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Gospel: Matthew 14: 13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What happens when there is a shortage of something we value?
Think of the basics like food, land, and water. When human beings fear going hungry or thirsty, the worst in humanity can emerge. Suddenly, the world becomes a dog-eat-dog world, a zero-sum game.
My gain is your loss.
Strangely, this is not only true with basics like bread and water, but also with small conveniences like a plush roll of toilet paper or a prime parking spot.
I’m sure we’ve all seen videos of panic buying; people pushing and shoving before doors open on Black Friday; fists flying over the last toy on a shelf before Christmas; a ridiculous shooting over a parking space.
Or, worse, a stampede for a bowl of broth in a refugee camp.
When resources are scarce, people panic.
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This is what makes the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves so intriguing. There are thousands of people who came to a remote place seeking Jesus. Now they’re hungry and in need of dinner.
The disciples only have five loaves of bread and two salted fish.
That’s barely a snack for these twelve grown men.
Thus, their reaction is understandable – send the crowds away! Allow them to fend for themselves. Perhaps their selfishness would’ve stung a little less had the setting for today’s Gospel been a food court in the mall.
But it’s not.
They’re in a deserted place, somewhere on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, where the Lord had hoped he could pray alone after hearing of the death of his cousin, John the Baptist.
Now the sun is setting, people are hungry, and the Lord must act. “Give them some food yourselves,” Jesus says, exhausted with the disciples’ lack of faith.
I imagine the look on their faces being one of bewilderment and frustration. How will their light fare ever be enough?
Suddenly, the Lord takes the bread and fish, raises his eyes to heaven, blesses it, and hands it back to his disciples, with the command to share.
Before dark, everyone is fed and satisfied – so much so that there are twelve wicker baskets filled with fragments – I’d imagine scraps of wheat, sourdough, rye, raisin, and pita.
More than enough for a “doggy bag” or two.
How did it happen? Where did all of this extra bread come from? Did these five meager loaves miraculously grow back every time someone tore off a piece?
Perhaps. If the Lord could heal the boils of leprosy, give sight to the blind, and even bring people back from death – the eternal unknown – then he could certainly bless a loaf of bread, causing it to rapidly regenerate.
But would that be the best possible outcome? Or could there have been an even greater miracle that day?
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The multiplication of the loaves is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels, which means it’s mentioned more than Christmas, more than the crucifixion, even more than the empty tomb! In fact, Matthew and Luke record it as happening twice.
This is undoubtedly a crown jewel in the Lord’s legacy, a feather in his cap.
Perhaps what made it so special was not five loaves of rapidly regenerating bread, but something entirely different. Imagine the disciples receiving their dinner, freshly blessed from the hands of the Lord.
Peter begins mumbling under his breath – something like, Great, another night of fasting – when, suddenly, a wave of empathy is stirred in the heart of his neighbor.
Realizing that Peter might otherwise go hungry, his neighbor breaks his silence, informing him and the other disciples that he, too, has a few slices of bread tucked away. So, he offers what he has to Peter and the others.
Slowly, people catch on, sharing whatever they have with others – bread, fish, even a little lamb wrapped in grape leaves or a few dates. And – voila! Everyone is filled.
This might be the real miracle – convincing people, even if only for an evening, to think beyond themselves. To work together, transforming the threat of scarcity into a blessing of abundance.
It was a simple menu, but a wholesome atmosphere.
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Perhaps the problem with biblical miracles is the fact that we focus a little too much on Christ’s power – though infinite – while forgetting our own.
Christianity is an incarnational religion. We not only believe that God took on flesh 2,000 years ago, that he lived in a small city in Palestine, performed a few miracles, then was betrayed, crucified, and raised from the dead.
We believe that God continues working in this world through us – his hands and feet – as he issues and re-issues the command, “Give them something yourselves.”
Break your bread. Share your time. Give up a parking space. Stop waiting for a miracle to happen.
Become part of one, instead.
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Image credits: (1) Miracle Living Today, CBN (2) Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, Heralds of the Gospel Magazine (3) Adobe Stock
