This morning’s Scripture comes from John’s Gospel, chapter 6. Immediately prior to what’s described here, Jesus had been on an exhausting preaching schedule along the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. He and His disciples wanted some badly needed rest and recuperation. And so, they boarded a boat to get away from the crowds for just a little while. The Apostle John was one of the disciples there with Jesus. He remembered the time very well and tells us:
1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following Him wherever He went, because they saw His miraculous signs as He healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with His disciples around Him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for Him. Turning to Philip, He asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for He already knew what He was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” 8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” 10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward, He did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told His disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. John 6:1-13 (NLT2)
It is only natural for us to read this passage and focus on Jesus. And, we should focus on Him because this miracle of feeding the five thousand was one of His greatest signs proving that He is the Son of God. But, this story teaches us many other things as well—particularly, when we focus on some of the other people involved. For our purposes this morning, I’d like for you to consider some lessons that we can learn from this simply by focusing on the boy who provided the bread and fish, and then considering what we can learn from the actions of the crowd itself.
We are not given much information about the boy. The Greek word John used here for “boy” is paidariŏn (παιδάριον, pronounced pahee-dar´-ee-on)[1] which could be translated “lad” or “little boy.” But, it doesn’t sound like this particular boy was all that little in light of the fact that he was not accompanied by an adult. So, he must have been old enough to fend for himself. I am reminded of two short passages of Scripture when I think of this boy’s age. One of these came from Jesus Himself when He said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:3 (NIV) The second passage comes from Paul, who would one day write: “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” 1st Corinthians 13:11 (NASB) The boy fit right in between these two Scriptures. Like a child, he had an unquestionable faith in Jesus. He had so much faith that he was willing to part with the lunch he had carried with him despite the fact that his belly was probably starting to growl. But, like a man, he was starting to feel the need to address some perplexing questions about life and death, and why we are all here on this earth in the first place. So, I am guessing the boy was around 12 years old—on the cusp of leaving childhood behind and on the verge of becoming a young man. But, note that these two verses aren’t in conflict with one another. Rather, when Paul says he put childish things behind him when he became an adult, he still kept a trusting, pure childlike faith. The childish ways he put behind himself were the self-centeredness that spoiled children often exhibit. In other words, his faith matured as he focused more and more on Christ and less and less upon himself. The actions of this boy in handing over his lunch to Jesus is a perfect example of this.
For some reason, this boy was determined to see and hear Jesus. Perhaps, he had either heard Jesus preach on a previous occasion or had been listening to those who were excited about going to see Jesus. Either way, he was eager to hear what Jesus had to say. So eager in fact, that he may have walked a considerable distance from one of the nearby villages. When he left his home that morning, his mother likely packed his lunch of five little barley loaves that were not much larger than muffins. The two fish were little more than sardines. Neither she nor the boy could have ever imagined how much Jesus would end up doing with so little.
At some point, Andrew (Simon Peter’s brother) had been going through the crowd gathering food to meet the crowd’s needs. But, all he found in this huge crowd was the meager lunch of this boy. Certainly, the grown-ups had at least some food among them. But evidently, they were not so eager to part with it. When Andrew and the other disciples walked by, the adults must have covered what little food they had with the mats or blankets on which they sat. During his sermon, I would not be surprised if Jesus taught that we are to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us.” (Matthew 7:12) These words must have fallen upon the deaf ears of many in the crowd. But, the boy heard not only with his ears, he also heard very clearly with his heart. Even though he must have been very hungry, he cheerfully turned the barley loaves and fish over to Andrew. Though he had nothing else to eat, and though he could not have possibly foreseen what Jesus would do—the boy provided for others even though they failed to share among themselves. And so, he gave cheerfully, trusting that Jesus would meet the needs of everyone. And, of course, Jesus did exactly that.
So, what are the lessons that we can take from this lone boy? In addition to doing good unto others, his actions teach a very simple lesson, and it is this: Do your best with whatever you have for the Kingdom of God. Years later, Peter expressed this very same thing to a lame beggar who asked him for money. Peter said to the beggar: “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Acts 3:6 (CSB) Perhaps, Peter was thinking of this boy’s example when speaking to the beggar.
This boy willingly gave all that he had to serve the LORD. All that he had was five little loaves and two sardines. When Andrew asked for them, the boy didn’t say, “Well, sir—my mom would be pretty upset if I gave all this away. So, how about settling for a half a loaf and a tail from one of the sardines? Wouldn’t that be enough?” The boy didn’t say that, but that is exactly the attitude that so many Christians seem to have today. Jesus calls them to worship in His house, to witness to others, to meet the needs of those less fortunate all around them—and most importantly: To follow His commandments. But, they respond by giving a half-loaf of barley and the tail of a fish (if they even offer that much). The boy teaches us that we are called to give our best for God’s Kingdom (as meager or as great as our “best” may be), then allow Jesus to take it and do wonderful things. But, here’s the thing: Jesus didn’t need the boy’s food to accomplish this miracle. He used the boy’s generosity and concern for others as an example for the crowd (including us) to see.
Now, let’s turn to this crowd and see if we can discern a lesson from their behavior. Earlier, I did not read the last two verses regarding the feeding of the five-thousand. So, let’s read them now. John’s Gospel tells us: 14 “When the people saw Him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, ‘Surely, He is the Prophet we have been expecting!’ 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force Him to be their king, He slipped away into the hills by Himself.” John 6:14-15 (NLT2) Jesus must have been greatly disappointed by the crowd’s reaction to His message. No doubt, Jesus spoke of the necessity for them to repent from their sins and to follow His teachings. Surely, He taught them about the Kingdom of Heaven. They just didn’t get it. The crowd (with the exception of that single, little boy) focused upon Jesus’ miracle to fill their stomachs, but their hearts remained just as darkened as before. They wanted to make Him King of the World, but Jesus yearned to be King of their hearts.
People aren’t much different today. Especially, with the November presidential election coming soon, they are still more interested in electing a worldly “king” (or in our case President) while neglecting to make Jesus King within their own lives. Christians today need to make sure they know who is really King of the Kingdom. No matter who wins the election, the True King won’t be Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. The King of kings[2] will always be Jesus Christ!
Part of the political strategy of both the Republicans and Democrats is to capture the votes of as many Christians as possible. This has been quite apparent, particularly in this election. Within the last week or so, Kamala Harris spoke at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, North Carolina. There, the bishop of the church introduced the Vice President as being a “phenomenal servant of God.” Having been accorded such status, Harris proceeded to speak about matters of faith as they related to the heart-break and devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. She told the crowd: “It is easy in these moments of crisis to question our faith, to sometimes lose our faith for a moment because [of] what we see.” Then, she continued on with her quasi-political sermon and proclaimed: “Scripture teaches us, let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. . . My earliest memories of those teachings are about a loving God, a God who asks us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, to defend the rights of the poor and the needy. And so, at an early age, I learned that faith is a verb. It is something we show in action.”[3]
Now, I am not questioning Mrs. Harris’ faith, but her comment about faith being an action verb deserves a little scrutiny. When we say faith is an action verb what we are really saying is that we need to practice what we preach. She preaches that God “asks us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves [and] to defend [their] rights.” And yet, Mrs. Harris is one of the most radical pro-abortion candidates this country has ever had. Who has any less chance to “speak for themselves” than the unborn babies who are killed every day by such abortion providers as Planned Parenthood? With regard to Harris’ pro-abortion agenda, Decision Magazine recently reported that she, along with President Biden: “Sued pro-life states to overturn protections for the unborn; Allowed neighborhood drugstores to dispense the abortion pill; Granted taxpayer-funded travel to active military personnel seeking abortions; forced taxpayers to cover abortions for veterans; Funded Planned Parenthood through Title X dollars”[4]—not to mention a host of other policies contrary to God’s Word relating to gay marriage and her support of the LGBTQ and Transgender movements. Yes, I would have to agree with the Vice President when she says, “At the proper time, we will reap a harvest.” It’s true, God’s Word warns us: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 (KJV) But, those who sow death in abortion clinics and promote policies completely contrary to biblical teachings—their harvest will one day be a bitter one unless they soon repent.
I see that some of you are smiling and quite pleased with what I have just said. But, just to make sure that I am an equal opportunity “offender” this morning—you probably won’t be happy to hear what I have to say about Mrs. Harris’ opponent—the former president, Donald J. Trump. Trump, like Harris, has been actively pursuing the votes of born-again Christians. Last March during Easter, he unveiled his leather-bound, large-print, King James Version of the “God Bless the USA” Bible—complete with the U. S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. At a retail price of $59.99, it can be your very own. I am glad that a presidential candidate thinks enough of the Bible to promote its sale. That’s a good thing. People need God’s Word more than any other time in our nation’s history. And, in his video promoting the sale of this Bible, Trump said, “All Americans need a Bible in their home and I have many. It's my favorite book.”[5] Really? But, if it’s his favorite book, I wonder if he read that part where Jesus said: “In everything you do, be careful to treat others in the same way you’d want them to treat you” (Matthew 7:12 Passion NT). That, as you will recall, is the same lesson the little boy taught us in allowing Jesus to use his five loaves and two fishes. I also wonder if Mr. Trump considered the words of Jesus’ brother, James, who said: “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:2 KJV). It might do Trump some good to heed Solomon’s pearl of wisdom when he said: “All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.” Proverbs 8:13 (NLT2) Former President Trump is a supporter of free speech—in fact, his speech is much too free at times. He behaves like he has never heard these words of Paul: “No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29 CSB) “But now you must put . . . away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” (Colossians 3:8 ESV). It doesn’t do much good for the Bible to be your favorite book, if you ignore what it has to say. Now, I will admit that one thing Trump said in promoting the sale of his new Bible is absolutely true. He said: “In the end, we do not answer to bureaucrats in Washington, we answer to God in Heaven.”[6] It’s one thing to say pious things like that—but, it’s quite another thing to live your life as if you mean it.
I can assure you that the Democrats don’t like what I said about Ms. Harris. I am equally certain that the Republicans don’t like what I just said about Mr. Trump. But, it’s World Series time—right? So, a preacher needs to be like an umpire in baseball—we need to “call em like we see em.” Democrats think Kamala can walk on water: NO, only Jesus can do that! Republicans think Trump can “make America great again”: NO—only Jesus can do that as well! So, having offended supporters of both political parties, where am I going with this now?
Earlier this month, an editorial writer, who happens to be an attorney, complained that typically, you’d hear a preacher preach something like: “‘No candidate will save us, only Jesus.’ [Or,] ‘God’s got this.’ [Or,] ‘Prayer is the best thing we can do.’ [Or,] ‘Put your faith in God, not the government.’” Well, yeah—I am telling you that all those things are absolutely true. I have no idea why anyone who knows God as King wouldn’t say that! Then, this attorney continued his editorial by further complaining: “It is too much for a pastor to tell their congregations to go vote for righteous policy, much less identify those candidates who stand for those policies. They simply will not ‘go there.’”[7] Well, with all due respect to that editorial writer and fellow-attorney, I think he’d fit right in with that same crowd of five-thousand that Jesus so miraculously fed. While I agree that we abuse our freedoms when we fail to exercise our right to vote, I do not believe that God is a Republican or a Democrat. So, I am not going to stand here and directly tell you which way to vote. That is your personal decision. But, I am telling you not to be like the estimated 32 million Christians who sit on the sidelines nearly every election year and don’t go to the polls.[8] And, the reason that I am telling you to go out in vote is not driven by political motivations. I am telling you to vote because that is what the Bible would have you to do.
There are many who would push back on that statement. They might ask: “Where in the Bible does it say such a thing?” Well, it actually indicates this in several places. For instance, consider the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, who said: “Work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon. Pray for her, for if Babylon has peace, so will you.” Jeremiah 29:7 (TLB) Many today, have the attitude that if their candidate is not elected, they’ll move to some foreign and distant land. But, do you realize where God’s people were when Jeremiah said to work for the peace and prosperity of the government? They were in exile in Babylon—a perverse and pagan land with an equally ungodly government. And yet, God wanted his people then, as He does now, to work to influence the society and government around them. One of the principle ways that you can do that is to vote in the upcoming elections. Similarly, in the Book of Isaiah, we are supposed to: “Learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed.”[9] And in furtherance of these God-given directives, the Book of Exodus demands that we: “Choose from the people capable men [who are] God-fearing, men of truth, those who hate bribes, and put them over the people as rulers. . .” Exodus 18:21 (NET1) We do this in the United States of America by holding elections in which you are given the privilege and the biblical duty to vote!
Our founding fathers of this country knew why this is so very important. For example, Benjamin Franklin once said: “He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of Christianity will change the face of the world.”[10] To which George Washington added: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”[11] And in the last century, President Coolidge summarized why we, as Christians, need to show up at the polls to give voice to our biblically based values. Coolidge rightly said: “The foundation of our society and of our government rests so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings should cease.”[12]
The crowd wanted Jesus to be their particular kind of Messiah to support the political goals they wished to pursue. In other words, they wanted to change Jesus. But, the thing is—Jesus doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.[13] Realizing that, we need to be different from that crowd. We need to persuade people throughout this country of the Good News of Jesus Christ and of the need for them to change and follow His moral values. In addition, we need to live out God’s Word in our lives—at home, at work, and—yes—at the ballot box. In that way, we avoid the crowd’s mistake of trying to change Jesus into their desired politician. Rather, we need to change the politicians to reflect Christian morality and values in the policies and laws that they adopt. This is not replacing democracy with a Christian theocracy. On the contrary, it is simply preserving the very values that made our nation great to begin with!
So, by all means—go to the polls and vote for those candidates who reflect Godly policies. I feel confident that those here this morning have a good handle on which candidates for federal and state offices support biblically compatible policies. You also are aware of which ones endorse measures that are opposed to a Christian worldview. If you have questions about a candidate’s position on an issue, there are helpful websites such as “ivoterguide.com”[14] that offer concise comparisons of opposing candidates. So, get out there and vote! You may not think that your vote amounts to much. But, who would have guessed that five loaves of bread and a couple of fish could have made such a difference in this world once they were in the hands of Jesus! Your vote can make a difference too. Make sure it’s a vote that aligns with the teachings of Jesus Christ!
Let’s go to God in prayer.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
October 20, 2024
©2024 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Strong, J. (1996). In The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Thomas Nelson.
[2] Revelation 19:16 “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (NIV)
[3] Milton Quintanilla, “Kamala Harris Honored as ‘Phenomenal Servant of God’ at NC Megachurch,” Crosswalk.com, https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/milton-quintanilla/kamala-harris-honored-as-phenomenal-servant-of-god-at-nc-megachurch.html (October 15, 2024).
[4] Tony Perkins, “How Should Christians Approach the 2024 Election?” Decision Magazine, October 2024, p. 10.
[5] Donald Trump on X, March 26, 2024, https://x.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1772658279908253974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1772658279908253974%7Ctwgr%5Ea5f8fe250bc7dbf9a658d0bb98b58b4ad6175eeb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.snopes.com%2Ffact-check%2Ftrump-god-bless-usa-bible%2F
[6] Jon Brown, “Trump rolls out 'God Bless the USA' Bible during Holy Week, warns Christians 'under siege'
'It's my favorite book,’” ChristianPost.com, https://www.christianpost.com/news/trump-rolls-out-god-bless-the-usa-bible-during-holy-week.html (March 26, 2024).
[7] Curtis Schube,“This election season, don’t listen to your pastor,” Voices, published in ChristianPost.com, https://www.christianpost.com/voices/this-election-season-dont-listen-to-your-pastor.html (October 09, 2024).
[8] Ibid.
[9] Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.” (TEV)
[10] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, quoting Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), p. 280.
[11] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, quoting George Washington (1732-1799), p. 280.
[12] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, quoting Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), p. 281.
[13] Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (NLT2)
[14] https://ivoterguide.com/about
