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 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, at that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  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.   Jesus withdraws to a deserted place by Himself because He has just heard that Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  This is what we've just read in yesterday's lectionary reading (above), and this attention and fear from Herod is what Jesus is responding to.  He withdraws to a place away from the scrutiny of the court and Herod and Roman power.   It's important to observe that Jesus avoids open conflict with the authorities before it is the time for His Passion, also referred to as His hour (see John 7:30, 8:20, 12:27, 13:1, 17:1).

 

 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.  By this time, Christ has difficulty withdrawing from the public, and so now multitudes followed Him on foot from the cities.  Jesus' first response is to be moved with compassion for them when He sees them, and so He 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."  Here necessity intervenes once again.  These multitudes have already followed Him to this deserted place.  Perhaps Jesus feels responsible for them being there, and we already know that He has compassion for them.  But here is something interesting; Jesus teaches the disciples also to take on some of this responsibility for the people when He says, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat." "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 too the disciples; and the disciples gave 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. My study Bible points out that this miracle is reported by all four evangelists, and it shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of His people even as He fed the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16).  In patristic commentary, my study Bible reports, this is seen as an image of the Eucharist -- which is made very clear in John 6.  There is another feeding miracle reported in the following chapter of St. Matthew's gospel (Matthew 15:32-39), in which Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish, which some theorize might be the same story.  But the explicit appearance of different numbers in the crowds and the food elements, and also the witness of the gospel, show that they are two different miracles, as Christ will refer to them separately as two events (Matthew 16:8-10).   There is a spiritual interpretation given in patristic teaching that the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ and therefore feed the universe.  The two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  Moreover, the gathering of the leftovers by the apostles shows that the teachings the faithful are unable to grasp are nonetheless held in the consciousness of the Church.  

My study Bible also points out that the phrase moved with compassion is used frequently concerning the Lord (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41, 6:34; Luke 7:13).  It comments that what this shows is that Christ's power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  And so, we can see from today's reading that Jesus teaches His disciples to do the same.  While He is the One who uses His power to multiply the five loaves and the two fish, He's training His disciples also to use their own capacities on behalf of those who suffer.  He also shows this by example when He begins His expression of compassion by healing the sick brought to Him by the crowd.  It seems to be an important teaching that, when we are serving the Lord in any capacity in our lives, and perhaps particularly when we are called to compassion, we may rely upon the Lord by seeking whatever is at hand to rise to the task.  This is made clear by implication here that the Lord will take what we have and help to prepare and to provide for its use to help and to heal.  This kind of nourishment is material and assuages human hunger, but in this example in today's reading we can also see a metaphorical image of what to feed people and serve their needs on all kinds of levels, for there are many types of needs that human beings have.  It's already been pointed out that in the loaves and the two fish is seen the Scriptures which are another way to nourish people and to give them what they truly need, for our spiritual needs also must be recognized if we're to be wholly nurtured.  It's also important to note that when Christ acts, when the Lord's power and authority are on display, it is always in order to give and not to take.  That is, the creative power of the Lord and Christ's authority are exercised in giving what the world truly needs (even when it's not what the world wants, as we'll see at His rejection by the nation, and as we read in the story of His rejection in His hometown of Nazareth in Wednesday's reading).   This kind of majestic dignity and glory is one of true abundance, for God always has more to give us.  As those who would serve God, it is important to remember this when we feel tired or exhausted, and when we're called to serve in our own ways of nourishing and feeding the world.  This is the way that God's creativity works.  It is always expansive, even if that is in teaching us ways to feed and nurture ourselves so that we may also become creative in the same ways our Lord shows His use of power and authority.  God sets in order and fills with life, as is seen right from the beginning of the Bible.  Here Jesus first sets the people in order, and provides with abundance so that there is life abundantly (John 10:10), a way to show right relatedness and also the glory of God.  In today's feeding are the elements that prefigure the Eucharist, our holy food and drink that nurtures us with His Body and Blood, making us a people of faith and communion in Him.  Let us take these teachings and allow them to shape who we are as well, just as the disciples do.