Laetare Sunday John 6

Laetare Sunday John 6:1-15

    This is mid-Lent.  Time for a spiritual breather/ time to look at where we have come, what we have done through God’s strength, and how to ask ourselves how we can be better Christians through this Lenten season.  In England this Sunday is called “mothering Sunday”---this is the Sunday when everyone returns to their home Churches and bring gifts to mother.  Sons and daughters bring mother flowers, rich plum cake and do all the housework for her.

    This Sunday’s gospel is an enduring one from my childhood.  Who does not fondly remember the “lad” who had five barley loaves and two small fish, and how Jesus mulitiplied them for the 5,000?  As we review this “sign”/ miracle of Jesus today in our own minds, I note two things:

1.     Jesus took what the lad had, and multiplied it.

Vs. 11 “ and Jesus took the loaves..” These were the loaves of the lad.  Whatever problem we are facing today, God can use the smallest thing, person, or circumstance to bring glory to Him and meet our need.  So on this mid Sunday in Lent, what problem are you facing, what difficulty are you still struggling with that you cannot yet overcome? 

Matthew 17:20 “ nothing will be impossible for you.”  I note that He also said here “ howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Luke 11: “  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you”

However small we feel we are, God can use us.  He only needs us to respond.  It was Andrew who came up with a small idea.  Philip had already told Jesus that 200 denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them.  ( 8 months wages could barely reach to 2,000 ( Matthew Henry). 

“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish”  God can use our ideas no matter how small they may appear and take them to multiply the harvest of souls for His good and our glory.

I see a lack of trust and faith sometimes in our lives.  We say ,” oh this or that cannot happen”.  Of course it will not if we do not take the idea or thing and run with it.  If we stay in our shell of course God can break through it but He wants us to come out , look around and ask Him to bless our gifts that we give from humble and contrite hearts.  It must begin somewhere and as the song says, “ Let it begin with me.”  We are not doing this for our comfort or our praise.  We are doing it because we sincerely believe that only God can heal.  Only God can make something out of nothing and only God can raise us up with Him one day.  But we must make the step as it said in Matthew by prayer and fasting.  His kingdom will be reborn in our hearts and then that kingdom within us is for all people whatever their background or way of life.  With God nothing is impossible.

2.  We all know this story.  Jesus “ took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down: and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled…gathered and filled 12 baskets with the fragments of the 5 barley loaves. 

In Luke 5 Peter fishes all night and catches nothing…but at the word of Jesus they let the nets down again , and “ caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”

Hebrews 11:30 says “ by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days”  What walls do we need to come down?  Are there barriers we have erected to keep God out ( if that were possible)?  Are there relationships we need to mend?  Are there people who need our prayers and our help?

Perhaps we need to violate the 11^th commandment ( we never did it that way before).  There is no problem, no broken relationship, no power that can withstand the power of God applied by the people of God in the way God sees fit.  The weapons of our warfare are not “ carnal but mighty in God for pulling down stronghold”  2 Cor 10:4

CONCLUSION-  What do you need to solve the problem, and to grow spiritually?  Take the first step, however small it may appear.  Hebrews 12 encourages us “ since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of God.”

Philippians 4:13 reminds us again, “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Ephesians 3:20 tells us, “ Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. “Amen

Now what are we going to do ?