And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down

After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

- John 6:1-15

In today's readings, we turn back in the Gospel of John, from Chapter 8 where we were last week, to Chapter 6, and to Jesus' discourse on the Bread of Life. Today's reading begins Chapter 6, with the miracle of the loaves and fishes. My study bible says, "The theme of Christ as the Giver of Life is continued throughout this chapter. Jesus, who gives Himself 'for the life of the world' (v. 51), is depicted as the Bread of Life which is received through faith and sacrament." Today's reading follows the last of Chapter 5, here.

After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. My study bible notes that the Sea of Galilee is actually a lake, about 7 miles wide and 13 miles long. But the crossing of the sea itself, as is so much about this reading, is important and symbolic, a fulfillment of "type." It is reminiscent of the crossing of the Red Sea by Moses and the Israelites into a new land.

Then a great multitude followed him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. The multitude follows because of what they have seen. This episode of the feeding of the multitudes is reported in all four Gospels - it is so important and essential to the story of Christ. It is the fourth sign in John's Gospel. Healing is an essential way to understand all of what Christ does incarnate as Jesus, and central to the entire understanding of His ministry and continued presence with us, and the workings of the Holy Spirit in our world.

And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" We are near the Feast of the Passover, a time in which the Jewish families were "passed over" by the angel of death when under captivity in Egypt. The haste with which they were to leave Egypt was commemorated in the Feast of Unleavened Bread. My study bible notes that this feast also commemorated the first food from grain eaten in the Promised Land after the crossing of the Jordan. Jesus fulfills the "types" that echo in this passage by asking where the bread will come from to feed them -- as the ancient Israelites, they are in the wilderness, up on a mountaintop. The manna from heaven comes from God. From whence comes the multiplication of this bread? The questions written explicitly in the Gospel point to the earthly perspective of the apostles (in the persons of Andrew and Philip) as they, too, gradually have their eyes opened to the nature of Christ who is their master.

Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. Of course, Jesus teaches them what they must do; after all, He is the One who knows what will be done -- despite His questions in the previous verses, which were used to pointedly draw out His disciples. To "give thanks" is from the verb eucharisto in the Greek, from which we receive our word "eucharist" in English. Everything is miraculously abundant, multiplied. First distributed to the disciples, who then distribute to the masses -- a true preview of the eucharist we understand. The key word here is abundance; this is the Bread of Life from He who is Life itself. The multiplication is the endless resource of God.

So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. This bread is precious, and none of it will be lost (as with the manna in the wilderness, see Ex. 16:16-21). There is more than abundance here -- there are twelve more baskets full, one for each disciple.

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. My study bible says, "The Galilean Jews, with their misguided messianic enthusiasm, equate Jesus with the Prophet of Deut. 18:15-19, whom they expect to be an earthly, political leader who will lead them against the occupying Romans, as Moses led his people out of bondage. Because He is not to fulfill these expectations, Jesus withdraws from the crowd." And so, in the fulfillment of "types," from the old to the new, we have another contrast. We also know what Jesus is not, and that He is to reveal Himself as a Messiah in ways that are unexpected, but yet teach us about the God who loves us so.

The depth of contrast in this passage is in some sense quite extraordinary. Jesus is the One who can fulfill all things in one action, multiplying the loaves and fishes to fill a multitude, as He Himself is the Bread of Life, the source of Life itself in its image of infinite multiplication. And at the same time, there is a reminder of the tremendous sacrifice this incarnate Messiah will make on the Cross. He is not to be king, not an earthly ruler with earthly powers, but here to show us love, to reveal God's nature of love. John's Gospel also tells us of the love that God has for the world - for all of us, each of us in the multitude of His creation: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). A Savior has come to the world to teach us love, and to leave us with one new command, to love one another as He has loved us. How can we fulfill that promise? How do we fulfill with faith the gifts He has given to us of love?