腓力与饥饿的群众
约翰福音六章1至13节
1这事以后，耶稣渡过加利利海，就是提比哩亚海。
2有许多人因为看见他在病人身上所行的神迹，就跟随他。
3耶稣上了山，和门徒一同坐在那里。
4那时犹太人的逾越节近了。
5耶稣举目看见许多人来，就对腓力说：“我们从哪里买饼叫这些人吃呢？”
6他说这话是要试验腓力，他自己原知道要怎样行。
7腓力回答说：“就是二十两银子的饼，叫他们各人吃一点，也是不够的。”
8有一个门徒，就是西门彼得的兄弟安得烈，对耶稣说：
9“在这里有一个孩童，带着五个大麦饼、两条鱼，只是分给这许多人，还算甚么呢？”
10耶稣说：“你们叫众人坐下。”原来那地方的草多，众人就坐下，数目约有五千。
11耶稣拿起饼来，祝谢了，就分给那坐着的人，分鱼也是这样，都随着他们所要的。
12他们吃饱了，耶稣对门徒说：“把剩下的零碎收拾起来，免得有糟蹋的。”
13他们便将那五个大麦饼的零碎，就是众人吃了剩下的，收拾起来，装满了十二个篮子。
信息分享
时近傍晚，但群众似乎并没有去意。他们好像那些来我们家中拜访却逗留过久的客人。
但问题是，「有甚么东西可以给他们吃呢？他们可以从哪里找来食物？」基督突然对腓力说：「腓力，我们从哪里买饼叫这些人吃呢？」
基督为甚么问腓力呢？这可能暗示腓力通常负责安排门徒的膳食。而且，他是当地人，可能知道附近有哪些村庄。
腓力的答案很好，他可能早已在心中盘算：「即使只给每人吃一点，我们也买不起！」
腓力诚然想帮助群众，却想不到有甚么方法。今天我们当中有许多人的想法，就跟腓力一样。他们的第一个问题就是：「需要付出多少？」
腓力把焦点集中在难处上，而不是放在基督身上。他曾见过基督治愈病人，但如今的情况并不相同，他仍需要进一步学习：有基督掌管，虽微薄，也必作用巨大。因为在神凡事都能。
我们相信基督凡事都能吗？基督永不改变。我们认为没有可能的事，在祂手里都会奇迹性地变为可能。当腓力将饼和鱼分给众人之际，他一定对这位奇妙救主的能力作出重新的评估。你今天有甚么难成的事，是惟有基督才能改变的呢？
PHILIP AND THE HUNGRY CROWD
John 6: 1-13
1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.
5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”
6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,
9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples[a] to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.
12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”
13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
Message
It was late afternoon. It soon became very apparent that the people had no desire to go home. They were like some guests who come to our homes and stay longer than expected!
The big problem would be, “What are these people going to eat and where are they going to find food?” Christ suddenly spoke to Philip, “What are we going to do about this crowd, Philip?”
Why did He ask Philip? It has been suggested that Philip was usually in charge of the feeding arrangements for the twelve disciples. He was also from that area and would know where the various villages were situated.
Philip gave a good answer. He must have been doing some calculation himself. “It would take far more money than we've got even to give them just a bite.”
Philip no doubt wanted to help the crowd but couldn't see how it could be done. There are plenty of people around today who think just like Philip. “How much is it going to cost?” is their first question.
Philip was problem-centred instead of Christ-centred. He had already seen what Christ could do in healing the sick but this was a new situation. He still had to learn that little is much when Christ is in control. Nothing is impossible with God.
How is our faith, our vision of what Christ can do? He is still the same and what seems impossible for us is wonderfully possible with Him. As Philip passed around the bread and the fish, he must have had a new vision of the power of this remarkable Saviour. Is there something impossible for Christ to do for you today?