On one occasion, Jesus fed 5000 families on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and did it with only five barley loaves and two fish. And no, this wasn’t a miracle of division, as some “scholars” insist – Jesus didn’t divide the food into infinitesimal amounts and make sure that everyone was satisfied with the tiny bit that they received. No, all four gospel writers agree that each of the twelve disciples who served the crowd was able to pick up a whole basketful of leftovers. The inescapable conclusion for the crowd, for the disciples, and for us is thus that Jesus is able to provide for all our needs, both spiritual and physical.

But while Matthew and Mark move straight into the second miracle of Jesus walking on the Sea, John focuses in for a moment on the reaction of the crowd: because of their full bellies, they tried to make Jesus their king, doubtless so that He could keep on providing for their material needs. And far too many modern people, urged on by the teachers of the false “prosperity gospel,” fall into the same trap, trying to coerce Jesus into blessing them by making donations or performing rituals or by “naming and claiming” whatever particular material thing they want or need.

But when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they proved themselves to be no more spiritually mature than were the covetous crowds. Yes, they had seen Jesus produce all that miraculous food – they had handed it out to the crowd themselves. And yes, their baskets of leftovers were doubtless still in the boat with them. But their reaction to the fact that Jesus had the same sort of mastery over water as He did over bread was not awe and admiration, but fear.

And unfortunately, just as many modern people respond to Jesus’ power by trying to compel Him to bless them, so others react to His power in fear and distrust. And both reactions actually stem from a common reality: no one can control Jesus. No matter how hard we try, none of us can make the Son of God bless us in the ways we want – we simply have no leverage over His authority. And no matter how much we study, some of the things the Son of God does in our lives aren’t ever going to make sense to us – His power is simply beyond our comprehension.

So, how should we respond to Jesus’ sovereign power? Not with force or with fear, but simply with faith. Let’s trust Him to bless us in the way and the time that He knows is best for us. And let’s trust Him to rule and reign over the world according to His good and perfect will. For isn’t that really what it means to worship Him as our Savior and Lord?

John 6:1-21 (ESV)

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”
6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,
9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.
19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.
20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.