:12-14 a conditional reward, “Thou shalt be blessed among all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you.”
And do we really understand the importance of submission to “oneness” in parental relationship? Joys are multiplied when shared. Burdens are lessened because they are shared. Illustration: I read a report recently on “Crib Death.” (I Kings 3:19 may be an example of crib death.) The article pointed out that one of the most difficult factors was the tendency of a parent to suffer guilt or even blame, which destroys the marriage.
To understand the presence of the child is to acknowledge that special consideration is to be given that child that he or she might face life with advantage. Illustration: Are you familiar with Menninger Perspective Advice to Parents. They are without specific spiritual content, but all the same, very helpful.
- Don’t disapprove of what a child is—disapprove of what he does.
- Give attention and praise for good behaviour, not bad behaviour.
- Encourage the discussion of rules, but remember that you are the one who should make the final decision.
- Punishment should be swift, reasonable, related to the offense, and certain. It does not have to be severe.
- Throw out all rules you are unwilling to enforce.
- Don’t lecture and don’t warn—youngsters will remember what they think is important to remember.
- Don’t feel you have to justify rules, although you should be willing to explain them.
II. With What Intensity do We Understand the Potential of this Child?
John 6:5 “As Jesus raised his eyes he saw a large crowd coming toward him and he said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread to feed these people?’” Philip had no answer. Andrew had an answer but doubted, “What are they among so many?” Make no mistake about it, the Hand of God is upon the life of each of these children for good. We are told that Jesus first asked Philip “to test his adult faith.” Where are we to buy bread to feed these people?
Why Philip? He was from Bethsaida (John 1:44). Philip would express the human analysis. Even if the bread could be found, it would take 200 denarii. Where would we get that kind of money? (Six months wages.) The probably real reason for the question was simply to give the disciples an opportunity for a faith assessment. How many of us are guilty of heeding responsibility to God and giving human reasons why we cannot live in accord to God’s will.
Don’t look for reasons why you cannot do a thing, look for the means why you must. EXCUSES: TEACHING + COMMITTEE + VISITATION + TIME.
Now don’t lose sight of the little boy, that Jesus knew all the time that he was there and that he held the answer. There are many liberal theologians who back off from the spiritual miracle here and play pretense with a human miracle. No way Jesus could multiply “bread and fishes.” Jesus used the little boy’s lunch to inspire these others to share.
Make no mistake about it brethren, Jesus used “the five barley loaves and two small fishes” to “feed the multitude.” Barley was the bread of the very poor. The required bread of offering for adultery. The pickled fish made the bread palatable. Grace: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our God, who causes bread to come forth from the earth.” “When they were filled”--Chortasthēsontai glouténi.
You see, Jesus’ question to Philip will be the catalyst to motivate Andrew to be the instrument through which the humanly worthless little boy is brought to Jesus. And Jesus can take it from there.
III. With What Insight Do We Comprehend the Power that is Available to the World through the Lives of Children? May I borrow from another passage here? Matthew 18:14 “Even so, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” We must, at any cost, be about the business of reaching these little ones with the gospel story. What are you doing about the children in your own home? About those near about?
Illustration: Dr. Gaines Dobbins made a survey at Ridgecrest some years ago that has often been repeated but never altered. The interest was their age at the time of their conversion.
- Under age 8—3%
- Age 9-12—50%
- Age 13-16—30%
- Age 17-24—10%
- Age 25-50—6.5%
- Over 50—negligible
Illustration: Several years ago a leading American magazine came out with an article about the “25 Men Who Rule the World.” I quote, “These then are the men who shape our world. They can be likened unto men seated at the wheels of speeding automobiles, If they have the time, if they have the skill and the alertness and the good will, they can avert the collision that will mean destruction and death. Our fate is in their hands.”
Those men have long since passed from the scene. Others—men and women—have taken their place. Will we be so unfeeling as to let a faithless opportunism determine the kind of people who will be the policy-makers of the future? Will we not determine to be the instrument through whom they may be brought to Jesus, so that He may multiply the gifts that are natural to them?