Chris Campbell

When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6:15

Beloved in the body of Christ,

Two of our readings for today are John 6:1-15 and Acts 8:14-25. These two readings offer a glimpse of what Christ and the apostles both offer and require.

In Acts we see Simon, a convert and former practiser of magic, rebuked by Peter for offering money in hopes of having the power to disperse the Holy Spirit.

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.’
Acts 8:18-22

In John we see a similar exchange between Jesus and Philip.

Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’
John 6:5-7

It is then “a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish” who presents his modest offering to Jesus, and with it he feeds five thousand people.

The connection between these two verses of scripture is that we cannot buy what it is that Christ offers us with money. Yet it is not so simple, for even after feeding the five thousand Jesus withdrew to prevent them from making him king.

This is an example of our flaw as mortals, our curse of original sin. We perceive only the physical world around us. We have been separated from the truth of the metaphysical and God ever since the fall.

We thus look for all our conceptions of the metaphysical to be representative of our physical existence, rather than the other way around.

But Jesus is our bridge back, the apostles our guides. Simon and Philip are not evil for their attachment to the only world they have known, neither are the five thousand for wanting to make Jesus their king, they are just misguided. What Jesus offers is not a kingdom of earth, it is not a physical kingdom. What Christ offers is the kingdom of Heaven, a metaphysical kingdom.

What Simon and Philip mistake is that what Jesus offers is transactional, like money, that the kingdom of Heaven is like a kingdom of earth. They are, like us, confused because of how we all live on earth.

We must meditate instead on the boy. He offers what he has, five loaves of bread and two fish. He expects nothing, not to feed five thousand people nor to receive grace or power. He merely offers what he has to Christ so as to help. It is a non-transactional offering.

This is how we are meant to live, to offer constantly what we have, not for a return, not for betterment, not for a kingdom of earth, but for faith. Faith that whatever we can offer will bring upon the kingdom of Heaven.

This is a challenge for me that I invite you to join me in: let us be kind, follow the scriptures, and be charitable; not for any returns on investment, not for grace or salvation, but because it is what is right and good.

May you live in Truth, Peace, and Love,
Chris Campbell