We have here only five loaves and two fish

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." He said, "Bring them here to Me." Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave them to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

- Matthew 14:13-21

In yesterday's reading, we read about the death of John the Baptist. In fact, the reading began with the news that Herod Antipas had begun to hear about Jesus. Herod is the ruler of Galilee and Perea, regions where Jesus and John the Baptist were active in their ministries. Herod fears when he hears about Jesus: "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." We are then told of John's death, how Herod had made a lavish promise at his birthday party. His wife's daughter danced, and he promised the girl anything she would ask. After consulting her mother, the girl told him: "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter." Even though the king was sorry, he'd made a promise before all the guests, the great people and nobles in his kingdom. So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. I think this is an important moment in Jesus' ministry, a turning point: John is now gone and has been beheaded by the worldly powers of the state, and Herod now fears Jesus is John returned. Many commentators write that Jesus withdraws outside of Herod's grasp. But to withdraw to a deserted place usually signals prayer, and here it may also give us a note of mourning. At any rate, it is a significant moment in His ministry; the state has now taken notice and the Kingdom has active opponents. It is the sign of the persecution to come.

But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. Even though He seeks withdrawal and time alone, Christ always acts with compassion -- particularly for those who truly seek Him for what He offers to the world. He is the divine Physician. He is here to heal us in all ways possible, through His grace.

When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." Jesus gives the command, that is yet another signal of His compassion. It tells us, in the echo of the Physician, that God is aware of our needs, that we need to eat, what we need for sustenance. But a greater force is at work here, beyond simply filling a need. Jesus issues the command, a seemingly impossible task to fulfill for His disciples.

And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." He said, "Bring them here to Me." Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave them to the multitudes. How can the people be fed in the wilderness? The have only five loaves and two fish. What we see, in effect, is a reflection of the Eucharist. Through the grace of Christ, we are fed, even in a seeming wilderness in our lives. This miracle is reported in all four Gospels, showing us its centrality to the ministry of Jesus and the understanding of the Church. My study bible says, "The participation of the disciples in distributing the loaves and the fish is important. In the Church Jesus feeds His flock at the Eucharist through His servants, the priests."

So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Twelve baskets seems to be a great symbol of what is to come: the "daily bread" that will be used by Twelve Apostles to feed the world. Five thousand is also a powerfully symbolic number, one of change. To my mind, it is a symbol of a new covenant, extending to great multitudes -- to all the world who truly desires this grace that multiplies, extends, empowers.

How can God make a table in the wilderness? This is the question asked of the experience of the Israelites making their Exodus from slavery in Egypt. And in this understanding here, we have the evidence of a New Covenant, a new relationship in faith to the Christ, and a new revelation of God's love and mercy for us. In Christ, in faith, is the power to multiply and grow, like the leaven and the mustard seed. As the state power begins to advance against the Kingdom, a new aspect of the Kingdom is revealed, that grace and truth come from Jesus Christ -- our "daily bread" is the sustenance He gives, that touches on all things. My study bible says that the phrase "moved with compassion" regarding Jesus' attitude toward the crowd "shows the Messiah's power and authority extending to those who suffer." This phrase is encountered multiple times in the Gospel. Coupled with His grace and compassion, we start with what we have, wherever we are, and we seek His will. This story, in the context of the Gospels and especially the parables of the Kingdom which we've just been taught in the previous chapter, teaches us never to despair, but to rest in our faith. It doesn't matter what the circumstances look like, if the "powers that be" are against us, if we feel stranded and alone, especially in the times we need to withdraw. It is faith that makes the difference, and the grace and love of Christ. It was working through the Exodus in the wilderness, and it works through the wilderness of our own lives, even when we feel our resources are scarce and meager. The word for "desert" or "deserted place" in Greek can also refer to a person who is abandoned or desolate. Let us put it into context: the state powers begin to take notice and martyrdom begins, but Christ the Physician is a part of a power and authority that extends beyond human authority, and we each have a job to do as His disciples. How are you fed today, and how are you healed? Are you a part of what feeds a suffering world, a ministry through His mercy? How is God's compassion at work in you?