John 6:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It seems to me that both are true. They did not happen at the same time, but one preceded the other. Thus one account gives it one way, and the other another way.

Why, then, does He ask Philip? Because He knew which of His disciples most needed instruction. This is the same Philip who later said, “Show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (Jn 14:8).

For this reason Christ instructs him beforehand. If the miracle had taken place without preparation, it would not have appeared so wondrous.

But now Christ first moves Philip to confess that there is scarcity of food. Having recognized how great the scarcity was, he would better understand the greatness of the miracle that was to be accomplished.

This is what Christ says to Philip: “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” So also in the Old Testament God spoke to Moses, and did not perform the miracle before asking him, “What is that in your hand?” (Ex 4:2).

Since unusual events that happen unexpectedly usually cause what preceded them to be forgotten, God first bound Moses by an acknowledgment of his present condition.

Then, when later struck with wonder, he could not forget what he himself had confessed. Thus, by comparing the one with the other, he would know the greatness of the miracle. The same thing happens here.

But now He first makes him declare the lack of bread, so that he may better understand the greatness of the miracle about to be accomplished. Then he could no longer forget what he had said.

Therefore He says, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

But Christ does not regard it as anything great when our brotherly love extends only to a few. He wishes us to undertake boldly what lies beyond our natural hope, strengthened by confident trust in Him for every good. What has been said is sufficient for explaining the historical meaning. But turning this again into spiritual contemplation, and removing from the image the coarseness that belongs to it, we shall speak more clearly. From the mountain, that is, from lofty and God-befitting foreknowledge, God foresees those who seek Him through good zeal and faith. This accords with what Paul indicated: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son; and those whom He predestined, He also called” Rom 8:29-30. Therefore Christ “lifts up His eyes,” thereby showing that those who love Him are worthy of divine regard. So also He undoubtedly spoke to Israel in blessing: “May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” Num 6:26. Yet the grace toward those who love Him is not limited only to His regard. Adding something else, the blessed Evangelist shows the Lord not as leaving the people without providence, but as caring for the preparation of food and a meal. Through this you may again understand what is contained in Proverbs: “The Lord will not allow the soul of the righteous to perish from hunger” Prov 10:3. For He offers Himself as bread from heaven, and He will feed the souls of those who fear Him. He prepares for them everything sufficient for life. As it is said in the Psalms: “You prepared their food, for such is Your preparation” Ps 64:10. And Christ Himself says in one place: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who comes to Me shall never hunger” Jn 6:35. He will give, as we have already said, food from heaven and will impart the manifold grace of the Spirit. He prepares food to give to those who come to Him, without waiting for their request. “For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought” Rom 8:26. But He Himself anticipates us and grants what preserves us for eternal life. Therefore “He says to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread?’” It is necessary to know why He addresses the question to Philip, though the other disciples were also there and remained with Him. Philip was inquisitive and eager to learn, but not very keen in quickly grasping what belongs to the Godhead. You can learn this by considering for yourself what happened. After following the Savior for a long time, he had gathered His many teachings concerning the Godhead. From both deeds and words he was able to form a completely full understanding of Him. Yet in the last times of the divine economy, as though he had learned nothing at all, he says to Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” Jn 14:8. But because he spoke not from evil disposition, he is beautifully corrected. For Christ says: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?” Jn 14:9. Therefore, to one less capable of understanding, and progressing somewhat more slowly than was fitting toward the perception of divine things, the Lord proposes the question. He is training His disciple in faith. This is indicated here by the expression “testing,” although, as the blessed Evangelist confirmed, “He Himself knew what He was about to do.” And when He says, “Where,” or “how, shall we buy?” He indicates the lack of avarice among His followers and their voluntary poverty for God’s sake. They had nothing with which to buy even necessary food. At the same time, He skillfully cares and provides for something else as well. For He does not use this “where” or “how” in vain. He points out to them that those who followed Christ had taken no thought at all to bring anything, and were accustomed to extreme freedom from possessions. Therefore, excluding and nobly cutting off hope in money, He nearly compels them to arrive at this conviction. If He wishes to feed those coming to Him, when they have nothing, the Lord must create food by ineffable power and God-befitting authority. This alone remained, and He was already summoning them to look to this one hope alone. This accords with the Greek poets: σιδήϱεον ἕλϰος ἀνάγϰης, the stern compulsion of necessity.

Finally, even the disciples who were with the Lord among the hungry wished to feed this multitude, so as not to remain indifferent. Yet they had nothing with which to feed them.

The Lord asked where bread might be bought to feed the hungry multitude. And Scripture says, “He said this to test him,” that is, the disciple Philip, whom He asked, “for He Himself knew what He would do” (Jn 6:6).

Why did He test him? Was it to show the disciple’s ignorance? Or, perhaps, by showing the disciple’s ignorance, was He pointing to something else?

This will become clear when the mystery of the five loaves begins to speak to us and disclose what He was indicating. Then we shall see why, in that deed, the Lord wished to show the disciple’s ignorance.

He asked what He Himself knew. For sometimes we ask about what we do not know, wishing to hear so that we may learn.

Sometimes we ask about what we know, wishing to know whether the one we ask knows it. The Lord knew both things.

He knew what He was asking about, for He knew what He wished to do (Jn 6:6). Likewise, He knew that Philip did not know this.

Why then did He ask him, if not to show his ignorance? As I have said, we shall understand later why He did this.

Andrew says, “There is a boy here who has five loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many?” (cf. Jn 6:8-9). When Philip, being asked, said that two hundred denarii would not suffice to buy bread to refresh such a multitude, there appeared a certain boy carrying five barley loaves and two fish.

Seeing that withdrawal was useless, the Lord turned to the people with teaching about the kingdom of heaven and mercifully healed the sick. The day was already passing, but the people did not leave Him, while they remained without food.

A brief consultation followed. To buy even a piece of bread for such a mass of people would require at least two hundred denarii.

But even if they had such a sum in their common purse, there was now neither time nor possibility to make the necessary purchases. Andrew mentioned that one boy there had five barley loaves and two small fish.

Yet obviously the supply was so slight that it was hardly worth mentioning. “Make them sit down,” Christ calmly answered (Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:10-17; Jn 6:1-15).

John was more “concerned to fill the greater part of his book with Christ’s words and discourses to the people” (Chrysostom). Yet one may also see another reason here.

A characteristic feature of John’s Gospel is the depiction of the development of the Jewish people’s unbelief in Christ Jesus in general.

From the end of the chapter, and partly from the whole discourse of Christ contained in it, we see that the time described was decisive. A decisive change occurred in Jesus Christ’s relation to the Galileans and in theirs to Him.

Here something took place like what happened in Judea, as depicted in chapters 8 and 12. The difference is that in Jerusalem, where envious hatred toward Christ prevailed, the torrent of unbelief poured out violently and wildly.

It brought the Lord to death. In Galilee, however, the people were more receptive and sometimes reached a state of enthusiasm.

Yet when this people did not see in Christ any sympathy for their false and distorted dreams about the Messiah, they grew cold toward Him. There unbelief took the character of indifference.

They did not attack Him, but they fell away from Him. John brings this deeply sorrowful feature into view, as it was expressed after the miraculous feeding of the people.

That is why he chooses this event for his narrative, although it had already been described by the first evangelists.

“He says to Philip”: this is a feature that supplements the accounts of the first evangelists. According to them, the disciples drew the Lord’s attention to the multitude and proposed that He send them away to buy bread for themselves.

Immediately after saying that the disciples themselves should give the people something to eat, the Lord, according to John’s account, turns to Philip with a testing question: where, then, can bread be bought for them?

After receiving the answer, He commanded them, according to the first evangelists, to find out how many loaves they had. Then, according to the concordant account of all the evangelists, He miraculously multiplied the bread and fish and fed the people (cf. Theophylact).

This is the miraculous feeding of five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Even this miracle John describes briefly (vv. 1-21), using it as the occasion for a detailed exposition (vv. 23-71) of Jesus Christ’s discourse with the people “on the bread of life,” that is, the Mystery of Holy Communion.

By many experiences Jesus had shown His disciples not only the far-reaching deliberation and wisdom of His actions, but also His deep insight into the hearts of others (Jn 2:24; 6:64; 7:8; 11:4, 41, 42).

For His own sake He had no need to ask Philip what should be done. He was directing Philip’s attention to the state of affairs and prompting him to examine the matter from every side.

The other disciples also needed to examine the reality surrounding them. Yet Philip more than the others had to attend to the situation preceding the deed that Jesus wished to perform.

Philip did not yet fully believe in the divine power of Jesus (Jn 14:8). “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for them, that each of them might receive even a little,” Philip answered in v. 7.

A denarius equaled twenty kopecks. Thus about forty rubles in all would be needed to buy simple barley loaves, the ordinary food of the poor (3 Kings 7:1, 16, 18).

The Apostle Andrew finds with a boy five barley loaves, less nourishing than wheat loaves (Judg 7:13), and two baked fish. This was an insignificant supply for the multitude (Jn 6:8-9).

We should note that the return from preaching of the seventy disciples “with joy” (Lk 10:17) took place later. They were weary (Mk 6:31).

But there was no rest for the Lord and His apostles (cf. Mk 3:20). Crowds of people thirsted for the Word and sought to drink from the life-bearing spring (Jn 7:37).

The Lord gave them spiritual drink and healed those in need of healing. Before feeding this people, He tests the hearts of the disciples by addressing a question to Philip.

The name of the disciple to whom the question was addressed appears only in the Evangelist John. When the Lord tests someone, it is not so that He, the all-knowing Knower of hearts, may learn anything.

It is so that the one tested may know himself and the action of God. So it was with Abraham when he offered his son in sacrifice (Gen 22).

Abraham himself had to learn by experience the strength of his faith, and to behold God’s mercy and the mysterious ways of the Lord for the development of man and mankind.

The Apostle Philip, chosen by the Lord to receive the question about how to feed the people, was probably only an echo of the opinion of all the disciples. In the first three Gospels, Philip’s words are attributed to all the disciples.

See loco supra citato and especially Mk 6:37. They all still knew neither what the Lord would do, nor that He is the King of the world.

They were still learning the mysteries of the Kingdom of God (Mt 13:11; Mk 4:11; Lk 8:10). More and more they came to know the God-man.

He was pleased to give them His final instructions in the last discourse (Jn 14-17). At last He enlightened and regenerated them by the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Who proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son.

Thus He would be glorified with the Father and the Spirit (Jn 16:14-15).