You give them something to eat

 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 it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, 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.  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 says that Christ gives rest to the disciples to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  We remember that the apostles have returned from their first apostolic journey, on which they were sent out two by two (see Saturday's reading).   The picture is clear:  by now Jesus' ministry has become so popular that He must get away to a deserted place in order to rest a while.

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.  The compelling presence of Christ is remarkable to read about.  The multitudes follow Him, and we're given the proper reason, despite all that we might think:  they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  This simple statement expresses our profound need for Christ.  Let us note how Christ responds both to their need and to His own compassion for them:  He began to teach them many things.  It reminds us of one of His beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount:  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).  Moved with compassion is a phrase frequently used to to describe our Lord (see also Matthew 14:14, 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13).  In the Greek, it indicates an interior state of profound affect.  My study bible says that it shows His power and authority are extended to those who suffer.

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."   Once again, the Gospel gives us a full day in the ministry of Christ, suggesting strongly the witness testimony that makes up what we know of Jesus' ministry. 

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."  One spiritual interpretation found in tradition teaches that the five loaves indicate the first five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which my study bible says are broken open in Christ and thus feed the universe.  The two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In this understanding, the gathering of the fragments by the apostles (verse 43) shows that the teachings which the faithful are presently unable to grasp are still held in the consciousness of the Church. 

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.   There is a clear prefiguration here of the Eucharist, especially in that Christ looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves.  Note also how they are distributed by the disciples.  My study bible comments that Christ shows us that we should never eat without first giving thanks to God.  Note that the word Eucharist comes directly from the Greek word for thanks.  The twelve baskets that are leftover is another image of the Eucharist which stands for all of Christ's gifts and grace, to be distributed by the apostles and their descendants in the Church.

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.   Again, we're given the fullness of a day in Christ's ministry, as He sends the disciples once again across the Sea of Galilee.  In other readings, we've been taught that He rose very early in the morning to pray (Mark 1:35); here at the close of this remarkable day, after sending all away, Jesus departed to the mountain to pray.

It may seem like a kind of detail, but we should take a closer look at Jesus' statement, "You give them something to eat."  This clearly comes as a surprise to the apostles, who have no idea how they could possibly feed so many people in the wilderness with whatever they might have brought with them.  This was not a planned event, as the people had simply followed Jesus and the disciples in their desire and need for Christ.  No one had planned a meal for a crowd of people in the wilderness, and the people came spontaneously after Christ.  The Gospels tell us there were five thousand men, and this is a typical mode of counting for the period.  Tradition tells us there were yet more women and children present as well.  But, "You give them something to eat" is a command we also must pay close attention to.  It seems to suggest to the disciples and all of us who follow in the Church that it is we who must be prepared to help feed those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  What we notice, once again, is that these people need the teachings that Christ has to offer them, His guidance and instruction, because they are like sheep without a shepherd.  Well, just about everywhere we look around ourselves, we may see all kinds of people who are like sheep without a shepherd.  We live in a world in which it seems ever more prevalent that children are not given what is necessary for strong character in the face of adversity, for making good decisions in the face of temptation.   Traditional systems for instruction and discipline are breaking down, and cycles of poverty, violence, war, upheaval further break down the social structures that keep people and families intact, with a special impact on growing children.  Christ's command seems to me to suggest not simply caring for the material needs of others, but of being prepared as faithful to help those who have deeper needs than simply for food.  There is no doubt of the Eucharistic significance of this miracle of feeding in the wilderness.  What Jesus seems to suggest to all of us is that the deepest need for hospitality as a profound social calling is for the care of the love and grace of God, and that we as Christ's disciples are capable of sharing this with others and assuring them of this grace of the Incarnation -- that it is something we have and know and may distribute to those who might find themselves somewhere "out in the wilderness" with us.  I don't think the profound need we all have, as those who may also find we are like sheep without a shepherd, can be underestimated.  If we have bodily needs, then how much greater are those needs of the soul and spirit that go undernourished and underfed, uncared for so that people may have good guidance for their lives and a reassurance of the love of God?  It is when we neglect this need that life breaks down -- and most especially when there is hardship in life is the time we most need this spiritual food for which we have the deepest hunger.   Let us note that it is the Twelve who have just returned from their apostolic mission, and that the reason they went out to a deserted place was so they may discuss their experiences with Him.  Here in this wilderness spot, Jesus gives them an important lesson, that with God's grace, they will have at hand what they need to feed multitudes, and that this indeed is their purview, their true discipline as His followers.  Especially when we are in a church, or at any time when others may see us express our faith, let us remember Christ's command for hospitality, because it extends to so much more than meeting purely material needs for anonymous masses of people.  If this is the only thing we see, then we miss the Eucharistic significance and the grace that is at work here.  We are to share God's love with people, the grace we have been given, and this is His command for us -- for even in a seeming wilderness, God's grace will be enough, sufficient, and we will find it at hand through our faith for those who hunger and thirst for it, for those with whom we find ourselves up close and personal, and with us right now.