I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat

 

 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.  Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.  So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. 

 

 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."  Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"  Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.  Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.  And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala. 

 

- Matthew 15:29–39 

 

 Yesterday we read that, following a dispute with Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."    And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

 

  Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.  Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.  So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.   Christ's healing of the multitudes, according to my study Bible, shows that these Jews actually had less faith than the Canaanite woman in our reading from yesterday (see above).  According to commentary of St. John Chrysostom, Christ healed that woman's daughter "with much delay, but these immediately, because she is more faithful than they.  He delayed with her to reveal her perseverance, while here He bestows the gift immediately to stop the mouths of the unbelieving Jews."

 

  Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."  Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"  Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.  Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.  And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.   This second feeding of a multitude is not to be confused with the first (see Friday's reading), for they are two distinct miracles, my study Bible comments.  In the following chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, it is reported that Jesus chastised the disciples, with reference to the two miracles (Matthew 16:8-10).  My study Bible says that the variance is the number of loaves is significant.  In the first feeding of five thousand, there were five loaves, which symbolizes the Law (the first five books of the Old Testament Scriptures, or Torah).  In today's reading there are seven.  Seven is symbolic of completeness or fullness; here it indicates spiritual perfection.  So, in the first feeding miracle, Jesus reveals Himself as fulfilling the Law; here He shows that it is He who grants spiritual perfection.  My study Bible also asks us to note that these crowds had been with Christ for three days, which is the number of days He will rest in the tomb.  Participation in Christ's perfect, it notes, can only come through being united to Christ's death (see Romans 6:3-5).  

 

 Jesus now meets another circumstance with a miraculous feeding in the wilderness.  Clearly these are understood as two separate events, as my study Bible has pointed out.  But we might ask ourselves why:  why the two distinct miracles?  My study has already cited commentary regarding the differences in the numbers, particularly the seven loaves in this story as opposed to the five in the first feeding miracle.  Seven, it notes, is a number of completeness, of fullness.  In the symbolism of the Bible, it helps to understand the Greek word τελος/telos, usually defined as meaning "end."  But this word means much more than that; it signifies fullness of purpose, something fully played out and manifest.  Therefore it doesn't describe an end so much as it describes the fullness of a plan and its complete fruition.  This is how we should think of the "fullness" of number seven in the seven loaves, and the spiritual perfection my study Bible describes.  There will be no further Messiah, no greater Savior, for the One is here, and it is He who multiplies the loaves and the fishes to feed a multitude.  Not once, but twice, for now something else has happened in between, and that something is found in yesterday's reading, when a Gentile woman, justified by her faith, becomes the recipient of the grace of Christ to heal her severely demon-possessed daughter.  We could also take a look at the number four thousand, and associate it with historical liturgical services of prayer for the world, which bless the four corners of the earth, the four directions, indicating the fullness of the world and all it contains.  (See this example from the Armenian Apostolic Church.)  In the Eastern Orthodox Church, such a liturgical service takes place to commemorate the Elevation of the Holy Cross; it includes a blessing of the four directions of the earth with Cross, affirming the universal nature of Christ's salvation, belonging not just to the world but to the entire created order, the cosmos (κοσμος).  In feeding the four thousand, then, we see the number four symbolically multiplied to indicate the fullness of all that is, and all creatures in existence, all people for all time.  This is the reality of the spiritual perfection offered by Christ, for it is offered for all, even to those souls in Hades who awaited the good news of His gospel.  Four thousand, in light of this symbolic understanding, becomes uncountable, containing all and for all.  Today we live in a world connected through networks to all corners of the world through telecommunications of all kinds.  We have universal organizations which seek to bridge the entire world, and popular concerns, cares, and institutional drives that address problems that face the whole world, such as concerns over pollution, for example.  But let us consider that we have been given a Savior, who came into the world to give His flesh "for the life of the world" and that this universal meaning of the Cross with its four corners is our very symbol for the world He seeks to save; that is, indeed, for the life of the world.   As in the previous feeding in the wilderness, this feeding of the four thousand once again affirms and prefigures the Eucharist to come, with His flesh, the Cross, and Christ's identity as Savior all tied in together, all these elements in His saving mission for all of us.  When we consider the problems of the world, let us pray also to the One who came to save us all, to help us find our way to Him, and for the life of the world once and for all.  For that is a gift that will always be repeating and multiplying, as only God can do.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what the 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 now King Herod heard of Jesus, 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 th 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 hears 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 the had done and what they had taught.  This verse continues the narrative of the Gospel from the reading in which Jesus sent out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission (see this reading).  Yesterday's story of the beheading John the Baptist (see above) was given parenthetically, as an explanation of Herod's fear that Jesus is John the Baptist returned from the dead.

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.  My study Bible comments that Christ gives rest to His disciples to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  

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.  My study Bible comments that this miracle is reported by all four evangelists.  It shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of His people as He fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  It notes that the Church Fathers see in this an image of the Eucharist, which is an idea made clear in John 6.  There is another feeding miracle reported in Mark 8:1-10, in which Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish.  Some modern scholars have attempted to say that these are simply the same story, my study Bible says, but the witness of the Gospels is clear that they are two distinct accounts -- and Christ Himself refers to them separately (Mark 8:17-21).  The text tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion, a phrase used consistently concerning our Lord (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13).  It shows that Christ's power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  My study Bible further mentions that there is a spiritual interpretation in patristic literature which teaches 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 are representative of the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  That the apostles gather the leftovers shows that the teachings which the faithful are unable to grasp are nonetheless held in the consciousness of the Church.  Additional understandings from this miraculous feeding include that we are shown here we should never eat without giving thanks to God.  This terminology, my study Bible says, points to the Last Supper (Mark 14:22-24) which also leads to a eucharistic interpretation of this miracle in today's reading.  As the disciples distribute the bread to set before the multitudes, so also Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.

 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.   After this significant occasion and development in His ministry, note that Christ departed to the mountain to pray.  So we should imitate Him at each new turn in our own lives, for guidance and the strengthening of our faith.

The feeding of the five thousand is also significant in the symbolism of the numbers.  Five is often seen as a number that symbolizes change, and this is, effectively, the story of the New Covenant, in which Christ -- as my study Bible says -- feeds the universe.  The "thousand" number gives us the sense of universality, and the multitudes included therein.  He who spoke the universe into existence, as the Word Himself, is the One who also comes into our world as the Son of Man, living the life of a human being, a creature of God, and so able to feed the entire creation through all that He does in that life, and through this New Covenant, His gospel.  At His Ascension, we understand that He rises -- including His now-glorified human flesh -- to sit at the right hand of the Father.  That is, He sits on the throne of judgment, as the Almighty, and so fills the place as the One to whom every knee shall  bow, rendering God all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).  This story not only teaches us a sense of universal fulfillment through Christ, but also of the universality of the very food He offers, which may include all a universe can give to us, regardless of our specific needs.  We turn to Him first, regardless of our need, our problem, our desire, our question to Him.  He is there for all, and this miracle declares this to be true.  Let us remember that all that He does comes from compassion.  The text says that 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.  For He is our great Good Shepherd, who serves, protects, guides, and feeds us with what we need.

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.

 

 

 

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

 

 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 King Herod heard of Jesus, 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.  We recall that the disciples have been sent out on their first missionary journey (see this reading).  Now they return and tell Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 

 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.  My study Bible explains that Christ gives rest to His disciples in order to show those who are engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  Although He wishes to withdraw to a deserted place with the disciples, the emphasis here is on the fame that has spread about Jesus.  So much so that the multitudes ran there on foot from all cities.   Let us note that although He had planned for some time with the disciples by themselves, He sees the crowd are like sheep not having a shepherd; thus He is moved with compassion for them.

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.  This feeding miracle is central to the Gospels, and is found in all four.  Jesus feeds five thousand men, and yet more women and children.  Here they are fed by the Lord as the Israelites were fed by Him in the desert (see Exodus 16).  My study Bible notes that in patristic commentary this feeding is seen as an image of the Eucharist, an idea which is made clear in John 6.   Jesus looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.  In His blessing, my study Bible remarks, we are taught that we must never eat without giving thanks (the word Eucharist comes from the word for giving thanks in Greek).  The terminology used is suggestive of the Law Supper (Matthew 26:26).  The disciples give the bread to the people, as Christ continues to feed the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of bishops and presbyters.   My study Bible also notes a spiritual interpretation of this miracle, in which the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ, and thereby feed the universe.  The two fish, according to those interpretation, represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In the gathering of the leftovers by the apostles, we see that the teachings which the faithful are not able to grasp are nonetheless held within the consciousness of the Church, my study Bible adds.  

 

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.   After an extraordinarily busy day, replete with a new revelation of God's mercy and intimation of the Eucharist to come, Jesus follows through with His plan for prayer and rest. This time He departs by Himself, after sending away the multitude and the disciples, instructing them to depart for Bethsaida from this deserted place.  But Jesus now takes time go to the mountain to pray at this new juncture in His ministry of the feeding in the wilderness.

 

One of the most notable details of this reading is Jesus being moved with compassion for the people  because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  How can we underestimate what it is to be "like sheep not having a shepherd?"  That is, to be people without guidance?  Think of the setting; it is a wilderness scene.  That is, it is far away from the cities with their community organization and patterns of behavior shaped by institutions such as the temple or local administration of any kind.  This is an important symbolic setting.  In the Genesis account of the creation of the world, we read that "the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2).  These words, describing something as "without form," and "void" is a way to describe what is in some sense chaotic, what does not have order and direction.  It is similar, in some sense, to describing people as being like sheep not having a shepherd.  It needs One to guide, to put in order, to establish real substance for life to thrive.  "The deep" is also a way of describing chaos, a place where human beings cannot live, and that is also true of "darkness."  It needs the Lord to create and make an order so that life can not simply be established but also be brought to good fruition, where life can be pronounced "good."  This in a sense is what the people in the wilderness are like.  They run to Christ because they need Him in this same sense that sheep need a shepherd.  The chaos of a herd that knows not where to go, that might follow first this one or that one, is similar to the way that Christ not only describes these people but also suggested in His response:  He is moved with compassion for them, for such is their need.  Note that He has already expressed the desire to go away from the crowds, to get away from all of those people who now form the multitudes which are constantly demanding of Him and His ministry, as there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  Jesus has already wished to come Himself to a deserted place to discuss with the disciples the results of their first apostolic mission.  But even with this desire, the apparently unexpected state of this crowd draws His compassion, and something new is born.  Like the Spirit hovering over the chaos of the waters, here, the power of God works to institute the beginnings of the structure of the Church and its central framework of worship:  the Eucharist.  It is yet another "beginning" (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1), in which the Spirit that hovers and gives birth to new "good" things provides not simply food in the wilderness to feed the multitudes, but the start of the Eucharist that will feed to us the food of Christ forever, as long as there is worship in this world.  Note that Christ's first response is that He began to teach them many things.  So, for as long as there are people in the world who are like sheep not having a shepherd, there is now an established way to find His guidance, to receive His Body and Blood, and an entire Church with innumerably rich traditions around it as well for our nurturing and for a good life.  We have an abundance of creativity that has gone into this creation, begun yet anew with this feeding from the Lord in the wilderness.  It's important that we note it begins with His compassion, for all things begin with the love of God; there is no other reason why we are created, why we live in a universe of uncountable proportions that teems with life we can't always see, like the chaotic deep water that became alive with innumerable forms of fish and other life through the hovering of the Spirit.  We are here by God's love, and God's love continues to feed us with what is good, because all too often we find ourselves as sheep not having a shepherd, whether we know it or not.  Sometimes we might mistake that for freedom, but children always need their Father to teach them about life, to show them the way, and the right things in which to hope for the future.

 

 

So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them

 

 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.  Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.  And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.  

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.  Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?"  So he sought to see Him.

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.  But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.  When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here."  But He said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."  For there were about five thousand men.  Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty."  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

 

- Luke 9:1–17 

 

Yesterday we read that, when Jesus returned from the country of the Gadarenes, the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.  Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."   While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, and took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

 

 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.  Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.  And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.  Jesus appoints the twelve disciples now as apostles.   The Greek word for disciple means "learner," and the word from which we derive apostle literally means "one sent out."  Thus, the twelve are called, interchangeably, both disciples and apostles.  My study Bible comments here that Jesus gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, while Jesus performed miracles and cast out demons by His own power and authority.  Here Jesus gives them instructions for how to carry out this first apostolic mission, especially emphasizing humility in their conduct in several ways.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.  Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?"  So he sought to see Him.  In Luke's Gospel, it is told that Pilate sent Jesus to this same Herod during His trial (Luke 23:7).  He is the son of the Herod (known as Herod the Great) who slew the innocent infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  One can read the incident of the beheading of St. John the Baptist at Mark 6:14-28.

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.  But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.  When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here."  But He said to them, "You give them something to eat."     My study Bible notes that Christ's commission, You give them something to eat,  is a type and preparation for the apostolic ministry which the disciples will perform after Christ's Resurrection (and we note they have just returned from their first apostolic mission).  They will feed the world with the word of God and with the Eucharist. 

 

 And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."   For there were about five thousand men.  Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty."  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom on this passage.  On the five loaves and two fish, St. Chrysostom says that Christ is the same Creator "of both the earth and the sea, who in the beginning brought fruit from the earth and life out of the water."  On the text telling us that Christ look up to heaven, St. Chrysostom comments that Jesus does so "not as receiving power from elsewhere, but as honoring the Father who begot Him."  That Christ blessed and broke the bread teaches us "not to touch any meal until we have given thanks to Him who gives us food."   My study Bible notes that this blessing also presents a clear Eucharistic image and directs us to pursue spiritual food greater than that which is earthly (see John 6:26-27). 

 

So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.  My study Bible comments that Theophylact sees a liturgical parallel with the feeding of the five thousand.  (In the historical method of counting, the text notes five thousand men, but there were also additional women and children present.)  Theophylact notes that Christ first healed and spoke of the gospel, and then fed the multitude with the miraculous bread by the hands of the disciples.  In the Church, a person is first healed through baptism; then at the Liturgy, the gospel is preached and the bread of life and the cup are received from the hands of the ordained clergy.   Let us note also that the twelve baskets of the leftover fragments symbolize the food of the gospel, with which the twelve would be sent out to feed the world.

If we consider those twelve baskets of leftover fragments after this feeding, we're likely to ask ourselves what kind of food we need.  The number twelve is surely significant here, because of the twelve apostles that would carry out the gospel message to the rest of the world, bringing the church into and out of the world, spreading the Eucharist to all.  This action continues today, although we might not recognize it.  But with every generation, with every new technological development of communication, with every new person who hears the gospel message preached, those twelve baskets and the twelve disciples continue to spread this message into the world.  So, it's important to think about it in terms of food, in terms of what we consume, and what we need to "take in" to make us healthy, and to address what ails us.  This is spiritual food.  But lest we be tempted to think that because something is "spiritual" that makes it non-substantial, we might consider what it means to build up a life from what we consume based on this notion that the gospel itself -- Christ's message -- is something we take in.  It is something from which we feed ourselves.  It is a substance that feeds us with new concepts, inspiration, and ideas about what kind of a world we want to live in and what kind of persons we become in life.  Jesus always asks us to follow His commandments; that is, we are to live out the gospel He preaches, and in so doing, we become the people who carry the Church into the world.  In acting His commandments, and manifesting His teachings, we manifest a kind of shape of the world.  Since the beginnings of the Church, it's also been clear that we are to consider carefully what we "take in," and how we nurture ourselves.  We're to be discerning, to "take heed how we hear" (Luke 8:18).    We should beware of things that feed us with corruption, such as the notion that what we do doesn't really matter, or that going along with the crowd is always the best and safest idea.  Our faith teaches us anything but that -- which should be clearly obvious to anyone reading this passage.  We consider here that the apostles are sent out into what would soon be a very hostile world, with Christ's teachings on humility to guide them.  It is important to know that they were disciples before they were apostles, because our discipleship becomes exceptionally important as we are called to become what Christ wants in the world.  It takes discipline to know what humility asks of us.  It takes discipline to remember Christ's commandments and to live them to our best capacity to do so.  It takes discipline to know our gospel message, and to apply it in all kinds of circumstances, and especially to those for which experience hasn't prepared us.  The world moves forward with all kinds of ideas and "food" of its own that would suggest our faith is not the stuff it needs or seeks.  It takes discipline and insight to understand the fallacies and half-truths behind such ideas.  Part of our job as disciples is to learn to discern such things, and to cling to what we know in faith.  It takes discipline to learn how to properly love one another (Christ's "new commandment"), an idea that asks us for constant growth.  Some will find ways to tell us that the spiritual life doesn't even exist.  But that is a way to strip out from the world the food it truly needs in order to build up what is good for human beings, and a foundation for what we want our world to reflect.  Essentially, how we live and the quality of our lives, the standards of our world and communities, all depend upon the things with which we feed ourselves.  Let us not be fooled into giving up what is most precious, and cling more dearly to this gift "for the life of the world."

 

 

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?"

 

 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 these 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, in His response to the religious leaders who accused Him of violating the Sabbath, and making Himself equal with God (in Saturday's reading), Jesus said, "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.  As we begin reading chapter 6 in John's Gospel, my study Bible tells us that this chapter parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in various ways.  In the Exodus story (Exodus 11 - 17), God first performed signs against the Pharoah, and then gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here, we're told that the multitude follows Christ because of His signs, and this also takes place at Passover.  

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 Christ here tests Philip to increase his faith, because Philip needed help in understanding Him (John 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii, it says, corresponds to over six months' wages for a laborer.  Andrew has greater faith than Philip:  he knows that the prophet Elisha had multipled bread for 100 men (see 2 Kings 4:42-44), Andrew offers food brought by a lad.  Nonetheless, Andrew is still weak in faith, and 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.  This feeding of the multitude is the fourth of seven signs reported in the Gospel of John.  Note the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks (in Greek eucharisto/ευχαριστω) and distributed them.  It prefigures the celebration of the Eucharist.  In another parallel to the Exodus story, in which the Jews were said to eat unleavened bread because they were hastily driven out of Egypt and had brought no provisions for themselves (Exodus 12:39).  Here, Jesus feeds the multitudes with earthly bread because they had brought no provisions, as they had rushed out to see Him.

Then these 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, these crowds so desired an earthly Messiah, my study Bible says, that they declared Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only when they filled with earthly things (see verse 26).  Because of this misunderstanding, Jesus departed from them.  

 

 In recent readings, we have discussed the concept of work as Jesus seems to define it on His own terms and from His perspective.  In Saturday's reading, in confrontation with the religious leaders over their charge that He violated the Sabbath by telling a man to take up his bed (and walk), Jesus replied, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  This was an opportunity for us to think about work, and the nature of work -- and especially the dignity of work implied here by Christ in that God the Father and Son are "working."  Earlier, in chapter 4, in the story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, when the disciples pressed Jesus that He should eat something, He told them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know . . . My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (see this reading from last week).   So there is this subtle thread running through these chapters that involves both food and work, and today's reading is no exception.  Again, let us consider that in an earthly sense, food and work go hand in hand:  we work in order to "have bread," to eat food and supply it to our families and community.  But in an agrarian society like Christ's that connection is that much stronger.  Without a good harvest, people are in danger of famine.  Even today, with our worldwide transportation systems, we see what the disruption of war is doing to grain supplies for the poor.  But to get back to our text, there are things we are offered to think about in this context.  The people want to make Jesus a king, and to do so by force.  This will be addressed by Jesus in our following reading, and it is directly linked to the idea of work and the food they've been given by Christ.  But for today let us look at Jesus' choice when they want to take Him by force and make Him king.  This is not the proper "work" for Him.  He has been sent to do a particular job, on a particular mission, and although we might naturally assume Christ's qualifications for such a position of authority, this is the last thing He wants.  He knows what He is about, He knows what work is proper to Him, and that reason is because He seeks the Father's will in all things and there is where He makes His choices.  So while we think about being fed, and this fourth miraculous sign in John's Gospel, let us consider that for Christ, who can feed a multitude from very little resources through His own authority and power to do so, becoming king is not appropriate, not a part of His worldly mission.  This is because His job, His work, is in fulfilling the plan of salvation, and that has to happen a particular way within a particular life He will live in this world, and does not involve becoming king.  The reason why this is important for us to understand is not only so that we think about what specific "work" Christ does and why, and how that works for our salvation, but also so that we, too, should be as discerning about what work we choose to do  in life and how we make that choice.  A job opportunity might sound like a great thing; the money might be entirely enticing to us.  There are all kinds of ways in which various professions will appeal to us, or various types of avenues of what we choose to do or become in our lives, including the skills and experience that come with them.  But let us put our choices first in the lens of our faith.  Let us turn in prayer and communion to the One who not only knows us best and more deeply than we know ourselves, but to the One who has lived among us and understands something about the choices we need to make, the hardships and struggles, and the ways of the world.  Let us find what it is that is an opportunity to please God through our skills and our efforts and energy -- not that we all have to work for a church or religious establishment, but to seek where we can shine the light shared with us through our energy and creativity and our efforts.  It seems to me that just as a flower blooms in beauty that was contained in its seed or bulb, so God has a hand in our creation with particular ways in which we can express the identity, talents, and beauty endowed in our own creation, regardless of which walk of life we choose to pursue.  Be it artistic, industrial, agricultural, a service work, or any other kind of profession we do, we can bring something of this inner light we're given to that work, in one way and another.  I believe this choice, to follow what seems to be pleasing to God, to start with prayer and communion, is present for all of us all the time.  It's important to note Jesus' action at the time He perceives they are trying to take Him by force to be made king:  He departs to the mountain alone, a place for prayer and communion with the Father.  Let us once again consider what work means -- what we "do" in life, what actions we take -- and seek to find that in which we can "work together" with God in the same way Christ pleases the Father, and says no to what is not the way for Him.  In this way, we also will find the work that will feed us, just as Jesus feeds the multitude.  

I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat

 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.  Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.  So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."  Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"  Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.  Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.  And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

- Matthew 15:29-39

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.  Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.  So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.  My study bible comments that Christ's healing of these multitudes, following immediately the story of the Canaanite woman (see yesterday's reading above), shows that these Jews actually had less faith than she did.  St. John Chrysostom writes that Christ healed the woman "with much delay, but these immediately, because she is more faithful than they.  He delays with her to reveal her perseverance, while here He bestows the gift immediately to stop the mouths of the unbelieving Jews."  In terms of St. Chrysostom's comment, we must keep in mind that Jesus had withdrawn to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon in order to escape the Pharisees just after confrontation with them (see Saturday's reading).  Here He has returned to Jewish territory.

Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."  Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"  Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.  Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.  And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.  This is a second feeding of the multitude, which should not be confused with the first (see this reading from Thursday).  They are two separate and distinct miracles.  My study bible tells us that the variation in the number of loaves has significance.  In the first feeding, there were five loaves, which symbolizes the Law.  Here there are seven.  Seven is a symbol of completeness.  Here, my study bible says, it indicates spiritual perfection.  Therefore, this tells us that in the first miraculous feeding, Christ is revealed as fulfilling the Law.  Here He shows that it is He who grants spiritual perfection.  My study bible also asks us to note that these crowds had been with Christ for three days -- the number of days He would rest in the tomb.  It reminds us that participation in Christ's perfection can only come through being united to Christ's death, as in baptism (see Romans 6:3-5). 

One of the things that become noticeable -- once we accept that this is the second of two separate miraculous feedings in the wilderness -- is the expansion of Jesus' ministry.  The healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman is like a dividing line sandwiched between these two events, at least in symbolic terms.  She is a Gentile, and the power of her faith is surprising, eye opening -- and opens up new avenues of Christ's power in response to faith.  In the healing of the four thousand (today's reading) there is additional symbolism.  Four thousand is a number that symbolizes the world, magnified:  the four directions, or even the four points on the Cross.   The perfection of seven is hidden here within the message of the gospel being taken to the world, a faith that works in both Gentiles and Jews.  As Jesus went in the first place to Tyre and Sidon to remove Himself from the immediate wrath of the leadership (to be specific, the Pharisees), so this begins a new turn in the ministry, revealed in the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter and also in this new feeding -- this time on a mountaintop.  How can we imagine the human Jesus proceeding with His ministry?  What are the feelings of this person who is both God and man?  Does He know what will happen, and where He will go?  While we can understand His vision as divine, He still goes through the evolution of His ministry, each encounter giving off new meaning and revealing more about where He is headed.  Regardless of what He knows about the final outcome of His ministry, He still tries to save at each juncture, even preaching and speaking the truth to His enemies.  We read that He marvels in His hometown at their lack of faith.  Although He knows He will bring His friend Lazarus back from death, He still weeps with compassion, being moved by the sadness and grief of His friends whom He loves.  While our Savior is divine, and understands human hearts, He still goes through each reasonable movement in His ministry, allowing things to play out, enabling people to make choices, speaking the gospel message to save even those who hate Him, spreading His word as it all must play out in accordance with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  This tells us something important about the world we live in and those who are faithful to Him and to His ways.  We can't take anything for granted.  He who knew the hearts of all yet spoke to the ones who wanted to kill Him.  He did it for the sake of all of us, He didn't leave out one step, not one iota (or "jot") of what He was supposed to be or do or preach.  In keeping with the lessons yesterday about humility in the encounter with the Canaanite woman, let us consider Christ's own humility in this "adventure" of His evolving ministry.  He follows faithfully the Father step after step.  He does not assume that, knowing the outcome of His "departure" from this world, He can skip anything (see John 8:21-28).  He must be faithful to His call.  We might think we have all the answers at times to our problems and in our encounters with others, but even Jesus does not make assumptions about where He is headed or what He is supposed to be doing.  His faith and confidence in the Father takes Him step by step through all that He must do, as each new thing evolves, and teaches the response of human beings to His word.  If we, too, wish to bear witness properly, let us adopt His humility and patience.  Let us remember the judgment is not now and is in His hands, and we may have things to do as well rather than assume we know where we are headed and try to take shortcuts.  We don't know what God asks of us, or will ask around the corner.  Let us be like Christ and make each step small so that we are led where we need to be, even if we don't always understand or know why.  Let us pray to find our own lives His way!  Even the symbolism in this crowd that remained with Him for three days reminds us of the Passion, death, and Resurrection to come.  But Jesus knows, and will continue, as each new step evolves as it must, and as He must live it for us.

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.