Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost

 

 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 recent readings, Jesus had healed a paralytic while attending the Feast of Weeks, or Old Testament Pentecost, in Jerusalem.  He was challenged by the religious leaders for healing on a Sabbath, and responded regarding His identity as Son and relation to the Father.  In yesterday's reading, He continued, "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.  If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

 

 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.  My study Bible comments that the entirety of chapter 6 of John's Gospel is a parallel to the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several important ways.  So, here we note that it is the time of the Passover (this is the second Passover recorded during Christ's earthly ministry in John's Gospel).  We also note another commonality in that, in Exodus (Exodus 11 - 17), God first performed signs against Pharaoh, and then gave instructions of how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here also, multitudes follow Christ because of His signs.

 

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?"  My study Bible says that here Christ tests Philip to increase his faith, as Philip needed help in understanding Him (John 14:8-10).  It notes that two hundred denarii corresponds to over six months' wages for a laborer.   My study Bible adds that Andrew has greater faith than Philip.  He knows that the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), and so offers the food brought by a particular lad.  But nonetheless, Andrew remains weak in faith, as he questions what a mere five loaves could do for the number of people there.  

  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.  Although Jesus had performed greater signs than this one, my study Bible says, the crowds so desired an earthly Messiah that here they declare Jesus the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only after they were filled with earthly things.  Due to this misunderstanding, Jesus departed from them.  In another parallel to the story of the Exodus, the Jews were said to eat unleavened bread because they were hastily driven out of Egypt and had brought no provisions of food for themselves (Exodus 12:39).  Here Jesus has fed the multitudes with earthly bread, as they had brought no provisions, having rushed out to see Him.  

In today's reading we are given the feeding of the multitude which is the fourth of seven signs reported in John's Gospel.  So central to the story of Christ is this event that it is recorded in all four Gospels.  My study Bible comments that the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks (Greek ευχαριστω/eucharisto), and distributed them is a prefiguring of the celebration of the Eucharist.  The twelve baskets of left over fragments of loaves suggest the Eucharist -- Christ, the bread of life  -- being taken by the apostles to all the world.  So we come to terms with the concept that feeding is central to our God, and to our understanding of what it is that God does for us.  God feeds us.  Eating is so central to life in the world, and so central to the life of all creatures, we might consider the seeking for food to be our most primal instinct.  There are those who say that more than anything else that we need, food takes a precedence.   The securing of food becomes our greatest incentive motivating behavior in the lives of individuals, families, and communities.  So Christ as Lord -- just as in the feedings in the wilderness with manna -- steps in out of compassion to feed those who have followed Him, suggesting to us that the Lord provides for those who seek Him.  But as this story prefigures the Eucharist, we must consider with what food we are provided by Christ, and how His food feeds us for a kind of eternal day and an eternal life.  In the story of His encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, Jesus promised a living water that would provide that one would never again thirst, water that once given a person by Christ, "will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (see this reading).  Of course, we know that the food Christ will leave us permanently will be His own sacrifice, shared with us in a communal meal in the Eucharist, His Body and Blood that will become even a part of us so that we may live through participation in His life, death, and Resurrection.  This is a kind of sustenance, a food that feeds us through all things, that will help us to live a life that is more than just about flesh, or materialism, but rather a life with grace, with a sense in which God is calling us through all things.  Christ's food for us is God's promise and God's love, that we are not abandoned even when all else fails, and others upon whom we may depend fall through.  In Christ's food we have more than the satiating of a material impulse, here now and quenched a few moments later, but a deeper need sustaining our souls and helping us to recognize God's care for our lives and our well-being in all kinds of ways.  The people who follow Christ in today's reading do so in order to make Him king, because they want the material substance and food He can provide, but to be king is not what He is after, nor is His great sign of feeding in the wilderness performed simply in order that they would think of Him this way.  Christ is a different kind of King with a different kind of Kingdom, one to which we are drawn through something more than the next meal we need, or the food for one day.  What Christ feeds us with is an entire Kingdom, a system of strengths and of values, an energy of grace, the assurance of life and of love, the challenge to live our lives with meanings that surpass the rest of what we know, and the power to keep going even when so much is lost.  Let us be grateful for all He offers, and take in the food He gives to nurture all the ways -- both known and unknown -- we might grow in His sight, and under His care.  We might note a seemingly small detail, that Christ tells His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost," indicating something so priceless, of such valuable substance, that nothing may be lost, so that even the smallest morsel is precious.  For the tiniest morsel of this food has in it the power of life and Resurrection, making all things new all the time.