14 When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

16 When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them. 18 A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.

19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified. 20 But Jesus spoke up: “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Lauren Sing

In today’s passage, we see the glory of Jesus, who the Old Testament prophets wrote about, and we also see the response of those who have been expecting him.

The Jews were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the great Prophet who Moses spoke about in Deuteronomy 18:15, and they had been looking for signs of his coming. Jesus’ teaching and miracles have rightly convinced them that Jesus IS the prophet they were expecting. But Jesus is so much more than just a prophet. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, born as a man to fulfil God's plan to save us. The crowd are also misguided in thinking that Jesus came to be a political leader and to sit on an earthly throne. That is why Jesus, the heavenly king, departs from the approval of the crowd.

Jesus then shows his disciples another miracle. Through the disciples' trust in Jesus and Jesus’ care for them, he is able to bring them safely through the storm, back across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. Despite their initial fear at the supernatural help they are receiving from Jesus, he is able to calm them by reassuring them of who he is. Jesus, the Messiah, has complete control over nature and is able to perform miraculous wonders.

In response to what we’ve read in John 6, we can thank God for the gift of Jesus, and that Jesus perfectly fulfils the Old Testament covenants and prophesies – fully man and fully God, that He is trustworthy and deserving of all praise and glory. Even in dark times, when it feels like we are rowing a boat against a fierce current in the pitch black of night, may we be able to fully trust in God’s timing and that he will sustain us in His power and strength.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

1 After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias). 2 A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.

4 Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.

7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”

8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”

10 “Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.

11 Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.

12 And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

13 So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

This month we are returning to the Gospel of John. John’s purpose in writing this biography of Jesus is to show us that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” so that we might believe in him and find life (John 20:31). In the first few chapters, John has related some of the miraculous signs Jesus did. John doesn’t call them “miracles,” he calls them “signs” because they weren’t just to be impressive. They were like signposts pointing to who Jesus is.

By chapter 5, those signs had started to bring heat from the religious authorities, who were suspicious of Jesus … or maybe they just didn’t want their power threatened. Perhaps that heat is why Jesus now withdraws to a more remote Gentile area, across the Sea of Galilee. If so, it didn’t get him out of the limelight. Crowds of Jews followed him there, because of his miraculous healings (v 2). But that gave Jesus another opportunity for a sign of his glory – in this case, feeding a multitude in a remote place.

I was intrigued by John’s note that “the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near” (v 4). Why does he include that detail? Perhaps to highlight the connection between this sign and the Exodus. The Passover was God’s great rescue of his people through Moses, and it also led to their journey in the wilderness, where God provided for them with manna from heaven. This signpost-miracle shows that Jesus is far greater than Moses – he is “equal with God” (John 5:18), because he himself is the one who miraculously provides for his people. In fact, later we’ll hear that Jesus is the “bread of life” – he is the true manna from heaven! And he doesn’t just provide enough; when it seems like his people will have nothing, he provides an abundant banquet for them.

I found that challenging. Do I really trust that Jesus will provide abundantly more than I need personally, or that we need as a church? His test to Philip – “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” (when he knew the answer) – felt like a test for me as well. Jesus knows what we need, and that he can do “so much more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). Do we really believe that?

Think about some of the things we need at St Barnabas right now. Then bring them to God through Jesus, and ask him to provide out of his abundant kindness, according to his infinite wisdom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd. 12 And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

I remember years ago I was the visiting preacher at a different church. I preached what I thought was a pretty good sermon. Then the service leader, who was their youth pastor, got up to conclude the service, and he gave a one-sentence summary of my sermon that captured the whole message far more clearly than I had managed with all my words. He had a greater gift than I do for getting the essence of something in a few words (which probably isn’t a surprise to anyone…).

This final passage in the book of Ecclesiastes wasn’t written by the Teacher, but by the anonymous editor who collected and wrote down the proverbs of the Teacher. Even though this editor only wrote a tiny portion of the final book, I love how he has taken all the Teacher’s profound, challenging, uncomfortable truths, and distilled them into the most important thing we need to hear: There is a great day of judgment coming, so fear God – that is, trust him, and obey him. That message was scattered throughout the Teacher’s work, but this unknown editor has allowed us to see it with crystal clarity.

We saw something similar in Sunday’s passage from Matthew: Jesus taught many things, but the most urgent and important thing he preached was the message of “the kingdom of heaven”, that is, the gospel (Matt. 4:17). That gospel includes the same warning of the coming judgment, and the call to “fear God and give Him glory” (see Revelation 14:6-7). But the glorious relief of the gospel is that God has already brought “every deed” and “every hidden thing” into judgment. He judged sin itself “by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin … so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4).

The Teacher had a wonderful gift for pushing people who want to exclude God to face the futility of life without him, and to see that it’s impossible for us to get over the problem of death. Maybe there’s someone you need to have that conversation with? But make sure you also include the only solution there is – that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and whoever believes in him will live and never die (John 11:25-26).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the days of adversity come
and the years approach of which you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them,”
2 before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened,
and the clouds return after the rain,
3 on the day the keepers of the house tremble
and the strong men stoop,
when those grinding cease because they are few
and those watching through windows see dimly,
4 when the doors to the street are shut
and the sound of the mill fades away,
when one rises at the sound of a bird
and all the daughters of song grow faint,
5 when men fear the heights and dangers of the road,
when the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,
and the caper berry shrivels—
for then man goes to his eternal home
and mourners walk the streets.

6 Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is crushed,
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring
and the wheel is broken at the well,
7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8 “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher.
“Everything is futile!”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Early on in Ecclesiastes, I mentioned that as the Teacher probes life “under the sun” to try to find something of real and lasting value, he keeps running up against the same huge obstacle: Death. As he reaches the end of his great philosophical work, that’s the topic he turns to once again – or rather, growing old and dying.

I think this is one of the most achingly beautiful poems ever written. It’s not an easy poem – there’s imagery that is hard to decipher. But all the images are haunting word pictures of the process of getting old – your body becoming frail, eyesight and hearing growing weak, everything becoming slow and laborious as the spark of life ebbs away, until death arrives and the grave becomes your “eternal home” (v 5). (Well, “eternal” until Jesus returns to raise us! But that’s further than the Teacher can see.)

It’s a sad and reflective poem. But I don’t think the Teacher is bitter. In fact, he wants to teach us the antidote to becoming bitter as we get old: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come” (v 1).

When I was a teenager, I knew who I wanted to be like when I was old: my grandmother (“Granny” to us). She was widowed when I was little. My grandfather had been a pastor, and he and Granny had known the Lord Jesus and walked with him their entire lives. Granny was strong-willed and strong-minded; but she was also the gentlest soul who loved her Lord, loved people, and wanted more than anything for the gospel of Jesus to reach the ends of the earth.

And Granny aged gracefully. So gracefully! There was no bitterness, no resentment at what was happening to her, no anger at God for taking her husband. Only gentleness, love, and a deep thankfulness for her Saviour.

Sometimes you hear of people who say, “While I’m young, I want to live it up. I might think about God when I’m older, but I don’t want him to spoil my fun now.” But I think that’s a guaranteed way to become bitter and angry when you’re old – which will harden you to God. You’re training yourself to need to “live it up” and have fun in order to find contentment … which means you’ll be left empty and consumed with frustration when your body starts to break down.

That’s why it’s such an advantage to come to your Creator before the “days of adversity” come. Or in New Testament terms: The earlier you give your life to Christ and commit 100% to living for him and his kingdom, the better prepared you’ll be for bad times and for getting old. Please Lord, let me remember you now, and let me grow old like Granny.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it again.
2 Divide your portion among seven, or even eight,
for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.

3 If the clouds are full,
they will pour out rain upon the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 He who watches the wind will fail to sow,
and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.

5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and do not rest your hands in the evening,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.

7 Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
8 So if a man lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all.
But let him remember the days of darkness,
for they will be many.
Everything to come is futile.

9 Rejoice, O young man, while you are young,
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Walk in the ways of your heart
and in the sight of your eyes,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you to judgment.
10 So banish sorrow from your heart,
and cast off pain from your body,
for youth and vigor are fleeting.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

Why do we live in a disaster-prone world? It’s because we live in a world under God’s curse due to human rebellion. As the Teacher says, we do not know what disaster may befall us next. Who saw the current war in the Middle East coming and the subsequent spike in fuel prices? Why does God send a flood in one area and drought in another? Why does one tree fall south into an open field and another fall north on to a house? There is so much about this world that we do not know and cannot understand, let alone control.

So how are we to live in such a world? The Teacher says there’s no point watching the wind or observing the clouds anxiously trying to predict where the next disaster will come from. That is beyond us and will only lead to neglecting to provide for ourselves. Rather we should work hard and work cleverly to provide for ourselves, so that we will have enough if some disaster does strike – like escalating fuel prices.

We should also “cast our bread upon the waters” – that is, we should be generous with any surplus we have, so that others will have enough if disaster strikes them. God has been generous to us in his Son; we should be generous to others so that they can be prepared for whatever disaster is yet to come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

16 Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth,
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles,
and whose princes feast at the proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.

18 Through laziness the roof caves in,
and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

19 A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry,
but money is the answer for everything.

20 Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich even in your bedroom,
for a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a winged creature may report your speech.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

The Teacher says in v19: “A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.”

“Money is the answer for everything”? Is the Teacher promoting materialism and the love of money? I don’t think so. A consistent theme in Ecclesiastes is that God gives us every good thing in this world to enjoy. That includes a feast where people relax, eat, drink and laugh together – while avoiding gluttony and drunkenness, of course. The downside of a feast is that it costs money. But if it brings joy, it’s money well spent.

But money can also be used for all sorts of other good purposes. It is one of the most versatile of God’s gifts. It can bring joy and happiness in many ways. We can use money to rent or buy somewhere to live, or to purchase a gift for someone, or to visit a friend, or to see the world, or to help the poor, or to spread the gospel. These are all good uses of money.

You cannot serve God and Money, but you can use your money to serve God. We must avoid the love of money, but we can love others with our money. So, let’s thank God for the money he has given us, enjoy the good things it enables us to buy, and use it for the growth of God’s kingdom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

8 He who digs a pit may fall into it,
and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9 The one who quarries stones may be injured by them,
and he who splits logs endangers himself.
10 If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened,
more strength must be exerted,
but skill produces success.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,
there is no profit for the charmer.

12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
but the lips of a fool consume him.
13 The beginning of his talk is folly,
and the end of his speech is evil madness.
14 Yet the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what is coming,
and who can tell him what will come after him?
15 The toil of a fool wearies him,
for he does not know the way to the city.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Duc

In life, we expect people to get their “just desserts.” As in today’s passage, we expect (or hope) that the person who digs the pit for a passerby would fall into it themselves; or that the thief breaking through the wall of a house would be bitten by a snake (v 8-9). Another way to describe it is: justice.

And yet, there are far too many cases where an honest worker looking to make a living suffers an accident and breaks his back or loses his arm. It’s tough to swallow, but in life, bad things do happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people.

Today’s passage acknowledges that life in this world doesn’t always make sense; it isn’t always just. Life is unpredictable, messy and downright puzzling at times. We can take the greatest care and diligently apply our skills, but as with the snake charmer, the snake could bite us just the same (v 11). We can’t completely remove danger nor guarantee success in life.

So how does acknowledging these realities help us to live wisely in the world?

It’s good for us to remember our creaturely limits: while we can plan and work and organise ourselves, we don’t know where our lives will lead, or even what will happen tomorrow. We are but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14).

In seeing ourselves for what we truly are – fragile and wholly dependent on our heavenly Father – we can seek to live under His hand, as we wait for Him to work out His plans for our good in Christ. When we suffer injustice or are buffeted by waves of suffering, we can endure patiently, like Job did, because we have received God’s compassion and mercy in Christ – and when Jesus returns, we will experience that compassion and mercy fully and forever (James 5:10-11).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our Assistant Ministers.

1 As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 A wise man’s heart inclines to the right,
but the heart of a fool to the left.
3 Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking,
and he shows everyone that he is a fool.
4 If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post,
for calmness lays great offenses to rest.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun—
an error that proceeds from the ruler:
6 Folly is appointed to great heights,
but the rich sit in lowly positions.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Elise Le

As I hear the news of what is happening in the world around us, I keep asking myself the question: How can someone who is foolish rise to such great power? I’m sure we can all think of some examples of that when we watch the news. Or maybe you’ve seen this in your personal life – maybe a manager who has treated you unfairly or senior colleagues who get away with doing the bare minimum. Sometimes I get surprised that it’s like that, but what this passage shows us is that we shouldn’t be surprised by fools being promoted and evil being celebrated (vs 6). That’s how things are in a world that is twisted and corrupted by sin.

Even though we live in an upside-down and corrupt world, the teacher says that the way and attitude of fools is senseless and irresponsible (vs 3). When I first read this passage, my mind jumped to think about the people around me who live in folly and make irrational decisions. But the more I read it, the more I was reminded that I once lived in foolishness too. My heart is not naturally inclined to the right like a wise person but inclined to the left like a fool (vs 2), because I am a sinner – by nature a child of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). It is so easy to point at the sins of those around us, but Jesus said it is more important for us to pay attention to the logs in our own eyes (Matthew 7:3). There are times when we all still fail to live in step with wisdom, in a way that honours and obeys God. As we see how foolish it is to live apart from God, may we be reminded to continuously repent of our sins and strive to be

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elise is one of our ministry apprentices.

11 I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all. 12 For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.

13 I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me: 14 There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.

15 Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

17 The calm words of the wise are heeded
over the shouts of a ruler among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Alex Chen

There’s a great reminder in this passage that time and chance happen to all. As the cost of living rises, do you feel that our human labour feels more and more futile? We can’t always get what we expect for working hard, or even receive our just reward. In a world where we seem to face more uncertainty with each new world event, it is more apparent than ever that what we work hard for, what we look forward to, isn’t guaranteed. So thinking about what is humanly smart, or strong, or skilful – how much value are we putting on these things? What does the way we use our time, our ambitions, or our resources say about how much we’re valuing them?

In uncertain times, what often comes out of us is greed, selfishness, and even paranoia. Instead of allowing these things to take over, let us in these times be grown in dependence on God, in generosity, and in sacrificial love.

Our passage also shows us that in a time of war, wisdom is more important and useful than mere strength. The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is good, and should be pursued – but even then, one sinner can destroy this good. What matters is having a right relationship with God and pursuing him rather than evil.

This passage is a helpful reminder of our human limitations in this world – that we do not control time and chance. No one knows their time. But we have a God who does know our world, who created our world – and he knows us too. Will you rightly acknowledge him? Come to him now in prayer, bring your uncertainties to him and the ugly things that uncertainty tends to produce in you, and ask him to grow you in dependence, generosity, and sacrificial love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex is one of our Student Ministers.

1 So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.

2 It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.

3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.

4 There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
8 Let your garments always be white,
and never spare the oil for your head.

9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun. 10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

Last week someone asked me for some advice about how to speak to their atheist friend. I’ve been reflecting on how sad the atheist world view is. There is no justice in atheism, the good and the bad face the same fate. There is no hope in atheism, life ends in death and that’s it. The best an atheist can offer is to enjoy life as best you can, and then die.

Although Ecclesiastes speaks of God, it’s description of meaningless life speaks to our world today.

Today’s passage describes a world like that, a world without the God we know, without his justice and love, without Jesus and the hope his death and resurrection give us.

Imagine living a life where you believe that “Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.”. Give thanks that we know that “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Imagine living a life where you believe that there is no justice where “All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad”. Give thanks that we know Christ Jesus, ”who will judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1).

In a round about way, Ecclesiastes is showing us that we have the message of life and hope that our world so desperately needs. Perhaps we could be a little more direct with our friends who live as if God does exist and challenge them to see the hopelessness of their world view. And show them the wonder and joy there   is knowing that there is life and hope in Christ Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is one of our Assistant Ministers