Is Bigger Better?

This week we’re going to think and pray some about how God places value on what is small and seemingly unimportant. Here’s the passage that we looked at in church yesterday:

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 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!” - John 6:1-7

One of the many great things about scripture is that no one really comes out looking that great besides God. It’s not like the authors protected their friends. Instead, it seems that they delighted ins showing off how silly they sounded at different times like this one!

Philip does not come off as particularly full of faith or even very thoughtful. He’s essentially mocking Jesus here, with the sarcasm about each person just getting a bite. And yet, as we think about Philip’s response more deeply, it hits uncomfortably close to home.

Philip can’t help but believe that size matters. He is quite impressed with the size of the ‘problem’ (which is actually just hungry people). If you listen for it, you can hear some longing for a bigger budget - to be a more impressive organization in order to meet all those needs. Bigger is better. It’s the American way, after all.

Can you relate to Philip? Do you have a sense that if you just had more (money/time/talent/influence) you could change the world? Do you wish for more money so then you could help people (as if you can’t help people with what you have now!)? Do you feel overwhelmed by the challenges out there in the world - whether they be something as public as a pandemic or homelessness, or something as personal as supporting a friend in need or making it through school?

Talk with Jesus with what he brings up in this scripture.