Five loaves, and two fish

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

- Mark 6:30-46

Yesterday, we read that at this point in Jesus' ministry, King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."   But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod Himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.   In Saturday's reading, we learned that Jesus sent out the Twelve, two by two, into their first apostolic mission, preaching the Kingdom and with the power to heal and cast out unclean spirits.  Yesterday's reading was a kind of parenthetical explanation given by Mark of the death of John the Baptist.  Today's reading picks up where Saturday's ended, with the disciples returning to Christ and telling Him about their mission.

And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.   My study bible makes note of the fact that Christ gives rest to His disciples.  This shows those engaged in preaching and teaching that they mustn't labor continuously, but also take rest.   We note also their withdrawal to a private, "deserted" place.  There are times for outward work, and there are times for withdrawal and seclusion.

But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  Jesus' popularity is so great now that many follow Him wherever He goes.  His compassion allows Him to teach to those who so desire His word.  Let's note that Jesus has withdrawn here with the disciples, but has been "interrupted" by the crowds, despite His intention.  To my mind, it teaches that Christ had to balance His own preferences with the demands of the crowds, using His discernment in response.  We note that His first act of mercy or compassion is to teach.  They are like sheep without a shepherd, they need His guidance.

When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."   This seems to be a kind of "test" or stretching of the disciples.  They've just returned from their first mission, and now He's giving them more responsibility by saying, "You give them something to eat."  What will follow will be a teaching experience for them.

And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.   We remember that on their apostolic mission, the disciples were taught to take practically nothing with them, basically the clothing on their backs, and to develop a kind of reliance on God throughout the mission.  Here, it's a similar teaching:  Jesus throws them back on whatever resources they can come up with -- five loaves, two fish.  From what is on hand, we give to the Lord and rely on God's word for the rest.

And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Tradition has it that this is a mirror of the Eucharist, a kind of preview.  And this "scene" is central to all of the Gospels.  Jesus blesses the loaves, and gives to His disciples to distribute, an image of the Eucharist which will be done in His name.   The twelve baskets reinforce this understanding:  they are symbolic of the twelve apostles through whom the gospel will be spread to the world, the Eucharist will be given to all, as long as the Church exists.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.  It's interesting to observe the use of time in Mark's Gospel.  There are parts of the Gospel in which events happen at a very quick pace, but today we're given a "full day."  Now it is evening; the disciples are sent away to Bethsaida, a busy commerce and fishing area.  Jesus departs to the mountain to pray, again enforcing our periodic need for withdrawal.  He will be alone with the Father in prayer.

This piece is the central story of the Gospels, the feeding of the five thousand men (with more women and children present).  Of course, as noted above, it prefigures the Eucharist.  But when something is so central we have to ask ourselves questions about it.  What else is there in this picture we're given in today's reading that is of such essence to all the gospel message?  We can suggest the obvious, that Christ feeds all of us.  If you think about it, everything He does is a type of food for our health -- whether we are talking about physical or spiritual health, it's all one.   The first thing He does with these crowds, whom He likens to sheep not having a shepherd, is to teach them many things.  This is what they need, as sheep without a shepherd.  They need someone to teach them, to guide them, to give them wisdom and instruction on how to live their lives.  When the day is spent, this crowd is hungry and has been with Him all day.  They have nothing to eat.  Jesus instructs His disciples that they will provide.  But this is food beyond bread and fish.  It's a story about the "daily bread" we ask for in the prayer He has taught us, the Our Father (see Matthew 6:5-13).   As we've commented before on this blog during the readings in Matthew, the word translated as "daily" really has a meaning that implies it's for the new day of Christ, the eternal day, the day of the Kingdom.  As such, Christ feeds us with a bread that isn't only for our common understanding of daily nurturing, but a daily nurturing of the things that the sheep need, the bread that is more than just bread, a "super-substantial" bread (as the word literally implies).  These are ordinary loaves of bread, and common fish, but blessed and multiplied by Christ they give us the meaning of this ministry in our world, the human Jesus who is also the divine Christ.   They add everything to our lives that we need on so many levels of where we truly live.  We're not just body, not just what's visible to the eye:  we think, we feel, we have souls, we make choices, and we can live in communion with God.  We as human being can share and develop attributes of God.  We are capable of so much more, and of the fruits of the spirit:  joy, love, peace, forbearance, and so much more that makes life full and blessed.  These are the things we're given in this feeding by Christ.  And let's not forget the example of rest when we need it, and especially one-on-one private time in prayer with Him.  All of it is essential to our well being.  All of it is necessary for the sheep who need a Shepherd, who are not just those who live by instinct, but those with rational minds, with self-consciousness, capable of pondering meanings and values, and understanding the values that are added to their lives through all that Christ gives.  Those are the kind of sheep that we are, and He's the kind of Shepherd we all need.  Let us remember this story of feeding, and consider the so-much-more with which we're fed than the images of loaves and fish.  Christ's blessing and interaction in our lives is an eternal blessing, an abundance that is inexhaustible:   "all the fish in the sea" makes a good symbol for the bread that keeps on giving, the supersubstantial food we're given, not only for a life perceived of flesh alone, but for a life in which flesh and blood host an infinite variety of human capacities, love for the good, manifestation of what is good and true and beautiful.  In Christ, the image of what makes a human being contains all these things, not separate from one another, except by our choices and our neglect.  That's what this food feeds and sustains, and why we need it and are dependent upon it.  Let us never forget, even in our "daily" lives devoted and compounded through the great day of eternal and abundant life in Him.