Tip of the Iceberg

"Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, 'Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?' " - John 6:1-5

Jesus actually knows the answer to the question he poses to Philip - in John 6:6, John remarks "He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.". So why ask Philip a rhetorical question? I imagine it's because, despite the apostle's commitment to Jesus, they still have a lot to learn about who Jesus really is. They've been spreading his message for quite some time, have witnessed his countless miracles, but still don't quite understand what it means to be the Son of God. Once again, Jesus will show them another facet of that title.

I sometimes wonder if Jesus ever lost patience with his followers, constantly showing them that he can do anything. It must have been hard reminding them of that fact - and it seems silly to us now, since we know the whole story.

But the apostles were living in the moment. Healing the sick, feeding large crowds and bringing the dead back to life were all great miracles in themselves, and was hard for anyone to understand that someone could do those things - especially all of them!

As in this story, Jesus keeps reminding them that they "ain't seen nothin yet"...


...and it'll take the ultimate sacrifice to bring home everything he's been teaching to them.