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

 

 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 and the disciples returned from the country of the Gadarenes (back across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum), 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, 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.  Here the twelve disciples are called to become apostles.  "Apostle" is from a Greek word (ἀπόστολος/apostolos) which means "one sent out."   Disciples and apostles are titles used interchangeably for the twelve.  Disciple (Greek μαθητής/mathetes) means "learner," or "student."  My study Bible asks us to note that Jesus gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to cure diseases, while He does the same by His own power.  Note His instructions and how they emphasize a humility that contrasts with the power and authority He gives to them:  they are to take very little with them, their clothing must be humble and simple, they are not to "trade up" for better accommodations once they are welcomed in one place.  A place that will not receive them receives this response directed by Christ:  "Shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."

 

 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.  This is the same Herod to whom Pilate would send Jesus during His trial (Luke 23:7).  He is Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee.  He is the son of Herod the Great, the one who slew the innocent infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  For an account of the beheading of St. John the Baptist, see 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." This commission ("You give them something to eat") is a type of preparation for the apostolic ministry which the disciples will perform after the Resurrection, my study Bible comments.   It notes that 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.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.  Of the five loaves and two fish, my study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who 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."  Moreover, Christ looked up to heaven "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 comments further 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).

 

When Jesus sends out the disciples on their first apostolic mission, He tells them, "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."  To our minds at the present time, this might not sound so much like the Jesus of popular imagination.  He is the same one who told us, "Love your enemies" (see Matthew 5:43-48).  How do we reconcile the Jesus who preached those words with the Jesus who teaches His apostles to "shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them?"  Apparently, to love your enemies, then, doesn't mean it is simply fine for the gospel message to be rejected.  We observe that there is no type of retribution or punishment involved here, at least not in a conventional sense.  There is only their testimony which is made against those who don't wish to receive them (symbolically made in shaking the very dust from their feet).  We may observe that, in the Acts of the Apostles, when Paul and Barnabas were persecuted and expelled from one region, they did this very thing -- and "the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit" (see Acts 13:50-52).  We might wonder, why testimony?  In St. Matthew's version of this event there is far more talk in Christ's instructions to indicate consequences to rejection of Christ's Kingdom.  He says to them:  "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" (Matthew 10:11-15).  An unworthy household will not retain the peace with which its greeted, and rejection results in the terrible consequences in the day of judgment.  So testimony, as inconsequential on worldly terms as shaking the dust off one's feet seems to be, has an effect.  It will have an effect on the day of judgment; and unworthiness has a spiritual consequence regarding the blessing of Christ's peace. In Deuteronomy 32, we read the song of Moses.  God says, "Vengeance is Mine" (Deuteronomy 32).  St. Paul reminds us of the same, in the Letter to the Hebrews, when he also speaks of the consequences to the rejection of grace (see Hebrews 10:26-31).  A rejection, rebuke, and testimony -- all while remembering the gospel message and carrying it to all, even the command to love our enemies.  For love does not dismiss truth or reality; quite the contrary.  Just as Jesus teaches the disciples as they go out on their first mission, these instructions for their conduct convey the qualities of love:  "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (see 1 Corinthians 13).  They are to be humble; they offer peace; and they also rejoice in the truth, including that of testimony.  Jesus' powerful love is a strength that comes from confidence in God, and we are to bear that into the world.  A rebuke, a testimony, remains an act of love, for lies have no place in love.  In that love, Christ's strength is on display, and we are to take confidence in all that He teaches, even when others do not receive nor believe.  Our job is to witness, and to live as He teaches.

 

 

 

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

 

Loaves and fish, Byzantine style mosaic, c. 450.  Church of the Multiplication, Tabgha, Sea of Galilee

 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 after healing a demoniac on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, 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, 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.  The twelve disciples are now called to become apostles.  The word for disciple means "learner."  An apostle is "one sent out."  Note that Jesus gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  He shares His own power with these disciples for their first apostolic mission to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick.  As those who are preaching the kingdom and bearing it with them, they are taught to do so in humility, but also as those who witness and testify.

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.   My study bible remarks that this is the same Herod (Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee) to whom Pilate will send Jesus during His trial (Luke 23:7).  He is the son of Herod the Great, who slew the innocent infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  The story of the beheading of St. John the Baptist can be found in 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."   My study bible cites the commentary of Theophylact, who sees a liturgical parallel with this story of the feeding of five thousand.  So central is this story, that it is the only miracle found in all four Gospels.  Theophylact notes that Christ first healed and spoke the gospel of the kingdom of God, and then fed the multitude with the miraculous bread by the hands of His 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. 

 

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.  Christ commands the disciples, "You give the something to eat."  My study bible says that this is a commission of a type and preparation for the apostolic ministry the disciples will perform after Christ's Resurrection.  They will feed the world with the word of God and with the Eucharist.  Regarding the five loaves and two fish, my study bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who 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."

 

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.  St. John Chrysostom comments that Christ looked up to heaven "not as receiving power from elsewhere, but as honoring the Father who begot Him."  That Christ blessed and broke the loaves, writes St. Chrysostom, 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).  

Today's Gospel reading invites us to consider the question:  With what do we feed ourselves?  How are we fed?  Does life consist of the word of God with the things we take into our lives, the ways that we view the world, all that we eat, and breathe, and sleep?  While the Gospel gives us a full day in the life of Christ in the depiction of the return of the apostles, and the subsequent feeding of the five thousand, what we see is a Man for whom the kingdom of God is always present.  And for the disciples, who are now apostles, their lives will be forever marked by this bearing of the kingdom of God into the world.  At no time will their lives be simply about getting through life day to day, but rather about eating, breathing, and sleeping the gospel of the kingdom of God, and bearing that into the world.  The feeding of the five thousand, so central to the Gospels and to the tradition of worship and the Eucharist, teaches us about sacrament.  In Jesus' looking up to heaven, and the blessing and breaking of the loaves, He teaches us about a sacramental life.  All things are turned over to God for God's use and blessing.  This isn't simply about the origins of the Eucharist, but in a sense it is  about a way of life.  That is, a way of life of bearing the Kingdom into the world, and offering our world back to God, so that our lives are filled with this purpose and meaning.  In that way of being in our lives, everything can be filled with meaning and purpose, infused with the ministry of the Kingdom.  Just as Jesus starts here with five loaves and two fish, there is nothing too small or insignificant for this sacramental life.  The breath we take can be accompanied with a short prayer, such as "Lord have mercy."  Our moments can be permeated with such prayer, our lives given over and dedicated back to God.  This is our place in the world as humankind in the viewpoint of the Bible.  We negotiate this world and do so properly by returning our gifts and blessings back to God, in a kind of priesthood of humanity, and in living a sacramental life.  Everything we have is a gift from God, and we simply need to ask for blessing -- as does Christ -- to live such a life in God's purpose.  We can do the same with all of our possessions.  We can ask God to fill our relationships and bless them.  We can consecrate anything for the bearing of the Kingdom in the world.  It is our prayer and faith that mediates, our practices learned from our traditions that are designed to do so, and even our very worship that consecrates the elements of life -- our food -- as that which truly, deeply nurtures for the life of the Kingdom as we live life on earth.  Let us reconcile the two, as we're meant to do, by living lives that infuse and bear the Kingdom in this world, devoting each small thing to purpose by "remembering God."   The words in Greek and Hebrew for "breath" and "Spirit" are the same; let us remember with our breath to breathe in the word of life.

Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while

 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.  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.   Christ teaches the need for rest, and this is particularly of note here for those who labor for the Kingdom.

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.  Mark's Gospel has consistently shown us a build up of the power and draw of Jesus' ministry upon the populations.  We note that Jesus, in His compassion for them,  first "feeds" the needs of the people by beginning to teach them many things, as they are like sheep not having a shepherd.

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."   It's quite interesting that it is Jesus who has been teaching them, out of His compassion, until this late hour.  Perhaps, after the apostles have returned from their first mission, in which Jesus' power was shared with them, it is the time for this new expression of His power for their understanding.

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."  They begin with the instruction that they are to see what is at hand, what resources they may begin with.  One traditional spiritual interpretation of this passage suggests that five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which as broken open in Christ and thus feed the universe.  The two fish then represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In this same interpretation, the gathering of the leftovers by the apostles (after the feeding) shows that the teachings the faithful are unable to grasp are nevertheless held in the consciousness of the Church, says my study bible.  Altogether, interpreted spiritually, this food is still "teaching" for those who are like sheep without a shepherd, which was the need originally discerned in the crowd through the compassion of Christ.   As we take on the eucharistic images in the rest of the passage, how Christ teaches and feeds us becomes even more profoundly substantial.

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.  The image of the Eucharist is clear.  Jesus looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, then gave them to the disciples to set before the people.   The division and distribution in the image is unmistakable.  The twelve baskets that remain suggest all the fragments taken to the world by the twelve apostles, which will be continually broken and distributed for all.  The imagery and terminology also reflects that of the Last Supper.  My study bible says that just as the disciples distribute bread to the multitudes, so also Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.   The number of those who had eaten the loaves reflects a traditional way of counting only the men; in addition to five thousand men, there were no doubt additional women and children.

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.  Our "scene" ends with Jesus departing to the mountain to pray, seeming to go to the rest He had tried to set aside for the disciples in the beginning of story.  Prayer is also a kind of food for Him from which He takes nourishment and direction for His ministry.

It's almost kind of remarkable to consider how it is or why it is that Jesus so often goes by Himself to pray.  After all, He is the Son of God.  Does He need to pray?  Is He not in constant communion with the Father?  These are mysteries we don't know the answer to.  One possible answer is that, of course, while He is divine and the Son, He is also fully human, and the human Jesus is clearly aligned with His spiritual purpose, this mission for which the Son has been sent into the world.  But none of these explanations does Jesus' constant example of prayer real justice.  There is a deeper and more powerful message in these repeated instances of prayer for which Jesus goes aside by Himself to pray.  There are instances, of course, from the Old Testament, of those who commit heroic deeds in the service of the people of God, their devotion to prayer in a deserted place and in the early hours, especially before a great challenge will require strength and courage.  There are the prophets, as in the tradition of Elijah and John the Baptist, who live on the "outside" of the society, in places of wilderness, in order always to pray and be closely dedicated to God.  But why does Jesus need to do this?  From the beginning of His ministry, it has been so.  We have been told first about the temptation in the wilderness, when after His baptism, the Holy Spirit "threw" Him into the wilderness for forty days (Mark 1:12).  There are important turning points when we're told Jesus goes apart by Himself, again often in the very early hours of the morning, to pray.  One thing we must certainly think for ourselves is that if it was this essential to Christ, then how essential must it be for each one of us to make such regular times in our lives for prayer -- and preferably set apart somehow and alone.   This prayer not only seems aligned in the structure of the text with rest, but also with feeding, nourishing, taking strength.   The prayer is inseparable from the source of the abundance He shares with others:  the power that is distributed to His disciples so that they may heal and cast out demons, the power that creates endless food from five loaves and two fishes, and the great compassionate heart that knows what each and ever person needs, that discerns the sheep that need a Shepherd and gives them the true food for their lives.  How are we ever to discern our own true needs without prayer and communion?  Or how can we receive true rest if we don't participate in this deep and full sort of prayer?  Prayer and rest frame our reading today -- it is connected with the food given by Christ and with the Eucharist, inseparable from His teaching and the distribution of the word of the presence of the Kingdom.  How else can we truly, fully, and deeply experience the Kingdom without such personal prayer?   In Him, He tells us, we must abide (see John 15:4-17).  Everything in our faith tradition gives us such means of abiding in Him:  the Eucharist, our worship services, even to the decor and beauty of the Church, its hymns, and all its practices.  But we mustn't leave out the need for personal prayer, and that of especially the example He sets for us.   Without this, where and how do we truly abide even to the depths He seeks in us?

You give them something to eat

 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 across the Sea of Galilee, 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, 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.    We note again that disciple and apostle are terms that are interchangeable for these men:  a disciple is a "learner" while an apostle is one who is "sent out."  Here, the momentous news is that they are sent out on their first mission.  We note that they share in Jesus' power given to them, to preach and to heal.  They are to be totally reliant on the providence of God.  Not changing houses is often seen as an imperative to humility, not to change for better accommodation but to stick with those who have an immediate response to them.  People are also free to refuse, with the dust shaken from the apostles' feet as the only response or rebuke.
 
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.  My study bible says that this is the same Herod to whom Pilate would send Jesus during His trial (23:7).  He's the son of Herod who slew the innocent infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  The incident of the beheading of St. John is found in 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."  And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and tow 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.  My study bible says, "Theophylact sees a liturgical parallel with the feeding of the five thousand.  Here Christ first healed and spoke of the gospel, and then fed the multitude with the miraculous bread by the hands of His 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."

The interesting thing to see in today's reading is this sharing and spreading of Christ's power.  It starts with Him, it's rooted in Him.  It's His authority as well (as when we're told that people were astonished that He spoke with authority).  But those who are His disciples live with Him, come to learn from this close encounter, in order to be like Him.  And when they get to a certain point in their discipleship, they are sent out in order to share in that power, and distribute it to others.  Here we see a true blossoming, the fruit of the seeds of the Sower.  So, as my study bible points out, the reading (in both the sending out of the apostles and the feeding of five thousand) mirrors what is given in the liturgy, and thereby what we are to be about in our lives.  Christ's authority and power is brought into the world in order to be in relationship to us, and so we may - not as the Source of this power and authority, but as participants - share in this power and distribute it as well.  It heals, it feeds, it clothes, it cares for, it nurtures.  But above all, we participate in the love of the Creator, the One who is the Source of love, in order to share it.  If we think of Church as that which spreads and distributes via relationship to the Source, we can ask ourselves many questions.  How does this happen exactly?  Does it happen only on a macro scale, in great movements?  Does it happen on a micro scale, perhaps even in a one-to-one intimacy, in private moments nobody else knows about, in encounter where we too may connect and make a circuit in faith, as with the woman with the bloodflow who was healed by her faith?  (See yesterday's reading.)   Is it in the moments where we bolster our faith by setting aside those who ridicule, or who would trample the good things we can share under their feet?   If we think about it, the action exemplified in today's reading via both the sending out of the apostles and the feeding of the five thousand is something we are called to share in myriad ways.  God will provide the opportunities for us to rely upon and share in this power and authority, to put it to use in all kinds of ways in our lives.  Perhaps this is what it means not to sleep, and to be alert to each call of the Master at all times,  each command, even as we await His return.  It is to be awake to all the opportunities to be disciples, to share in all He offers to share and asks us to distribute for Him.  It's a most important concept, something entirely central to our faith.  In the middle of the actions we're taught about today, there is the curiosity of Herod, the one who beheaded John in favor of his wife and her daughter, the one who was then curious about John and now curious about Jesus.  That's not the kind of interest that invites discipleship; it is in fact a way of looking at the things of God in order to possibly use them.  Herod Antipas will show the fruits of this sort of curiosity.  Faith, however, brings us into an entirely different place, one that is ordered by the authority of Christ to direct our lives, to teach us how to be alert as He wishes, to carry out His plans, to share in His ministry, and His love, His kind of relationship.  Let us think about the difference.

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone - however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

- John 6:16-27

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus' feeding of five thousand men (and more women and children) in the wilderness.  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.

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Jesus has remained on the mountain by Himself alone.  The disciples are without Him.

Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  The very interesting thing about this fifth sign in John's Gospel is the dream-like quality that is evinced through the words that "immediately the boat was at the land where they were going."  In other ways there is a dreamlike quality as well.  It is dark, deep into the darkness before the dawn, and the sea arose with a great wind.  We can imagine the fear accompanying the disciples without Christ, in the boat on the sea.  Jesus walking on the water gives us another quality of the divine; in the previous reading He expanded the loaves and fishes to fill everyone with "as much as they wanted."  Here He walks across the water to accompany His disciples in the midst of the storm, telling them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  If we look beyond the miraculous quality of these two signs, one immediately following the other, what we see in common to them is God's great love, a love that gives not by measure but in abundance.  It is a love that is with us in our own wilderness or when we are alone in the dark in a rough and stormy sea.  My study bible points out that this sign "reenacts ancient Israel's passage through the Red Sea.  Moses led the old Israel through the sea to liberty.  Christ walks on top of the water and leads His disciples over the sea to the land where they were going.   Christ's walking on the sea is a sign of His lordship over creation."

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone - however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"   The disciples had left the mountain when it was dark, without Jesus.  Walking on the water to the disciples, Jesus has evaded the crowd that sought to make Him king, after they were fed in the wilderness.  But they anticipated His arrival at Capernaum and followed.

Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  My study bible tells us, "The multitude had continued to pursue Jesus in the hope that He might miraculously solve all of their earthly problems as He had miraculously provided them with food.  He tries to turn their minds to spiritual concerns, telling them not to labor for perishable food but for the food of eternal life, which is available in the Son of Man.  He does not chide them for seeking and working, but for pursuing temporary satisfaction rather than eternal fulfillment." 

Why do the people seek Jesus?  He's telling them that they chase after Him, anticipating His crossing of the sea and arriving at Capernaum looking for Him, simply because they were filled with the loaves in the wilderness (in yesterday's reading).  They're putting in a lot of effort to chase Jesus and to follow Him, but the toil isn't really worthwhile if they're only struggling for bread which perishes.  Jesus is offering something much more than merely food which perishes, and that is worth struggling and working for.  It is a food that will endure into everlasting life, something that will not disappear but remain forever with them.  And that is food indeed!  That is truly something that feeds the soul and spirit and will never leave us.  To work for this bread of Life, then, is to work for something truly worthwhile, a real treasure, something worth the value of our labor.  It's not that we're not supposed to live our lives in this world, but rather there's something that is more worthwhile, to value as most precious, to truly work for -- and that is what He is offering as Son.  The feeding in the wilderness is Jesus fourth sign in John's Gospel.  Importantly, it's an event that appears in all four Gospels.  My study bible tells us that "placed against the background of the Passover, this sign is a fulfillment of Old Testament messianic prophecies and types, especially the miraculous gift of manna which fed the Israelites in the wilderness after the Exodus."  Most clearly, it's a description with "eucharistic overtones" as my study bible points out.  That is the true "daily bread" we pray for, the one that feeds us and abides unto eternal life, and is not simply perishable food.  So, how do we work for that bread?  While we live our lives in this world, and God knows the things we have need of for our survival and our lives, what do we need to be filled with that fills a deeper need?  Let us remember to work for what is of true and imperishable value.  What fills you where bread alone cannot truly nourish a deeper need?  The Bread of Life is that which fills us in ways that will last and abide for all our lives, for an eternal life.  Especially when "the world" fails us, this bread abides and lives in us, and fills us in ways that the world does not.  In this way, we also understand Jesus' words of comfort, as He gives us His food which doesn't perish:  "It is I; do not be afraid."

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, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So them 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

Yesterday's reading continued a series of readings beginning on Saturday, in which we read of Jesus healing the paralytic by the Sheep Gate at the pool called Bethesda. After this, the authorities sought Him, because He had violated the Sabbath rest. He told them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore they sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. On Monday, Jesus began to teach about His identity as Son, His power to Judge which has been given to Him by the Father, the alignment of His will with the Father's. Jesus taught, " For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man." In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued, teaching them about His union with the Father in judgment. He gave them witnesses to Himself: the first is John the Baptist. He said, "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." Next are His works, and the Father Himself as witnesses: "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." He taught the witness of the Scriptures: "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me." Jesus taught them: "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. In the various Gospels, we read frequently of Jesus sailing on the Sea of Galilee, or crossing over. Sometimes He's in Gentile territory, sometimes among the Jews. But there is always a lot of movement over the Sea, here in Galilee. It's actually a large lake about 7 miles wide and 13 miles long. We recall the disciples central to His ministry who are former fishermen on the Sea, and come from towns along its coast. Peter's home, in Capernaum on its north coast, is a sort of headquarters for the ministry. My study bible says of the Sea of Galilee here, "Its crossing by the Savior is reminiscent of the crossing of the Red Sea by Moses and the Israelites." A great multitude of people has followed Him across the Sea, to this mountain, because of the signs they've seen.

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?" My study bible points out that the Passover coincided with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, "which commemorated not only the Exodus from Egypt , but the first food from grain eaten in the promised Land after the crossing of the Jordan." This particular approaching Passover Feast is the second reported in John's Gospel, during Jesus' ministry. Many of the signs in this Gospel focus around events celebrated in the feasts, just as today's reading recalls the events celebrated in Israel's spiritual history.

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." The story, and Jesus' question here, emphasizes the impossibility of feeding these people in this wilderness on a mountain, far away from cities. Two hundred denarii is about 200 days wages for these working men. As is so common in John's Gospel, Jesus' questions are drawing them in to the problem, and the answer, at hand.

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?" Andrew draws attention to the loaves and fishes, but, as my study bible points out, cannot see the potential in them. It is another way of drawing us into the story, the teaching at hand. Barley, says my study bible, "was generally used by the poorer people -- it cost less than wheat and was ready for harvest in the springtime at Passover."

Then Jesus, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So them 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. Jesus takes charge, teaching what must be done. This feeding miracle is reported in all four Gospels, so central is it to the ministry, teachings, and Person of Jesus. To give thanks is from the Greek verb eucharisto. The overtones of the Eucharist are unmistakable in the giving of thanks, and the distribution to and by the disciples. Fish are, of course, symbols of abundance, and also an important early Christian symbol. The ancient Greek word for fish (ΙΧΘΥΣ) forms an acronym for Iησους Χριστος Θεου Υιος Σωτηρ: "Jesus Christ God's Son Savior." This phrase reflects the teachings of Jesus about Himself and His identity to the leadership in our recent readings. In the distribution of the food, all have as much as they want. It is a fulfillment of the "type" of the feeding of Israel in the wilderness with the miraculous gift of manna.

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. As with the manna, Jesus says that "nothing should be lost." But here is more abundance: there are twelve baskets left of the bread, one for every apostle to continue His work.

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. My study bible has a note which explains the use of the term the Prophet: "The Galilean Jews, with their misguided messianic enthusiasm, equate Jesus with the Prophet of Deut. 18:15-19, whom they expect to be an earthly, political leader who will lead them against the occupying Romans, as Moses led his people out of bondage. Because He is not to fulfill these expectations, Jesus withdraws from the crowd." What we note for ourselves is Jesus' firm lines about who He is and what He is. He will not be persuaded by the desires of the people who follow Him. Whatever gifts He gives, whatever miraculous sign He produces, it is clearly with a mission in mind, and the will of the Father for His work in the world.

What does it mean that these crowds want to make Jesus a king because He's fed them? It shows us the warnings He's made all along, concerning the shallowness of belief that comes strictly from His signs, without understanding the power of God that is truly there, and the depth of relationship toward which each is called. John's Gospel has already told us that Jesus would not entrust Himself to those who believed only through signs (especially true of the Galileans who had seen His signs at the Festival), and so we are prepared for this response. But the power of Christ's ministry rests in something deeper than the signs He performs, although the signs truly do point to His origin and His identity. So we are left with the question for ourselves: why do we believe in what Christ offers to us? What are we after? Is it His love that guides us? Do we take to heart what He has to teach? Or do we suspect that Christ will provide us with everything we need in a material sense? The difference between these two types of expectation is the difference between love and want. Faith asks of us a kind of trust that we will be led to what is best for us. Want merely demands, and offers a list of what others should do for us. Jesus never merely gives in to the wants and the shoulds. His ministry is for the life of the world, and as such He is here to give us the life He offers, not the sort of life that we might demand. We must open our eyes to really receive this gift. We must make room in our hearts for His Way.

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 not 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

In yesterday's reading, we learned that Herod Antipas, king of the Galilean region, had heard of Jesus, and was afraid. He thought, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." Mark gave us a sort of "flashback" to the death of John the Baptist. John was imprisoned by Herod Antipas, because he criticized the marriage of Herod to Herodias, his living brother's former wife. But the king secretly feared John and knew him to be a holy man. He was perplexed by the things John told him, but he enjoyed hearing him. On the day of his birthday, the king held a party with all the nobles and best people in Galilee. Herodias' daughter danced, and the king pledged an oath to her before all his guests, making an extravagant promise. "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!" The girl made the request as she was told. 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. While we note here the importance of rest suggested by Christ, we can go even further into our understanding of Christ's relationship to His disciples. They report all the things that have happened on their first mission, in which they were sent out two by two. But Christ's emphasis here is on care, not on their performance. He wishes them to take care of themselves, not work themselves to death; His loving relationship is not based on how hard they are working but rather on an integral, full understanding of what it is to bear fruits for the kingdom, to be fully human in relationship to Christ. God loves the fullness of who we are, including all our needs for rest and periodic withdrawal. Withdrawal for prayer with Him can be our greatest tool for renewing our energies; this time for nurturing and care is also a part of a loving relationship to Christ. We don't prove anything or gain His love by overworking -- even with "good works." One prayer of St. John Chrysostom, appearing in liturgy across denominations, also includes these powerful understandings of relationship ("when two or three are gathered together in His name you will be in the midst of them") and especially the way in which our petitions are answered: "Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us." Discipline and nurturing are both part of loving care. We may also need the discipline to rest when commanded to.

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. Once again, however, Mark records for us Jesus' great fame. He cannot escape from the crowds no matter how He tries! Here, the multitudes arrive even before Jesus and the apostles get to where the deserted place they are headed.

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. Jesus is moved with compassion for this crowd, because they are like sheep without a shepherd -- and He has come first for the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." Note that His compassion is not expressed in any form of answer to complaints or lack of material care. His compassion is expressed in feeding them spiritual food, the true "daily bread." He began to teach them many things. This is the stuff for which the lost sheep hunger and thirst, what they need from a Good Shepherd. They deeply desire what He has come to offer in His love for the world.

When the day was not 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." Here again, the material need, our bodily needs as human beings, come into play. It's not just the disciples who need rest; now the crowd is in need of food because it is late. But Jesus' command comes as a surprise. It reminds us of something more, that ties in both the "compassion" of Christ in giving His teaching, and His instructions here to the apostles. It reminds us of the final words of the risen Christ to Peter in John 21. After eating with the apostles, Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?" The answer is always "Yes" -- and three times Jesus replies afterward: "Feed my sheep." Christ's love in relationship to us incorporates the whole of who we are, what kind of beings we are.

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. Christ's manifestation of abundance is an example of His parables of the workings of the kingdom, especially that of the mustard seed. It is a teaching to the apostles, those who have just returned from the mission on which they've been "sent" (the meaning of the word apostle, deliberately used here in this passage in a rare instance in the gospels). Whatever they have, it is enough; the abundance comes from the mysterious workings of the kingdom. My study bible puts it this way: "The disciples learn a great lesson here: whatever they have is enough to feed the people, whether physically or spiritually. God can multiply our resources so that everyone can be filled. But we must participate in His grace: Christ, along with the Father, blesses the loaves, but the disciples distribute them." Of course, what we have here is also a picture of the Eucharist. It is important that we consider what is our "daily bread" and its true meaning which combines both the physical and spiritual. Jesus met His own temptation with this teaching from Deuteronomy 8:3 (which referred to another miraculous feeding in the wilderness, that of the Israelites fed with manna): "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (including Jesus' teaching). There is enough left over to fill twelve baskets -- one for each apostle, symbolically to carry to the whole world. To note that there are five thousand men is a cultural custom; there were also additional women and children present (according to Matthew).

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 exhausting day, Jesus once again returns to His agenda of rest, withdrawal, renewal, solitude. This time He goes to the mountain, alone. It seems also that, after this great feeding miracle, His ministry has taken a new turn, a new level of manifestation. To go into solitude to pray is also to prepare, to seek guidance for the next steps in one's life, to learn how God wants us to go forward in life in relationship and faith. Again, we are not merely physical creatures; in all things, we remember that it is the whole of ourselves that needs care. Our spiritual care must be the first priority; from there, in that relationship, comes all else, all nurturing.

So, in Christ, we find so many things that teach us about the ways in which we need care as human beings. We are His sheep, we must be fed with the spiritual and physical food we need. We need the Good Shepherd to guide us in all of our lives. Jesus' example teaches us many things about the care and "feeding" of who we are. We withdraw when we need to, especially to pray -- to find our way, to "recharge our batteries," to gain direction, and for rest in God, in Christ. Our works that manifest in life come from this relationship; they are an integral part of the fruitfulness of the kingdom and the seeds planted within us -- and from "every word that comes from the mouth of God." And our physical care is also important, essential. We take rest when we need to. We prove nothing by over-exhausting ourselves! Love doesn't work that way; it wants what we truly need and what is truly best for us. It does not demand a kind of slavish proof of devotion; instead what is in the heart speaks more deeply to Christ than anything else we can do. From there, Christ leads us forward into growth. In Revelation 3:20, we read: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Relationship, faith, trust in Christ means allowing Him into the whole of our lives, the deepest place we dwell -- and allowing Him as Shepherd to care for us as His sheep, and teach us what we need to do, as is best for us and for our own part in the growth of His kingdom. Most of all, we learn His love, so that we may "love one another as I have loved you." With what do we take care to feed one another? As disciples, how do we feed His sheep?

And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, is disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." He said, "Bring them here to Me." Then He commended the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

- Matthew 14:13-21

In yesterday's reading, we read the story of the beheading of John the Baptist, in Herod Antipas' court. First, we're told that Herod fears Jesus is John the Baptist returned. And then we are told why: at a party for his birthday, Herod swore an oath. We remember that John was imprisoned for criticizing Herod's marriage to Herodias. At Herod's birthday celebration, Herodias' daughter danced, and in the presence of all the guests Herod promised to give whatever she might ask. Her mother told her what to say. She said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter." Because of his oath, and because of the guests who were there, Herod had John beheaded, although we are told that he was sorry. The girl received her request as she had asked. The gospel tells us, Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. The death of John is a momentous occasion, and perhaps one of great grief. The kingdom is indeed under assault, facing persecutions -- and Jesus' ministry will now go into a new phase. We assume He goes to a deserted place for prayer. Today's reading signals the presence of the kingdom in a more powerful way than before.

But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. As the gospels so frequently tell us, Jesus never fully gets the moments to Himself that He seeks. He is pursued by people wherever He goes. Here, He is "moved with compassion for them" and heals the ailments of the sick they bring to Him. In my imagination, I seem to feel His grief for John as He heals with compassion, sending out the love into the world that the world denies the kingdom. It's the opposite of the cruelty of Herod's court that lives only by material power, and is merciless -- a place with no room for the kingdom.

When it was evening, is disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." To feed is always a sign of grace, of mercy. And this scene will be reminiscent of the feeding of the Israelites in the "deserted place." Again, we take note of Jesus' compassion, as it extends beyond healing and to feeding this crowd. It is the opposite of the merciless rule of Herod and those like him. In stark contrast to the gruesome facts in yesterday's reading is the compassion Jesus continues to give, grace upon grace, an outpouring perhaps in some sense occasioned by the news of John's death.

And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." He said, "Bring them here to Me." Then He commended the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. Here is a picture not only of the feeding in the wilderness, but also of the Eucharist. In other gospels, we are told that Jesus was moved with compassion for the crowd because they were "like sheep without a shepherd." The expansion of His love has now extended more fully, to embody the qualities of His divinity, to share the great grace which we celebrate in the Eucharist. This miracle of feeding of the five thousand is so important that it is mentioned by all four evangelists. My study bible says, "The Church Fathers see in this an image of the Eucharist, an idea also expressed in John 6, the discourse on the Bread of Life. . . . Moved with compassion is used in very similar situations to show the Messiah's power and authority extending to those who suffer."

So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. If we see in this feeding an image of the Eucharist, then we understand the distribution through His servants, the disciples -- and later, those who serve in the Church. In this light, the twelve baskets left represent that which will be distributed by His Twelve Apostles, for the life of the whole world.

In today's reading, we are given an extraordinary contrast to the events in the reading before, at the court of Herod Antipas. One kingdom is contrasted with the other. In the heavenly kingdom that Christ seeks to bring into the world, grief and loss occasion an outpouring of mercy and grace -- and indeed, grace upon grace. Jesus' signs of the kingdom are expanded now, in an extraordinary way. He mirrors the feeding of the Israelites in the desert, and seems to echo the very words of Psalm 78: "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? . . . Yet He had . . . given them the bread of heaven. . . . He sent them food to the full." In Herod's kingdom there is a scramble over what is limited; in Jesus' there is great abundance, with more coming, and "twelve baskets full" of what remained. Let us take, then, an understanding of the two kingdoms. Into this world comes Jesus, and John the Baptist, bringing the good news, the good word, the good seed. How does it take root among us, in a world that may still be plagued by material power without mercy, of brutality and violence, and no room for truth nor mercy (as there was no room at the Inn!). Let us learn then what it is to make room for this Kingdom, in our hearts and in our lives, even if we have to make a place in the desert to do so. Let us make room in our hearts, so that we make room in all the choices we make in our lives. We remember that God said the world was "very good" -- it is our separation from God that changes how we use the very good things we are given.