Title: Looking at the Miracle Site
Contents
title ; looking at the miracle site
main text ; John 6:5-13
As we read the Bible, we see many miraculous events. And there are things I feel when I see these miracles. That is, there are people who make miracles and there are people who don't.
I want to ask you. What kind of people are you? Are they miracle makers? Or are they people who can't make miracles? What kind of person do you want to be? Do you want to be the creator of miracles, or are you just watching the miracles that others have made?
Everyone, I pray that you will not only watch the miracles that others create, but that I, along with Jesus, will become people who create miracles in this foreign land as well.
Jesus clearly told us. “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do. And greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). That you can create miracles.
Then, as we look through the miracles of today's text to see who can make miracles and who can't, I pray that you and I will all become the protagonists who create miracles and enjoy those miracles. Furthermore, I hope that we will stand by an example of showing and teaching our children how to create these miracles.
First, let's take a look at the field of miracles in today's text. Serious problems arose for those who followed Jesus as they listened to him. It's just that I'm hungry because I have nothing to eat.
Listening to God's Word is good, but I'm hungry right now, so I no longer have the strength to listen to God's Word. I lost my strength to follow Jesus. At this point, people say: "Hey, it's no use to follow Jesus! I'm just starving!"
Everyone, did you not run out of food or money while believing in Jesus or following Jesus? Or did you get sick or have difficult problems? What would you do at this time?
"Hey, it's no big deal to believe in Jesus! You've wasted your time and got tired of just believing in Jesus!" Are you a person who laments and complains about his condition? As you know, the Bible teaches that miracles never happen with this grumbling attitude.
Guys, keep that in mind. All the miracles that happen in the Bible never happen through grumbling. Miracles never happen, even through negative people who say, "No. No. No hope. It's over."
In today's text, Jesus asked a disciple named Philip. “Philip, where shall we buy bread that these people may eat?” Then Philip is a man with a fast human head, so he does mental arithmetic quickly and answers Jesus.
“Jesus, two hundred denarii of bread is not enough even if you give a little bit by person. And even if you have two hundred denarii, is this place empty? There is no restaurant or bakery that can feed all these thousands of people at all. And even if there is, as the sun goes down, the bakeries and restaurants have already closed, aren’t they?”
In other words, Jesus wanted to perform a miracle, but the answer of a disciple named Philip was realistically no, no hope, no negative answer. In a way, a disciple named Philip may be an elite who faces reality accurately, has good analytical skills, and is quite intelligent.
Such a person does not know how far ahead of others they may be, and how far they can advance in the world. But don't you think these people lack something to make miracles happen? Do you not think that there is something insufficient to solve the difficult problem of hunger in the context of today's text?
Gentlemen, if we have the attitude of Philip, we cannot solve our problems or create miracles. With this attitude, you're still hungry, and the problem still doesn't go away. In other words, we come to the conclusion that, as the world says, there is nothing wrong with believing in Jesus.
Therefore, these people lose their faith in Jesus and give up their faith, lamenting their own situation and blaming others. That could make the situation even worse.
Of course, rather than ignoring reality, distorting reality, and escaping reality, it is necessary to face reality like Philip did. But to solve problems and create miracles, it is not enough just to look at reality.
In the context of today's text, "This place is empty. Miracles do not happen just by grasping the reality of
Ladies and gentlemen, there is one crucial mistake that many immigrants to foreign land make. It is too much to look at the real situation. Through the Internet or through various methods, we only look at the real situation, find a better reality, and try to fit ourselves into the good reality.
However, as you all know, the reality of foreign countries is not as easy as you think. With an attitude of only looking at reality, it is easy to become discouraged and complain about resentment. In other words, a life that only looks at the reality feels happy only when the reality is good, and when the reality gets a little difficult, it goes into the graveyard of unhappiness.
Immigrant life is difficult because the reality is not easy, and many people only look at the reality. However, it is not easy to relocate to Korea because the reality of the place we live in is bad.
Jesus must not have been in a good mood to see Philip answering while only looking at reality like this. If all of Jesus' disciples were like Philip, it would have been very difficult for Jesus to build the kingdom of heaven with such disciples.
But fortunately, some of Jesus' disciples did miracles. Who is that person ? This is a disciple named Andrew. In today's text, a disciple named Andrew responds like this. “Jesus, there is a child here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But how much will that be for all these people?”
According to the text, there were only 5,000 men who gathered with Jesus. In other words, including women and women, there are well over 10,000 people. Wouldn't it be foolish to bring five barley loaves and two fish to all these people?
Can't we guess which elementary school the student named Andre attended and how good his arithmetic skills are? It's really frustrating, aren't you a pathetic disciple?
What would you do if you were like Jesus at this time? "Hey, you fool! I made a disciple like you my disciple, so I'm miserable! I can't work like us!" And will you rebuke the disciple and groan like the disciple? Or, "Hey, how are you worse than Philip? Go to Philip and get some math lessons." would you say
Ladies and gentlemen, there is a problem with Philip's saying that he can't do it because he only looks at reality, but don't you think Andrew, who brought two fish and five barley loaves to Jesus without any measures, thinks there is a worse problem?
Perhaps the other disciples, who were watching this from the side, also rolled their eyes at Andre and said, "Hey, you fool! I don't know if I said it or not.
In a way, you might think that the question that Jesus asks his disciples in this difficult reality, the disciples who answer the question in that way, and the world look really pathetic. That's why sometimes people in the world say that those who believe in Jesus are pathetic, foolish, and crazy.
But we do know. Andrew didn't just turn away from reality, but he courageously brought two fish and five barley loaves to Jesus because he looked to Jesus who could solve the problem in the difficult reality, in the midst of difficult problems and situations.
Don't you call Andrew stupid any more. "Which elementary school did you go to?" Don't even ask such ignorant questions. Don't roll your eyes on Andre or make him bully.
Rather, like Andrew, in any difficult reality, "Because Jesus is with us, today's problems can be solved." have the belief that The miracles that happen in the Bible happen because there are people of such faith.
Even if no miracle happened in today's text, even if everyone is hungry, wouldn't it be the right attitude of heart for us Christians to live with the same faith as Andrew?
Guys, don't you see this kind of story in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament? King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon set up a great idol and made everyone bow down to it, but Daniel's three friends said, "We serve God, so we never bow down to an idol." Wasn't he just being thrown alive into the pit of fire while keeping the incision of faith?
What did Daniel's three friends say then? “O king, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the raging furnace, and even from your hand. Know how not to lead.” (Daniel 3:17-18)
In other words, even if a miracle does not happen and you die while keeping your faith, you will die with the right attitude of faith. And didn't God rescue Daniel's three friends from the blazing furnace fire, who went on to say that they would die if they died with this right attitude of faith?
Ladies and gentlemen, normal people complain when things get difficult, and when things get a little better or a miracle is expected, only then do they say, "Lord, I believe." And he tries to act as if he is the protagonist of a miracle. But miracles happen in perfect faith, and deceiving yourself doesn't make miracles happen.
Rather, these people are people who steal the miracles that others have caused them because they have accomplished them. If they do not recognize their merits when a miracle occurs, they will be severely tempted and will betray their faith.
Everyone, please. Have the right faith to work miracles even before they happen. Even if miracles do not happen, live with the right heart that can make miracles and the right faith that Jesus gave you.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are not the only people who watch and observe the miracles that others have done. Moreover, they are not jealous of the miracles that others have done. Because I, too, are people who can create miracles in any difficult environment because you too are with Jesus.
Gentlemen, the miracles of the Bible have nothing to do with us. We also have the faith of the protagonists of the Bible who created miracles in such difficult circumstances. So we too can create miracles. Even in this foreign land, we can develop the kingdom of heaven more powerfully.
It is God who helps us, and Jesus, who works miracles with us, is with us not only in the Bethsaida bins, but also in this Calgary land.
So let's all become heroes of miracles. Let's make our children the heroes of miracles. And when that miracle happens, let's all praise the Lord more powerfully for that miracle.