This Is A Test - Jesus And Philip

Turning to Philip, he [Jesus] asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”

John 6:5-7

Psychologists tell us that one of the most common recurrent dreams is a flashback nightmare in which people find themselves back in college. They realize that finals are the next day, and they haven’t studied or attended class all semester.

Who could pass a test under such circumstances? That’s why the dreamer feels such relief when he or she wakes up and gets ready to head to work.

Jesus had a little test for the apostle Philip for which he obviously hadn’t studied. With thousands of hungry people gathered and nothing to feed them, how could Philip come up with enough bread and fish to satisfy everyone? Would he look at the task before him through the lens of faith or the lens of his own lack of resources?

Jesus fully intended to perform a miracle that day. When he asked Philip how they might feed all these thousands of people, the apostle could only look out over the throng and focus on his personal lack of resources. Had Philip answered along the lines of, “I don’t know how you’re going to do it, but I know you’re going to show me,” he would have passed the test.

He didn’t, and he failed, but his instructor kept teaching.

Philip obviously had a long way to go before he understood who Jesus was. He failed his test of faith because he focused on the lack of visible provision instead of on the Provider who stood before him.

What seems impossible in human thinking becomes entirely doable when you remember that God specializes in doing what you could never do on your own. That’s a test that God always wants you to pass!

How do you respond when God directs you to do what seems impossible? Do you answer, “It can’t be done!” or “What do I do next to make it happen?” God always blesses faith that leads to action.