Feeding five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and some fish is a remarkable story in itself, especially for a place and time without the availability of modern food stores. Despite the obvious lack of available resources, Jesus asks Phillip the odd question of where they could buy enough food to feed the many people who had followed along. Enough food was indeed found, but how is not made clear in the story. The results, however, are well known. After Jesus blesses and gives thanks for the five loaves and two fish, the food is distributed and the leftovers fill twelve wicker baskets so that nothing goes to waste.
The significance of this miracle is undeniable, indicated by the fact that this story is the only miracle found in all four gospels. The Evangelist John uses this story as one of seven signs that reveal who Jesus is and what he is about (The Gospel of John, Barclay, p. 9). For John, the multiplication story serves as a prelude to the bread of life teaching.
Not long after the miracle of the loaves, Jesus says to the people, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (Jn 6:35). With this, John aims to show that the Eucharist is the bread of life, a morsel of which will be shared by many, just as the multiplied bread was a morsel shared by many on the grassy knoll.
The supporting characters in the multiplication story provide additional insight into who Jesus is and what he is about. This insight in turn helps us understand our relationship with Jesus. Phillip is the first. When Jesus asks him where to buy enough food for the hungry people, Phillip’s immediate response is to throw up his hands in frustration and desperation. He is overwhelmed. He sees no available option because the money needed to buy even a morsel for so many people is absurd. Phillip suffers from the common ailment of paralysis by analysis, so he does nothing. He doesn’t even think to ask Jesus for his opinion on the matter.
How many times do we respond like Phillip when faced with what appears to be insurmountable odds? Our anxiety and worry lead us to forget the advice of Peter who urged the early Christians to “Cast all your cares on God, because he cares for you” (1Pt5:7; Ps55:23). Jesus likewise cautions against worry, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Jesus urges us to have courage and seek first the kingdom of God, and everything else that we need will be provided without our worry (Mt 6:33-34).
Andrew is another character in the multiplication story who provides a lesson. He is a little more positive than Phillip. Andrew’s first response to the question about food for the many is to point out the presence of a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish. Andrew’s hope, however, quickly fades into skepticism about the usefulness of such meager supplies for such a large crowd. Andrew has little confidence in his ability to do anything, so he simply relies on someone else—the boy—to solve the problem.
How often do we act like Andrew? We are hopeful at first that things will work out well, but our confidence soon turns to doubt in our ability to do much of anything. Our anxiety and fear hold us back, and we do not turn to Jesus for hope and encouragement. We forget that Jesus pleads for our trust when he says, “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
Then, there is the boy. We don’t even know his name, but we know that he brings all that he has—his five barley loaves and two fish—with complete humility and trust that Jesus will accept his meager supply and take care of the rest. Without question. Total abandonment and trust in Jesus. This young man took seriously the advice found in Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; on your own intelligence do not rely. In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov 3:5-6).
The lesson the boy offers to us is clear. When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (Jn6:35), he in fact claims that he can nourish our spirits. He claims that he is enough for all.
The challenge for us today is that we often doubt this possibility. We question how to find genuine nourishment. Sometimes we look for it in the wrong places. Sometimes we spend our spiritual coin for what is not bread; our wages for what fails to satisfy. There are times when we experience spiritual poverty and feel as though we have nothing to eat or drink. In those times, we are not satisfied.
Yet, the Lord Jesus calls us out of our poverty. He invites all of us to come to his banquet with trust and confidence. “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened,” Jesus says, “and I will give you rest.” All we have to do is bring all that we have—our hunger and our thirst—to him, and then do as he says.
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