Insufficiency

6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7. Phillip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little.

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,

9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many.

John 6:5-9

Well, looks like the trouble comes in when you finally determined just how large the sum following him actually is. As usual, whether for the first time or many more after, Jesus just had to go on and feed them again. I mean how could he not really when his heart towards them was nothing but care for the people. Whether it was mercy, pity, or whatever, regardless, he felt for the crowds. Funny thing is really, I think there was a bit of his human side too where hunger came in. That means at times he felt as though he too had the same types of needs. Therefore, his caring was sort of more of a ‘let’s eat’ rather than a pity me snack. That being said, the crowds were so large and food was so scarce that 200 penny-worth wouldn’t have fed a whole unit. Sure, you could’ve fed them with bread, the cheapest thing to be had that was visible. Though really, if you wanted a much closer comparison, it wouldn’t have bought all that much fish or loaves with it either. Just think of the little boy who brought his whole lunch of five loaves and two fishes in to the Lord. Let’s say it might’ve been gotten for say two pennies or twenty. It all depends on the market though and how expensive these are really. Let’s say that you could’ve gotten five loaves for a penny by chance. Do you know how many could had with say 200 pennies and change? Real quick now cause I’m not planning on extending the classes. It’s right about 1,000 loaves just fresh for the taking which isn’t enough say if you’d passed around mouthfuls. Jesus though didn’t half hardly do it by halves.

Instead, he had plenty in store and just a little bit more. The fish could’ve been caught in the wild or just thrown off on the side in the bargain. Though seriously, all things considered the prices of goods really does matter. When you’ve got things priced super-cheap like this around a whole lot of people, you’re bound to be making enough for a killing. In all honesty though, a killing’s what will be had if there’s not enough work that’s needed or givers or takers or earners of coin. What’s to be done then in times like these you wonder. In the perfect world, we’d have everybody go in all day say for a penny. Though in the much more perfect world of the Lord, the same work would’ve produced the same wage whether for all day long in the heat or just a few hours then at the least. He’d have everyone make a fair wage that’s more than enough and fit for a king that you’d see. Then at the least, everyone would’ve had roughly the same amount of coin to spend. Supposing it was only as required to make a decent day’s living, it would ensure they’d never run out with a constant supply. Though that’s all things considered if you’re say willing and able in making a living. Next time, we’ll find out what’d happen if the penny wasn’t the smallest unit of sum moving around in the land.