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 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 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 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.  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 apostles have just returned from their first missionary journey, so they have much to talk about with Christ regarding what they had done and what they had taught.  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.  But even in a deserted place which they went to by boat, they cannot escape the crowds who anticipate where they are going and run before them.  Again, we see a display of Jesus' compassion, with the distinctive phrase that calls to Christ, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  My study bible makes note that the Gospels frequently use the phrase moved with compassion of Jesus (Matthew 14:14, 20:34; Mark 1:41, Luke 7:13), which shows that 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."  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 miracle, the feeding of five thousand men (and more women and children), is reported by all four evangelists.  It depicts our Lord feeding a great multitude of His people just as He fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  Jesus teaches that we should never eat without first giving thanks to God.  My study Bible comments that the terminology here points to the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26), and therefore leads to a eucharistic interpretation of this miracle.  This is made clear in John 6.  As the disciples distribute the bread to the multitudes, so also Christ feeds us the Eucharist through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.  There is also a spiritual interpretation found 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 thus feed the universe.  The two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  Additionally, the gathering of the leftovers by the apostles (twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish) shows that the teachings which the faithful are unable to grasp are nonetheless held in the consciousness of 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.  Once again, we see Jesus withdrawing as He intended to before the multitude followed.  But this time, He departed to the mountain to pray.  It is a reminder that we often need to withdraw to pray, but we also may consider this important "landmark" in His ministry of the feeding in the wilderness, and that it begins a phrase in His public life.  To depart to the mountain indicates a communion with God the Father, a place where important spiritual experience takes place.

With what do you feed yourself?  With what does Christ feed you?  Certainly we can read in today's reading the commentary regarding the Eucharist, and how this central feeding miracle foreshadows the Eucharist and Christ's words at the Last Supper.  But when God chooses to give us something, there is no stinting at this effort, no piecemeal sort of giving.  Christ gives us Himself.  He gave Himself in the Incarnation, He gave Himself at the Cross, He gives Himself in the Eucharist.  But there is so much more to read into today's Gospel reading.  Jesus responds to our suffering.  He responds with compassion to the needs of humanity that call to His lordship for us.  He was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  And that was what they needed, a shepherd, so He became the Shepherd and taught them many things.  Finally, they continue with Him the full day and have nothing to eat -- and this becomes the opportunity for the miracle and for teaching the disciples how to act with what is at hand.  It is a great lesson in hospitality, which is at its true heart and purest form an exercise in compassion.  This theme runs throughout the Scriptures, and was embodied in the lives of the desert monks.  So how can we incorporate into our lives the lessons Jesus teaches?  We must remember that at all times, an abundance in life is created when we have Christ with us.  He fills us with good things (Luke 1:53), especially those particular things for which we are truly hungry and need.  He teaches us to take the initiative, to start with what is at hand, to understand that when we begin with prayer we are halfway there to fulfillment of what's necessary.  And He shares His great gift of compassion and hospitality with us, as He distributes through the disciples, teaching them the image of His Church.  Jesus has said, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).  Well, where even two or three are gathered there is room for hospitality and graciousness, and there is room for the richness we have in Christ and in our faith and the Church as a whole and all the gifts stored therein for the world, and the saints and angels that are a part of it.  We make room for Christ, as He has made room for us, even a banquet in the wilderness.  The richness of such a gift, one feels, is one we have only started to understand, for we enter into His abundance, not just our own.  Let us do as He does always, and remember our prayer, for that is where every good and perfect gift begins, for "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).  Wherever we are, when we are with Him, we have what He offers, the things with which He feeds us.  He is our Shepherd for those of us who need Him, our Teacher who teaches us what we need, and who multiplies His abundance for us.  Sometimes it is all so hard to see, but in prayer we'll find we are offered what we truly need.

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

 

 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 our previous reading, Jesus was at the Feast of Tabernacles, on the last day of the Feast.  He continued to dispute with the religious leaders:  "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham,, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered "If I honor Myself My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple," going through the midst of them, and so passed by.   

 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.   Today the lectionary skips back from chapter 8 (our previous reading, above)  to chapter 6 of John's Gospel.  My study bible comments that chapter 6 of John's Gospel parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several important ways.  In these verses, we're reminded that in the Exodus account (Exodus 11-17), God first performed signs against Pharaoh, then gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here, we're told, the multitudes follow 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 comments that here, Christ tests Philip to increase his faith, for Philip needed help to understand Christ (John 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii would correspond to over sixth months' wages for a laborer at Christ's time.  Andrew shows that he has greater faith than Philip, as he knows the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44) and so he offers the food that was brought by a certain lad.  Nonetheless, Andrew is still 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.   This feeding of the multitude is the fourth of seven signs given by Christ as reported in John's Gospel.  It is significant enough that it is recorded in all four Gospels.  We return again to the theme of the parallel between the Exodus account of Israel's flight from Egypt, in that the Jews were said to eat unleavened bread because they were hastily driven out of Egypt, and they had brought no provisions for themselves (Exodus 12:39).  Here, Jesus is feeding the multitudes with earthly bread because they had brought no provisions, as they had rushed out to see Him.  The description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks (in Greek, eucharisto/ευχαριστω), and distributed them is a prefiguration of the celebration of the Eucharist.  

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 comments that although Jesus had performed greater signs than this, these crowds were so strongly desiring an earthly Messiah that they declared Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only when they were filled with earthly things.  Because of this misunderstanding, Jesus departed from them.  

John's Gospel is filled with all sorts of misunderstandings that turn into a kind of "classic" way for Jesus to explain His teachings.  For instance the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well wishes she had some of that water Jesus speaks about, when He tells her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,  but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (see John 4:1-42).  Or when Nicodemus asks how a person can be born again when Jesus teaches him about Holy Baptism (John 3:1-21).   It is misunderstandings that lead to "teachable moments" that characterize John's Gospel.  But in today's reading, we have a slightly different sort of misunderstanding.  Jesus has just provided people miraculously with food in the wilderness.  A few loaves and fishes are miraculously providential so they can somehow feed 5,000 men (and yet more women and children).  Not only that, but there are twelve baskets of fragments left over!  But what do these people understand from Jesus and this fourth sign in the Gospel?  Do they understand that this is indeed a sign of God's being extraordinarily close and present?  Do they see its true miraculous nature?  No, their minds are fixated on the purely pragmatic and material, and as far as they are concerned, Jesus must be made king, so that they can be filled always with the bread He is capable of producing apparently on demand.  And what's more, this Man Jesus who clearly has divine power isn't free to advise them, or teach them what He thinks they need to know or what they need to do.  No, they want to forcefully take Him and make Him king.  The man who feeds them clearly is someone they need to use their way, for their purposes, and without discerning anything deeper that can possibly be gained by His presence.  This is a misunderstanding indeed -- for even as they call Him the Prophet, all they can think of is that they need Him to be king.  So, it's another type of misunderstanding, but one that must play itself out over the course of the chapter in John's Gospel, as we follow even more misunderstandings that are to come based around this feeding in the wilderness and the teachings that Jesus has to offer the people.  But for now, let us be content to observe that they seek to take Him by force and make Him king, which serves as occasion for Jesus to evade them and find His way alone to the mountain to pray.    It seems rather typical that from this start, things will go completely upside down in terms of the people's understanding -- or lack of it -- as He tries to delve deeper and teach them about the bread that comes down from heaven.  We human beings seem always to mistake God's gifts for the material things of this world we all think we need and compete for with one another.  God's blessings are not necessarily worldly blessings, and yet, even after two thousand years of Christianity, modern human beings will confuse a saintly and blessed life with that of an image of -- for example -- a billionaire living in a California mansion.  It really doesn't necessarily follow in terms of the truth of a truly spiritual and blessed life.  It seems we still must keep endeavoring to understand Christ, regardless of how long His message has been repeated.  Let us pay close attention to the events of this chapter as they play out over the course of this week.

 

 

 

 

This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world

 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 yesterday'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.  Once again, John's text tells us of many signs that Jesus performed but have not been specifically reported in the Gospel.  Of this new chapter, my study bible tells us that it parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several important ways.  In Exodus 11-17, God first performed signs against Pharaoh, and then gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here a multitude follows Christ because of His signs, and it 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?"  In the Exodus, it is said that the Jews ate unleavened bread because they were driven out of Egypt in great haste, and had brought no provisions for themselves (Exodus 12:39).  Here, a great multitude has brought no provisions, having rushed out to see Christ.  In this section, Christ tests Philip in order to increase his faith, my study bible says, as Philip needed help to understand Him (14-8-10).  Two hundred denarii would correspond to over six months' wages for a laborer.  Andrew shows greater faith than Philip.  He knows that the prophet Elisha multiplied bread for 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), and so he offers food which was brought by a lad.  My study bible comments, however, that Andrew is still 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.   The feeding of the five thousand is the fourth of seven signs that John reports, and it is also recorded in all four Gospels.  My study bible remarks that the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks (Gr. eucharisto/ευχαριστω) and distributed them is a prefiguration of the celebration of the Eucharist.  

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 remarks that although Jesus had performed greater signs than this, the crowds were so desirous of an "earthly" Messiah that they declared Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only when they were satisfied with earthly things (see Jesus' statement in v. 26).  Because of this misunderstanding of Jesus' role, He departed from them.

What does it mean to be fed?  With what do we need to be fed?  These are questions suggested by today's reading.  Let us note that these people have seen signs of healing of disease by Christ, also a normal, hoped-for outcome of "good nourishment."  Today's reading gives us the fourth sign in John's Gospel, another indicator of the nature of Christ, and through the Incarnate Jesus, the nature of God.   My study bible says that all the parallels to Exodus in this chapter reveal Christ's nature as fulfillment of the old covenant.  Similarly to the manna in the wilderness, Christ feeds these 5,000 men (and more women and children), out of whatever is at hand.  He displays the power of multiplicity, an inexhaustible resource.  But to understand our own needs as purely material is a mistake, as His refusal to be made king indicates.  He did not come into the world as human being only to provide for material needs and demands, but rather to give another kind of food for something more deeply a part of us than even our flesh.  In the passage in which the disciples came upon Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman (in this reading), we read that His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."  So food figures already in the Gospel before this miraculous feeding of thousands in this fourth sign we're given.  Christ speaks of food as something more than the food we know.  He also speaks of a harvest in that reading in figurative terms as well, a harvest of the fruits of the Spirit and of faith.  What we are being conditioned to understand through Christ's works is the "more" there is to life that needs to be fed with the proper nourishment in order to thrive, to grow, and to bear good fruit -- to "be fruitful and multiply," as the command in Genesis was given.  This food that He offers is something more than meeting material needs alone.  Rather, it is a food that leads to our good condition so that we may thrive in all ways, fully benefiting materially, spiritually, and in our souls.  For without the food of truth and beauty and goodness that He offers, is life really fulfilling if only material needs are met?  What of our minds and souls?  What of our creativity?  What of our uses of the talents and resources with which we're blessed?  And there is more to consider:  our very notion of freedom, the choices we make for our souls, and what we serve with our lives.  It is Christ's truth and the fullness of His Person that He brings to us with the food He will offer.  Here in today's reading, He displays His divine capacities, He offers food where there is none.  So it must be when we are short of resources in any circumstance, and when we need help that doesn't seem to be available, including spiritual renewal, creativity, and insight.  The people think Jesus is "the Prophet," and they wish to make Him king, but they are wrong.  The truth about Christ will have to unfold as we continue in this new chapter of the Gospel.

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.

Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?

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

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was in the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman came to Him, recognizing His royal lineage, and calling Him, "Son of David." She said, "Have mercy of me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But He wouldn't speak to her. His disciples asked Him to send her away, as she was pestering them. Jesus told her, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then, we are told, instead of going away, she worshiped Him, and persisted, 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. Once again, Jesus goes up on the mountaintop, seemingly seeking solitude, as in the earlier reading of feeding the multitudes. We have to note that the earlier reading took place just after Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist, and that Herod Antipas feared when he heard of Jesus' power, because he was afraid John had returned in Jesus. This reading today, I feel, also gives us another turning point in Jesus' ministry, because a Canaanite woman is a recipient of His healing grace, due to her great faith. Once again, He withdraws, presumably for prayer. But yet again, the message is the same: there are too many multitudes who need His healing, and they always disrupt His attempt at solitude. When He withdraws, they follow Him. But in today's reading, the message is even more powerful. After the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter, the healings in today's text tell us that the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in Jesus. After the Canaanite woman is included (a descendent of those once cursed with slavery in Old Testament Scripture), in today's reading the God of Israel is glorified. And there is another powerful element at work here: we can assume that this multitude, in this territory, includes many Gentiles.

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." As in the previous healing miracle in which 5,000 men (and more women and children) were fed, after His work of healing, Jesus has compassion on this multitude of people. We observe their devotion to Him. They have been with Him three days. I think it's tempting to assume that they stay with Him simply because He offers them so much, His healing touch. But faith asks of us something different, and Christ asks faith. We can assume their devotion is more than simply out of desire for some sort of material gain, but a devotion of faith for all that He has to offer. Earlier, in chapter 9, we're told Jesus has compassion on the crowds, for they were "like sheep without a shepherd." Here, these crowds clearly believe they have found their Shepherd, the One they have awaited, the One prophesied by Isaiah. What we observe is His compassion for them; He knows they need Him and what He is offering, and He knows they know and recognize it.

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." We can look again at the symbolism in these numbers. The seven loaves indicate a number of completion. We can't help but think it applies to this second miracle of feeding as one that includes the whole world. My study bible notes: "Though Jesus focused on Jews, He taught and healed all who came to Him, thus transcending racial distinctions and prejudices." This Kingdom transcends all boundaries, everything we already think we know; in fulfillment of Scripture, Christ offers us so much more than we can anticipate. And let us not forget that this is the very nature of the Kingdom; we know so through His parables of leaven and mustard seed, of the great net that is cast for so many fish. The bread and fish in our story tell us of the abundance of the Kingdom: the leaven in the bread, and all the fish in the sea that await these particular fishermen who have been called to become fishers of men.

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. Again, we have a repetition of scenes of Eucharist: the blessing of the bread, and the distribution through His disciples. This time the seven large baskets left over tell us about the preparation of this bread for the whole world, Jews and Gentiles. Four thousand: a large number, a multitude, but a number that gives us a doubling - side by side, Jews and Gentiles, two by two. We are clearly to consider this feeding, this example of God's power in the wilderness, even to create matter, to multiply our abundance, a separate event from the earlier event in Jewish territory where five thousand men were fed. It is a second miracle; Christ's power will go out to all the world, although it begins among the Jews. Matthew's Gospel is considered to have been written for a Jewish audience, but it contains in it a message about the God of Israel, who is glorified in all of Creation, in all the world.

So let's consider the expansion of this ministry in the context of the parables of the Kingdom. It is growing in extraordinary ways. Not only are the miracles those of abundance, of a table spread in the wilderness, but each marks a turning point, a significant departure from the past, things unexpected and unforeseen in common understanding, although foretold in prophecy. Christ brings us something beyond this world, or rather our worldly understanding, but it is something that this world is meant for, created for, ready to receive through faith. And thereby we have the taste of the promise, of what He means for us. In this powerful abundance, in the will of the Creator, we have a taste of what it is to truly grow and to come to see. Nothing can really stop this Kingdom, if we look closely at the Gospels. That is, nothing but one thing we might lack, the one thing necessary. And that is simply our faith. Where it doesn't exist, where it can't get through and make its connection within us, there is also no room for Christ's abundance, His splendid power that promises us what He wants for this world. And so, like all the fish drawn in the great net that He spoke of, we await His return and we do as we must as His disciples, we allow that Kingdom to grow in us and in our lives, and grow the fruits in ourselves that He promised must be ours in faith. So how do you await that time? How do you help build this Kingdom in the world, if only in yourself and through your own discipleship, even as we pray, "Thy kingdom come?" We remember His grace, His healing energies, the truth He has to offer to us. How do you help that Kingdom to grow in your own life?

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?

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 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

Over the course of the past several readings, we have been reading about incidents that took place in the temple, at the time of the Festival of Weeks, or the Jewish Feast of Pentecost. Jesus first healed a paralytic man, telling him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." The authorities challenged the man, saying he was violating the Sabbath; he told them that the man who healed him said to take up his bed. When they found Jesus, they confronted Him about doing these things on the Sabbath, and He said, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore they wanted to persecute Him all the more, because He said He was God's Son, and made Himself equal with God. Jesus than began to teach about Himself. He did as the Father willed, was given all things by the Father. He will do greater works than they have seen, for in Him is also the life in the Father. Moreover, the Father has committed Judgment to the Son. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. He told them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live." In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued. He offered four witnesses to His Sonship: the Father, John the Baptist, the works that He does as given by the Father, and finally the Scriptures of Moses and the Old Testament. He said, "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?"

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. While John reports seven signs altogether in His gospel, we are also told that many signs were performed that the Gospel doesn't mention. In this way, Jesus is already very well-known, and has many people -- "a great multitude" -- who wish to see Him. Now He has crossed back over the Sea of Galilee after the Festival at Jerusalem and the events there we read about over the past several readings. Now the Passover Festival draws near. My study bible tells us, "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."

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?" John gives us a glimpse here into the mind of Jesus: He's testing Philip, because He already knows what He is going to do. That's a very interesting understanding. Often we may read in the Old Testament Scriptures about God's testing of Israel throughout its history. Here, we also have a fulfillment of "type" -- the multitudes follow Jesus onto a mountain top, as the Israelites leaving Egypt into unknown territory for the Promised Land. Can one buy bread in the wilderness? My study bible says that Philip was tested because he needs to understand who Christ is. Jesus continually reveals Himself -- especially in this Gospel -- through the things people don't know and don't understand, what they cannot see. He reveals the potentials inherent in His identity, and in relation to those who have faith in Him and to His Creation. Two hundred denarii is a large sum for these working people, about 200 days' wages for a laborer. Andrew looks to see what is on hand, but can't understand what can be done with such small provisions. By noting that these are barley loaves, we get a picture of the people who follow Jesus: they are the poorer people. Barley cost less than wheat, and, my study bible notes, was ready for harvest in the springtime at Passover.

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. The feeding of five thousand (this is the number of men, a traditional way of counting -- there would also be women and children present) is reported in all four Gospels. It is a preview of the Eucharist: to "give thanks" in the Greek is the verb eucharisto. The food is blessed, distributed to the disciples and then given to the people. This is Jesus' fourth sign in John's gospel. Here in this setting, and at this time, it is a revelation of the divinity in Christ in the "type" of the feeding of Israel in the wilderness after the Exodus in the 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. The twelve baskets are symbolic: the Twelve Apostles will go out into the the world with the food of the Gospel, for all the world. My study bible says, "As with the manna in the wilderness (Ex. 16:16-21), nothing of the gift of God should be lost. In contrast to the manna, here we have an abundance of twelve baskets of leftovers, one for each disciple."

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." We contrast this with Jesus' speech made to the temple leadership, which John has just reported in the verses previous to today's reading. He told them, "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?" Jesus was referring to the verses in Deuteronomy, when Moses foretold of the Prophet who was to come: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him" . . . "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him." Here, those who have seen this sign believe that He is that Prophet, as predicted by Moses. The witness or testimony of the sign has been in a certain sense grasped by these people who are fed on the mountain top, but not by the leadership in the temple. Their expectations of this Prophet are not in keeping with Jesus' identity nor mission -- John once more gives us truth through the people's misapprehension. My study bible says, "The Galilean Jews, with their misguided messianic enthusiasm equate Jesus with the Prophet of Deuteronomy 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." He is another kind of Leader, one who seeks those who will worship God in spirit and truth, the Teacher for all of us.

In yesterday's reading, Jesus contrasted the love of God with the love of the praise of men. He spoke of those who understand only the glory that comes from men rather than the glory that comes from God. There is repeatedly an assertion about a relationship first with the Father, and from this comes the understanding of Christ. So, I think that even in this reading, we have to ask ourselves, "What is glory?" Even through this great miracle or sign of the feeding in the wilderness, we will see the misunderstanding arise. John reports Jesus' signs, but does not offer them as proofs to force faith. Instead, they are testimony; they point to something beyond themselves. Over and over again, what is taken at face value is taken wrongly. Worldly assumptions about Christ and what He does simply can't take in the truth of His mission and His Person and intentions. Instead, He asks for those whom the Father is seeking: those who will worship in spirit and truth. The purely worldly, the obvious, is mistaken, just as an authority that comes only from other people and fails to have a connection to the true authority of God, through the love of God, will fail to grasp what is truly present. Let us ask ourselves what it is to worship in spirit and truth. Let us ask ourselves what we seek when we look at this text, or read of these signs. Can they teach us more than what we read or hear? Is there something we reach toward, even within ourselves, that takes us beyond our own limits and expectations and assumptions? That is the place we will find faith, the love of God -- the potential that is truly there in five barley loaves and two small fishes. Without this, we will miss the abundance of life itself.