And He took the five loaves the 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

 

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

 

- Matthew 14:13-21 

 

 Yesterday we read that at this time in Christ's ministry, Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

 

  When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.   According to Theophylact, when Jesus heard it refers not to John's death (see yesterday's reading, above), but to Herod's comment that Jesus is John raised from the dead.  It tells us perhaps that this is a signal of another turning point in Christ's ministry.  Recently we read He was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth.  He is already being questioned and menaced by the Jewish religious establishment, the Pharisees and scribes.  With Herod fearing Christ and His power, it is a sign that state power has now turned its attention to Him.  So perhaps this turning to a deserted place by Himself is, as is His custom, a time for prayer and communion with the Father, seeking the direction His ministry should take in response and for the future.

 

  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves the 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.   Jesus is unable to get away by Himself, as by now His popularity and the the demand for Him is so great.  My study Bible comments that this miracle, which is reported by all four Evangelists, shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of God's people, just as He, as Lord, fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  In this feeding in the wilderness, we're told, the Church Fathers see an image of the Eucharist, an idea which is made clear in John 6.  There is another miracle in the future reading in St. Matthew's Gospel, in which Jesus feeds four thousand people, with a different number of loaves.  My study Bible comments that some modern scholars try to say that they're the same story, but Jesus' words make clear they are not (Matthew 15:32-39; 16:8-10).  It is frequently written of Christ that He was moved with compassion (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41, 6:34; Luke 7:13), which shows that His power and authority are extended to people who suffer.  There is also a spiritual interpretation regarding the five loaves, that it indicates the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which my study Bible says are broken open in Christ and thereby feed the universe.  The two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In blessing the food, Jesus shows us that we should not eat without first giving thanks to God.  This terminology He uses points to the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26) and contributes to the eucharistic interpretation of this miracle.  As the disciples distribute the bread to the multitudes, so Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.  The gathering of the leftover by the apostles shows that the teachings which we are unable to grasp are nevertheless always held in the consciousness of the Church. 

 

The story of the loaves and fishes reminds us about abundance; it invites us to ask questions.  Where does abundance come from?  What constitutes abundance?  When is it that we feel we need such abundance?  It's important to note that the people who followed Him on foot from their cities truly desired Him.  His compassion first comes in the form of healing.  In other Gospels, we also find He preached to them.  St. Mark tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion for these people because they were "like sheep not having a shepherd," and so His first act of compassion is to teach them many things (see Mark 6:30-44).  So perhaps our first consideration is to contemplate just what Jesus feeds these people with -- which things does He truly sense they need, and in what order or priority?  There is also the fact that it is because they remain with Him for so much time that the necessity for food comes to the fore.  Jesus shows them tremendous, and importantly for customs and culture in Christian context, hospitality.  He makes the table for them, so to speak, invites them to His supper.  And this language obviously applies to the suggestion of the Eucharist to come.  But perhaps the greatest "sign" here for us to see is Christ's power of multiplication, for such a power belongs to God.  Such a power belongs to the God who created the world.  Perhaps there are many today who speak about an underlying framework of reality which occurs as fractal (see especially symbologist Jonathan Pageau).  That is, the repeated images and patterns which occur and re-occur, scaled to all measure of scale, from the largest to the smallest.  One example of a fractal pattern is the phenomenon of snowflakes; they seem to be a repeated pattern when they occur, each bears resemblance to another but each is unique, infinitely replicating and yet diverse in detail.  This study of reality as an underlying pattern of fractals gives rise to considerations about the creative power of God, and the presence of that very creative power in all things we know.  One small reflection of that is the pattern of the Eucharist, the pattern of this feeding in the wilderness -- and a great example lies in the pattern of Christ's multiplication of the fish and loaves in order to feed a whole multitude.  It is an act which mirrors and reflects the way that God creates.  This feeding itself is a type of pattern, which will be fulfilled in the Eucharist, which in turn will come to be fulfilled in our participation in the life of Christ and our coming together, and being consistently reborn as community, as the faithful in Christ's Kingdom.  If we think about how this very example of God's creative power as multiplicity may work in our lives as faithful, then we may also come to understand how we follow Christ in times of need, or difficulty, or when we are also like sheep not having a shepherd, when we seek answers to problems that present themselves to us.  We always have our Shepherd, and it is the pattern of His very life that is set down for us to repeat, each as a unique expression of faith in following Him.  Do we feel we lack abundance? We might start with gratitude for what we do have, and prayer for what we think we don't.  Do we need to care for people and feel we will be unable to do so?  We start with hospitality and work from there.  We see what we can multiply, what we can divide, who has something that will help and is willing to do so.  And we start with everything in love, because God is love, and if love does not guide us, then we are being misled.  These are all patterns of repetition and multiplication that we need to seek when we are out "in the wilderness" so to speak, for we seek Him in all things (another example of how fractals work).  We seek the meaning that Christ can offer, even in our suffering, for the Cross is also one of those patterns of our lives that means we are to live "like Him."  In this sense we think of the power of God for multiplication, that we each become temples to God, and the Holy Spirit can work in this way as a pattern of multiplication in us, through our communities, through time, for He is the finger of God, sent by the Father, through the Son.  These are all the endlessly multiplied fractals of holy power, the creative power of God, working through our lives and through Jesus Christ, our Lord who gave us all things.  Let us consider the blessings we've got, and be thankful for them, engaging in these gifts for all of us from God.

 

 

 

 

 

Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?

 

 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." 

 

And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven."  So he said to them, "How is it that you do not understand?"   

 

- Mark 8:11–21 

 

On Saturday, we read that in those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."  Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"  He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand.  And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

 

  Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."   A sign from heaven, my study Bible explains, means a spectacular display of power.  It says that the time of the Messiah among the Jews was expected to be accompanied by signs, but the Pharisees have not recognized the sign already being performed by Jesus, because their hearts were hardened.  They thus ignored the works happening all around them.  A sign is never given to those whose motive is to test God, my study Bible adds.  

 

 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven."  So he said to them, "How is it that you do not understand?"    My study Bible explains that the leaven of the Pharisees is their doctrine (Matthew 16:12) and their hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).  In Scripture, it notes, leaven is used both positively (as in Matthew 13:33) and negatively, as it is here.  In either case, it explains, leaven symbolizes a force powerful enough -- and frequently subtle enough -- to permeate and affect everything around it (see 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).  

 

In today's reading, we have two kinds of "hard-heartedness" or lack of belief that we read about.  One is of the Pharisees and Herod.  They seek a sign, and it must somehow be proven to them that Jesus is a truly holy man, let alone the Christ.  It doesn't matter how many "signs" are present in Christ's ministry, doesn't matter how much of what He does is a reflection of God the Father, they won't believe.  Clearly, they don't want to, and have particular interests to guard that might be threatened by the holiness of Christ and His ministry.   Essentially, they want to be "manipulated" into faith, shall we say; that is, forced into it by some spectacular act that will leave no doubt.  But this is not Christ's mission nor ministry.  He seeks those with eyes to see and ears to hear (Isaiah 6:9-10).   What we call hard-heartedness seems to take on two forms.  There is first of all the kind of hardness of heart that Jesus refers to when He speaks to the disciples in today's reading, asking them, "Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?"   This is based on a Scriptural understanding of "the heart" as the seat of understanding and perception.  This "heart" is the door upon which Christ knocks when 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 dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).  In this sense, a hardened heart is one that will not open to truth, will not open to the perception of spiritual truth and understanding to receive Christ, who is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  Then there is the "hardness of heart" that has developed as an understanding of the passage given in St. Mark's 3rd chapter, when Jesus is challenged over healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.  The text tells us that Jesus entered the synagogue, watched over by the Pharisees to see whether or not He would heal on the Sabbath, something they had already faulted.  Jesus asked them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent.  Then we're told that Jesus look around at them with anger, and was grieved by the hardness of their hearts.  This incident led to the Pharisees plotting with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (see Mark 3:1-6).  This hardness of heart has come to mean a kind of cruelty, that in a modern secular usage seems to be divorced from the things of God.  But, in essence, we're speaking about quite similar things.  The message seems to be that a heart divorced of the things of God, will be divorced from even what is naturally good to us, like the healing of a man with a withered hand.  So, hard-heartedness in today's reading takes the form of this demand by the Pharisees whom Jesus condemns in their asking for some great sign -- but also in the form of Christ's questioning of His own disciples, when they fail to grasp what He tells them about "the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod."  They, the disciples, have certainly seen enough to know that He would not be complaining to them for lack of bread!  Here is the place where we have affirmed that the feeding of five thousand, and later of four thousand (see Saturday's reading, above), are clearly two separate incidents, in Jesus' words here to the disciples.  But the near-incredulity we can read into Christ's questions to the disciples teaches us that even He seems somewhat mystified at their lack of understanding, as if these feeding miracles had never happened.  We can think of at least one reason that might explain their repeated lack of understanding, and that is the encroachment of a threat from the religious authorities and the state against Christ.  It will be a long road toward their acceptance and understanding of what is to come ultimately in Christ's ministry, in His Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection.  So let us consider "hard-heartedness" as a term that means a lack of perception of the things that belong to God, the natural goodness of human beings, and the love that we know is of God (1 John 4:8).  For the text shows us that although we might stumble as human beings, there is redemption in the long road of faith, as for the disciples -- while there are still others who have no sense of repentance nevertheless.  Let us ask ourselves where our own hearts are hardened, and what thing we may need to learn to accept today, even if it is difficult for us.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 recent readings, the lectionary has taken us through chapter 8 of John's Gospel.  In that chapter, the setting is autumn of the final year of Christ's earthly life.  He attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, and while there disputed with the religious leaders in the temple.  They sought to have Him arrested, but the temple officers were so struck by Christ's words that they were unable to do so.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus replied to 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 backward in John's Gospel, to chapter 6 (we'll return to begin chapter 9 next week).  This entire chapter parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several significant way.  This is the second Passover festival recorded in John's Gospel, so it is now the middle of Christ's earthly ministry; one year from this time He will make His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and begin what we know as Holy Week, leading to His death on the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension.  Here in these verses, we understand the following parallels with the Passover story:  in the Exodus account (Exodus 11 - 17), God first performed His signs against Pharaoh, ten gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here, a great multitude followed Christ because they saw His signs, and these events take place at Passover. 

 

 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  My study Bible says that Christ is testing Philip to increase his faith here, for Philip needed help in understanding Him (John 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii, it says, corresponds to over six months' wages for a laborer.  Andrew has greater faith than Philip:  he knows that the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for over 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), and so offers the food brought by a certain lad.  Nonetheless, even 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 Christ's seven signs reported in John's Gospel.  This feeding miracle is reported in all four Gospels.  My study Bible comments that the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks  (Greek ευχαριςτω/eucharisto), and distributed them prefigures 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, these 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 filled with earthly things (see John 6:26).  Because of this misunderstanding, my study Bible says, He departed from them.  

I always find it intriguing that the Gospel lets us know that because 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.  It tells us about the multitude (these five thousand men whom He has fed in the wilderness), and what they are looking for in a Messiah, or as they call Him, the Prophet.  It seems the time of the promised Messiah was expected to be a period of prosperity, at least a time of foreign rule to be overthrown, and a return to the time of the kingdom of David.  Certainly these men, we're told, sought to force Jesus to be king because of this great sign of the miraculous feeding in the wilderness.  As we go farther along into chapter 6, not only will events mirror the story of Exodus, as we read in today's commentary from my study Bible, but the theme of feeding, and its fulfillment in the Eucharist will play a very strong role in what Jesus will preach to the people.  This effort to take Jesus by force to make Him king also reveals to us much about Jesus.  He doesn't want a title or an honor because of His miracles;  the signs that are given to us in the Gospel are meant to convey a different message.  His is not a position merely of authority or power in a worldly sense, but they are meant to point to something greater which is beyond the immediate worldly circumstances.  They point to God, and to the presence of God, and God's love for God's people.  For this is the real message of Christian faith.  It is in John's Gospel that we're told, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  While we know a great deal of emphasis on the saving mission of Jesus Christ, perhaps we are inclined to overlook the first part of this verse that teaches us emphatically about God's love for us.  This feeding miracle in the wilderness (in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, there is an additional miraculous feeding of four thousand) teaches us about God's love in the very gesture of hospitality and care it represents and conveys.  The miracle, of course, is in multiplying the loaves and the fish, something only the Creator could do; it is the sign of God's presence in an extraordinary sense.  Of course, the Eucharistic significance is there also, tying in both the Passover and the Eucharist to come in which all is fulfilled in Christ, who feeds us today in the same extraordinary and holy way.  That He refuses to be made king is simply an affirmation of the motivation of God's love behind all things He does, including His care and feeding in the wilderness, and this message of love present in today's reading and this fourth sign in the Gospel.  But what does one want when one gives love?  Do we want worldly glory and fame, a kind of adoration based on what we can do for others?  Or is love a language and communication of something completely different?  Love asks and awaits for love in return, for this is what communion is all about.  Like the parable of the Prodigal Son, in which the prodigal's father simply awaits his return to be a joyous reunion, God asks us for love in return, but does not coerce nor command it from us, for that's not how love works.  Let us ponder this great mystery, as we follow Christ returning alone to the mountaintop.

 

 

 

 

 

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd

 

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what the had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  

 

 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

 

- Mark 6:30–46 

 

Yesterday we read that now King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to th king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples hears of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 

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

And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  My study Bible comments that Christ gives rest to His disciples to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  

So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  My study Bible comments that this miracle is reported by all four evangelists.  It shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of His people as He fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  It notes that the Church Fathers see in this an image of the Eucharist, which is an idea made clear in John 6.  There is another feeding miracle reported in Mark 8:1-10, in which Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish.  Some modern scholars have attempted to say that these are simply the same story, my study Bible says, but the witness of the Gospels is clear that they are two distinct accounts -- and Christ Himself refers to them separately (Mark 8:17-21).  The text tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion, a phrase used consistently concerning our Lord (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13).  It shows that Christ's power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  My study Bible further mentions that there is a spiritual interpretation in patristic literature which teaches that the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ and therefore feed the universe.  The two fish are representative of the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  That the apostles gather the leftovers shows that the teachings which the faithful are unable to grasp are nonetheless held in the consciousness of the Church.  Additional understandings from this miraculous feeding include that we are shown here we should never eat without giving thanks to God.  This terminology, my study Bible says, points to the Last Supper (Mark 14:22-24) which also leads to a eucharistic interpretation of this miracle in today's reading.  As the disciples distribute the bread to set before the multitudes, so also Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.

 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.   After this significant occasion and development in His ministry, note that Christ departed to the mountain to pray.  So we should imitate Him at each new turn in our own lives, for guidance and the strengthening of our faith.

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

How is it you do not understand?

 

 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighted deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  

And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments  did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."

 

- Mark 8:11–26 

 

Yesterday we read that, in those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."  Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"  He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand.  And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

 

  Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighted deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."   What is a sign from heaven?  My study Bible explains that such a sign that is sought here would be a spectacular display of power.  It says that the time of the Messiah among the Jews was expected to be accompanied by signs.  But these hypocrites (Matthew 16:1-3) have not recognized the many signs already being performed by Jesus.  Their hearts were hardened, meaning they have rendered themselves incapable of understanding -- and they ignored the works happening all around them.  Jesus seeks followers capable of faith.  These men only demand to test Him.  Such tests set their own standard, and have nothing to do with the desire to perceive the things of God.

And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments  did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"  My study Bible explains that the leaven of the Pharisees is their doctrine (Matthew 16:12) and their hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).  In Scripture, it says, "leaven" is used both positively (as in the parable at Matthew 13:33) and negatively, as Jesus does here.  In either case, leaven is symbolic of a force which is powerful enough -- and frequently subtle enough -- to permeate and affect everything around it (see St. Paul's usage at 1 Corinthians 5:6-8). 

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."  My study Bible points out that the people of Bethsaida were unbelieving (Matthew 11:21); and so, Jesus takes this blind man out of the town in order to heal him, away from the people who would scoff at the miracle and thus bring greater condemnation upon themselves.  (See also the healing of Jairus' daughter, in which Christ put those who ridiculed outside; He shored up the faith of her parents with His exhortation, "Do not be afraid; only believe" and with the presence of His three closest disciples.)   Moreover, it explains the healing of this blind man in stages as showing that he had only a small amount of faith.  Healing occurs according to one's faith (Mark 6:5-6). But this little faith was enough, and it increased with the touch of Christ.  In addition, my study Bible states that Christ's command not to return to the town is symbolic of the need not to return to our sins once we have been forgiven. 

Today's reading once again takes us back to the essential issue of faith, and how important it is to our lives.  But we go into some details here, in the few stories offered, and so the reading gives us to examine various issues about faith and what it does, and how we need it.  All of these issues remain pertinent to us today, regardless of when they first occurred, or the ancient context of the Gospel.  Taking the stories in today's Gospel reading in order, we first come to the Pharisees, powerful religious leaders from Jerusalem who seek themselves to regulate the faith.  They come yet again to Jesus, after having engaged in an open confrontation (and challenge from Jesus) which subsequently sent Him temporarily into Gentile territory, where He wished to remain hidden.  This time, they come to Him with their own challenge, which we can see as a sort of line drawn in the sand.  They demand of Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  Let us consider what testing Jesus means.  First of all, this is a test of their own devising.  But Jesus is in the world not to please human beings, nor effectively to offer proofs on others' terms, but to follow the will of God the Father.  In terms of the works of God, it's up to these men, and all the rest of us, to seek to discern that same will -- not to impose tests upon God.  For this reason, and likely many others, Jesus will not offer proofs on demand.  His mission is to seek and find the lost sheep of the house of Israel, who will come to Him by faith.  These men test Him out of envy for their positions.  This is "the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod," which comes in the form of desire for proofs on demand, essentially a way to test power, and a dangerous game of finding fault.  But we can see that even the disciples are in some way affected by this, for they are effectively blinded to it.  They don't understand when Jesus tells them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, this type of gain-saying that sets traps by demanding proofs that cannot be delivered.  If we look around, we can still see today similar sorts of traps set by those whose real desire is to reject God and faith for themselves, proofs that can't come, straw men which in fact prove nothing.  These are forms of heresies asserted, such as claiming that if God is good there would be no evil in the world, or even echoing the taunting of the Pharisees at the Cross, that if Christ were really holy or divine He would not die on the Cross.  These are very human ways to doubt God, whose thoughts are not our thoughts, and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8).  As such, they can become temptations for us, too.  Here, the disciples are so set in thinking a particular very "earthly" way that they cannot understand what Jesus is talking about, and assume that He's upset because they've forgotten to bring bread with them.  Apparently, they've also forgotten that Jesus has, in recent times, fed five thousand people in the wilderness out of a few loaves, and subsequently four thousand on another occasion in the same manner.  Even Jesus seems to be perplexed at their lack of comprehension:  "How is it you do not understand?"  If ever we needed an example of how "proofs" do not work when it comes to questions of lack of faith, this is it.  Nonetheless, such examples of the failure of Jesus' personally chosen disciples to understand are in the Gospels for a reason, and they are instructive to us for our own journeys of faith.  Finally, there is the story of the blind man and his healing.  It's most important that we pay attention to Christ's open efforts to find ways to shore up the man's faith -- first of all, in order to facilitate his healing to begin with, and second of all, in order to retain his faith and his well-being.  My study Bible points out that the man begins with a little bit of faith, but this increased with the touch of Christ.  The emphasis for us has to be on the recognition of the importance of taking steps to shore up our faith, even daily.  For while some would seem to suggest that be "saved" means simply a one-time declaration which we can then take for granted, this isn't the story of faith the Gospels reveal to us.  In fact, we really cannot take things for granted in the sense that, while God always extends love to us, we, however, have to do a little work.  We must "work the works of God" (John 6:29).  We need to work at shoring up our faith,  including perhaps avoiding those who seek to tear it down when necessary, and finding ways for Christ to "touch" us, in worship services, in prayer, through our friends who help to shore up our faith, the communion of saints, good studying materials and literature that helps us, and so many other helpful things, even the beauty of nature or the goodness of a kind gesture.  This remains essential for us to remember, not to take our faith for granted, but to remember how important it is to feed, nurture and protect it.  Moreover, like the blind man and like the disciples, faith is not a one-time declaration, but a journey in which we're meant to grow throughout our lives.  It remains of the greatest significance for us to remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength, as Scripture tells us (Nehemiah 8:10).  Let us feed and nurture that joy, guarding our hearts and protecting the faith that makes us see, doing all we can so that we grow in that light.

There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?

 

 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 own; 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 continued His dialogue to the religious leaders, after healing a paralytic on the Sabbath, and declaring His unity with God the Father:   "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 see the honor that comes from the only God?    Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

 

After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  My study Bible comments that chapter 6 of John's Gospel, which begins here, parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several important ways.  Here we note that in the Exodus account (Exodus 11 - 17), God first performed His signs against Pharaoh, and then gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here, we read that 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?"   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 own; 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.  Here is another parallel to the Exodus recorded in the Old Testament.  In the Exodus, my study Bible comments, the Jews were said to eat unleavened bread because they were so hastily driven out of Egypt, and could bring no provisions for themselves (Exodus 12:39).  But here, Jesus proceeds to feed these multitudes with earthly bread as they had brought no provisions,  because they had rushed out to see Him.   He tests Philip to increase his faith, for, my study Bible explains, Philip needed help in understanding Him (John 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii corresponds to over six month wages for a laborer.  Andrew has greater faith than Philip.  He knows that the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), he offers the food brought by a lad.  Nonetheless, my study Bible says, Andrew is still weak in faith, as he questions what five loaves could do for such a number of people there.   The twelve baskets of leftover fragments symbolize that which the apostles would carry into the world.  

 

 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did. said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore, when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by himself alone.  Although Jesus had performed greater signs than this, these crowds so desire an earthly Messiah that they declared Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only when they were filled with earthly things, my study Bible shows us.  Because of this misunderstanding, Jesus departed from them. 

 

This feeding of the multitude is the fourth of the seven signs of the Lord reported by John the Evangelist.  This feeding is so central to the story of Christ's ministry that it is recorded in all four Gospels.  My study Bible further comments that the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks (in Greek, Ευχαριστω/Euxaristo) and distributed them prefigures the celebration of the Eucharist.  Not only is it essential that we tie this important story to the Eucharist, and the feeding of the multitudes in the Exodus, it teaches us about the Lord's capacity to fulfill our needs.  Both the people who've followed Christ in this story, and the Israelites who hastily left Egypt in the Exodus, have done so in following the commands of God.  This multitude in today's story has followed Christ because of the signs He's performed which they've seen (so we are to understand there are many more signs done by Christ than the Gospel gives us), but they have also done so in haste and without thinking of provisions.  In this sense, Jesus is like the sun that draws those who need the light, and so "hungry" are they for what Christ offers that they follow Him up on the mountain.  They've put Him first before their need for food, and this is a sign of the search for something in which to put their faith.  So, just as the Lord fed the Israelites with manna, Jesus teaches the disciples to feed this multitude, and provides the miraculous sign in so doing.  Today's story also teaches us, however, that we need to be discerning in how we read and understand signs.  For not only is Jesus the One who can provide this multiplication of food in a miraculous way, He's also the One the signs point to as Lord -- the One who must teach them about the faith and the reality of God He is bringing into the world.  He does not come simply for material comfort, but to reveal God and how God will lead us forward in our lives, and teach us over the course of our lives to grow in dependence upon God, and also to learn what "works" God calls upon us to learn to do ourselves as we grow in that faith and dependence.  Opening up to Christ is a first step; He must also lead us the rest of the way up that mountain toward a deeper communion with God through our faith, and our lives.  Let us think about what it is Christ has with which to feed us.  We bring to Him our own meager or incomplete provisions as we seek to meet Him wherever we might, but from there we need also to follow Him forward on terms He teaches us, for He has come to lead and to heal.  Perhaps He asks us, in His way, about what we think we need, in order to teach us what it is we really need -- and what food there is that we don't know about (John 4:32).  The people at the end of this story today wish to forcefully make Him king, a political Messiah.  But Jesus has other plans, and greater things to achieve and to bring to us.  Jesus tells the disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  In Him, what there is that may feed us is never lost, and we may always turn to Him for more than we understood before. 

 

 

 

 

 

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 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been attending the Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn festival which commemorates the time that Israel followed Moses, dwelling in tents (tabernacles).  Jesus has been disputing with the religious leaders, who take offense at His teachings, and especially His references to the Father.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus replied to 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 his 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. In today's reading, we skip back to chapter 6 of John's Gospel (yesterday's reading covered the last verses in chapter 8).  If we recall, the lectionary skipped over chapter 6 earlier, so today's reading would follow this one, in order of the Gospel chapters.  In chapter 5, Jesus had healed a paralytic, and was subsequently accused of violating the Sabbath.  So, after these things, in which Jesus had engaged in disputes in Jerusalem at the Feast of Weeks, He had withdrawn with His disciples to the region of the Sea of Galilee.

 

Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  My study Bible explains that this chapter of John's Gospel parallels the story of the Passover and the Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several important ways.   These verses recall the Exodus account (Exodus 11 - 17), in which God first performed signs against Pharaoh, and then gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus11:1-12:14).  Here, the multitude follows Christ because of His signs, and this also takes place at Passover.  

 

Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"   My study Bible comments that here Christ tests Philip to increase his faith, as Philip needed help in understanding Him (see John 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii, it says, corresponds to over six months' wages for a laborer, giving us an idea of the size of this great multitude.  Andrew has greater faith than Philip, however.  My study Bible explains that, knowing the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), Andrew offers the food brought by a particular lad.  Nonetheless, Andrew is still weak in faith, as he questions what a mere five loaves could do among so many.  This sets up another parallel with the Exodus story, as in the Exodus, the people ate unleavened bread because they were hastily driven out of Egypt, and had brought no provisions for themselves (Exodus 12:39).  This multitude has rushed out to see Christ, has brought no provisions. 

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 this multitude (of five thousand men, and more women and children) is the fourth of seven signs reported in John's Gospel.  So central to the story of Jesus it is, that it is recorded in all four Gospels.  My study Bible comments that the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks (in Greek, ευχαριστω/eucharisto), and distributed them prefigures 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 says that although Jesus had performed greater signs than this, these 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 filled with earthly things (see John 6:26).  Because of this misunderstanding, Jesus departed from them.  

This miracle (the feeding of five thousand men, and additional women and children as well) is reported in all four Gospels.  Its centrality to the story of Christ, and of the Christian faith, is powerful.  The prefiguring of the Eucharist is clear in this passage from John.  In the reporting of this miracle in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, we're told that Jesus was "moved with compassion" for the multitude (Matthew 14:14; Mark 6:34).  In each case, the feeding, and the giving of bread, becomes both a part of the expression of Christ's compassion, as well as a statement about who He is and what He does.  He feeds us.  It may seem somewhat ironic that we are to consider this feeding of the multitude during this midpoint time of Lent, a traditional time of fasting in the Church, in preparation for the feast of Easter, the celebration of Resurrection.  But in this story we have something exemplary to think about, and that is the detail included about how these people, fed miraculously by Jesus in the wilderness, want to force Him to become king.  This is not what He wants, it is not what His power is all about, and it is not what His mission is in the world, so He must flee from them and avoid them.  Consider it -- these are the people He's just fed, the people upon whom He took compassion.  But there is the work of faith to do, and that must divide even providing what is necessary for physical nourishment from providing what is necessary for spiritual nourishment.  For meeting physical need without providing for spirit and soul really doesn't truly provide what's necessary for human well-being, and doesn't address the fullness of what it is to be a human being, a person made in the image and likeness of God.  In Mark's Gospel, this crowd is described as being "like sheep not having a shepherd" (Mark 6:34).  But, just as it has been traditional to practice a fast during Lent from the early centuries of the Church, it is important that we understand what it is hunger and thirst, not simply for physical food, but for what  Christ offers us as the Good Shepherd that He is.  He feeds us with spiritual food, but the spiritual life is not at all separate from the fullness of our human life; in a distorted world, we believe our spiritual and physical well-being to be separate things, or that we can simply forget about one or the other.  But in the Christian purview, this is not so.  We need what Christ has to offer, just as we need food -- and in fact, the spiritual nourishment from Christ is an indispensable part of life, for it feeds and informs all the rest of life, including what we do with our physical resources, even how we may think of food.  For everything becomes blessed in Christ, just as He blesses the loaves ("gives thanks" to God; in the Greek eucharisto), and then they are multiplied through God's grace and power, and distributed.  Lent, in the historical practice of the Church, becomes a time when we can consider how powerfully we need God's grace to infuse our lives, to teach us what properly to do with our abundance -- even physical abundance and wealth -- and how to structure all that we have.  For we truly cannot live well without this, and there is so much, in a modern world, that we take for granted which comes from Christ.  This remains so although we may have lost sight historically just what benefit these Gospels and His teachings have meant for the world.  Why is it we honor compassion, for example?  How is Christ's power different from the power of Caesar?  Why is it significant that although He could feed a multitude, He did not desire to become a king?  What is the message of this Shepherd of His people?  Lent is a time when we can separate for a time from the abundance of "good things" that excite our appetites from the good things we get from Christ, and from faith.  We are invited to consider the spiritual food that accompanies life, and how powerfully that also may influence us, move us, heal us.  The twelve baskets full of leftover fragments symbolize for us that which will be taken up by the Twelve Apostles, to distribute to the world.  Let us understand that we continue to be fed with good things, even -- and maybe especially -- when we pass through our own wildernesses.  He remains the Shepherd, for the lost, and for all of us.

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, 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 they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately to 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 healing a man from a Legion of demons across the Sea of Galilee, the multitude welcomed Him back to Capernaum, 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. At this stage in Christ's ministry Jesus calls the twelve disciples together and sends them out as apostles on their first missionary journey.  Disciples and "apostles" are frequently used interchangeably for the twelve as a result.  In Greek the word for "disciple" means "learner"; "apostle" means "one sent out."  We note that Jesus gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  These things Jesus did Himself by His own power; but He gave power to the disciples.  Note how they are to comport themself, in all humility and in dependency upon God.  They take nothing for the journey, they do not dress ostentatiously.  In whatever home they are offered refuge first they are to stay, and not trade up for better place.  Finally, note that they are given power and authority over all demons, and yet should they be rejected their only retort is to shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against those who refuse to receive 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.  My study Bible comments that this is the same Herod (known also as Herod Antipas) to whom Pilate will send Jesus during His trial (Luke 23:6-7).  He is the son of Herod (known as Herod the Great) who slew the innocent infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  The beheading of John can be found in Mark 6:14-28.

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately to 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.  My study Bible cites Theophylact as seeing a liturgical parallel with the feeding of the five thousand.   Christ first healed and then spoke of the gospel, and then He fed the multitude with miraculous bread by the hands of His disciples, who've just returned from their first apostolic mission.  In the Church, he comments, 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.  It's noted also that Jesus tells the disciples, "You give them something to eat."  This is a commission that is a type and preparation for the apostolic ministry the disciples will perform after Christ's Resurrection.  My study Bible says that they will feed the world with the word of God and with the Eucharist.  Of the five loaves and two fish, there is a commentary by St. John Chrysostom:  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."  Again, 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 bread teaches us "not to touch any meal until we have given thanks to Him who gives us food."  My study Bible adds 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).  

In today's reading, we can observe a growing ministry of Christ which now begins to reach out past those of His immediate vicinity and home base.  His apostles are now sent out on their first apostolic mission, going to towns and cities announcing the gospel of the Kingdom, using the power and authority that has been shared with them by Christ over all demons, and to cure diseases.  This is a very important announcement of a kingdom:  note Christ shares His power and authority as a king or emperor would do.  But the nature of this kingdom is obviously quite different from an earthly kingdom.  Its power is not in armies or cavalry or chariots of military weapons, and its authority is not found in worldly structures but is given through Jesus, who holds no official institutional office.  This is the kingdom of God which is entirely dependent upon God.  The disciples are to practice no ostentation, no fancy clothes, not a lot of money, and not to court people who can offer them luxurious places to stay.  The appeal of this kingdom is to the faithful wherever they are found, and that is the key to Christ.  They are not to take vengeance upon those who don't receive them, but rather to leave testimony against them by shaking the dust of the place from their feet.  And at the same time, a worldly kingdom has begun to take note of Christ.  Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, has heard of Him.  Herod has beheaded John the Baptist, and wonders who Christ is when He hears of the miraculous signs which accompany His ministry.  Elsewhere we're told that Herod fears that Jesus is John returned from the dead, and that this is the explanation for the powers He displays in His ministry (Mark 6:16, Matthew 14:2).  We should make careful note that Christ's authority is about a Kingdom making its way into this world; in the next chapter of Luke, Jesus will send out the seventy, teaching them to preach as they go, "The kingdom of God has come near to you" (Luke 10:1-24).  Perhaps most significantly in today's reading, we're given the story of the feeding of the five thousand men (and more women and children).  This becomes a story about feeding the world, a prefiguring of the Eucharist, because now, having returned from their first apostolic mission, the disciples are taught to feed the multitude who comes to find Christ and will not leave.  The twelve baskets of leftover fragments tell us about the Twelve who will go out to the world and feed the world with the gospel of the Kingdom of God.  The fulfillment of the twelve tribes of Israel, this will expand God's kingdom out to the four corners of the world and bless the world as it does.  Jesus has come to claim the world for the kingdom of God, to share His authority and power in a conflict with the demonic already planted in the world.  We note how in the demonic encounters we've read recently, the demons fear Christ; they know who He is, they know His power, and they know their time is necessarily limited.  But He has come to claim a whole world, including us; that is, the multitudes, and the hearts and minds in which He will find the faith that enables the establishment of that Kingdom and the working of its power to heal in us.  This Kingdom does not work by coercion; it relies on God's timing and God's power (hence the disciples merely shake the dust off their feet in testimony to those who will not receive it).  But it is still at work -- the bread sent out with the Twelve across the land and seas of the world reminds us of Ecclesiastes 11:  "Cast your bread upon the waters."  It is worth reading the rest of that chapter in Ecclesiastes and consider how much of it we can find in the teachings of Jesus about reaping and sowing, and even about the harvest of judgment that will come.  The world remains a place where the seed of the Sower must continually go out, where we may choose to join in the work of the harvest, where we may rejoice to hear His word and play our part in His kingdom.  For the four corners of the world still need His blessings through the holy bread of the Eucharist, and His Kingdom must continually go out with its own authority and power -- even into a world of coercion, greed, and so much faith in material power.