Christian Art | Easter To Pentecost | Jesus’ Miracle Of The Loaves And Fishes
John 6: 1-15 Audio Bible KJV | King James Audio Bible | Daily Verses
1 AFTER these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5 ¶ When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 ¶ When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Much of Christ’s early ministry takes place around the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberius or the lake of Gennesaret. There were a number of towns around the shore of the lake, and the shore was often the setting for Christ’s preaching.
John only tells us specifically of seven of Christ’s miracles, chosen to suit his purpose. He does tell us, in verse 2 of today’s reading and at the end of his Gospel, that Christ performed many miracles, which John calls signs. As he tells us of the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, John clearly connects this with Jesus’ presentation of himself as the bread of life, which follows shortly in this chapter of the Bible.
Many, many people have by this time heard of Jesus and witnessed his miracles, namely the healing of those who were sick. They flock to see him. They have tremendous enthusiasm, though they do not understand who Jesus really is. Through the first half of John’s Gospel, Jesus’ mission builds up tremendous momentum, before the clouds gather and his Passion is at hand. Now, with so many people gathered, Jesus is concerned to take care of the people, providing for their bodily and their spiritual needs. Both spiritually and bodily, the people are hungry.
John tells us that the Passover is near. The seemingly unimportant detail that there is much grass in the place reinforces this: the time must be around the height of spring. Through this, we are taught to relate the miracle of the loaves and fishes to the Christian Passover which Jesus will institute, and also to the Passover of the Old Law, which Jesus supplants. There are clear parallels. In Exodus, the multitude cross the Red Sea; here Jesus will cross the Sea of Galilee. A great crowd followed Moses as they do Jesus. Moses performed great signs. He went up to the mountain, as Jesus goes up to a mountain in these verses. And, in the wilderness, when the Israelites hungered, they received manna, bread of heaven.
While Philip sees no possible solution to the problem, Andrew takes a different approach. He finds a boy who has two fish and five barley loaves. This would be the daily ration for the poor. The boy has handed over his entire daily ration of food. He has given to Jesus all that he has, and it is through this great gift that Jesus will work the miracle of satisfying everyone.
John’s phrasing now is significant: ‘And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples…’ We have, then, almost the very same words with which the Synoptic Gospels describe the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Our understanding of the Eucharist is hereby illuminated. The boy has shared all he has, and through Christ’s divine power over matter everyone is satisfied. We recall these thoughts as we celebrate together and receive the body and blood of Christ.
Once the people have eaten their fill, Jesus is concerned that nothing is wasted. There is thrift here and a spirit of poverty, of respect for the world’s resources. It is also a suggestive moment, as Jesus tells his disciples to gather the fragments of bread. So we are all to be gathered; we are all called to share in the bread of life, which is Christ’s body; there should be no waste; nothing should be lost.
The bread has truly been multiplied. There are twelve baskets of fragments, one for each of the tribes of Israel, all of whom are called to share in the life of Christ, to understand how the Old Law prefigured the New, and to believe the New.
Now the people wish to make Jesus their king. He is the Messiah! This is true, but they are thinking in terms of an earthly, political messianism, that Jesus may be come to lead the Jewish people to victory against the Roman power. Jesus will need to explain, as he does to Pilate, that his kingdom is not of this world. We are asked to consider that Christ’s teaching – that our life in Christ – transcends national and political divisions. We think of all those fragments of bread being gathered. Christ is for everyone. Nothing should be lost.
Lord our God, your Son Jesus fed those who followed him in the desert and they received as much as they wanted. May we know and be convinced that he can fill our own emptiness not just with gifts that fill our need of the moment but with himself, and may we accept him eagerly, for he is our Lord for ever.
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There Is Enough Food For Everyone
This is the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude with just five loaves and two fish, given to him by a boy. This miraculous event demonstrates God’s provision and abundance, reminding us that there is always enough food for everyone. The passage begins with Jesus and his disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee and coming upon a great multitude who had followed them to hear Jesus speak. Seeing that the people were hungry, Jesus turned to Philip and asked: ‘Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ (John 6:5, KJV)
Philip’s response was one of doubt and practicality. He replied: ‘Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.’ (John 6:7, KJV) Andrew, another of Jesus’ disciples, brought forward a boy who had five loaves and two fishes, but he too was doubtful, asking: ‘What are they among so many?’ (John 6:9, KJV)
Despite the doubts and practical concerns of those around him, Jesus took the loaves and fishes and blessed them, breaking them into pieces and distributing them among the multitude. Miraculously, everyone was fed, and there were even twelve baskets of leftovers – which we might understand as symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel.
This story of the feeding of the multitude has inspired and uplifted believers. Saint Augustine wrote in his commentary on John that ‘this miracle is a symbol of that bread which was to come down from heaven, and which was to be broken by the passion of Christ for the life of the world.’ For Augustine, the miraculous feeding of the multitude foreshadows the Eucharist, in which the bread of life is offered to all who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
In the Protestant tradition, theologian John Calvin saw in this miracle a reminder that God’s provision is limitless. He wrote in his commentary on John that ‘Christ here exhibits a striking proof of his divinity, that he may raise us to admiration of it’. For Calvin, the feeding of the multitude demonstrates the power and authority of Christ, who can do far more than we can ever imagine or ask.
One lesson of the story is that with giving there can and should be abundance for everyone.
A further lesson is that we should not horde our wealth or claim it as our own, but share freely with everyone.
As Pope Francis has written in his encyclical letter Laudato Si: ‘God has created the world with ample resources for all its inhabitants, and he has given us the capacity to use them in an intelligent and sustainable way.’
Saint Augustine reflects on the contrast between the hidden riches of Christ and the visible poverty of his humanity. What appears small and limited in Christ’s earthly life conceals the fullness of divine wisdom and knowledge. Augustine draws on the language of scripture to show that Christ’s poverty is not a loss but a means: through it, humanity is brought to a greater inheritance [ … ]
Our first Sunday Bible reading for advent picks up on themes from previous weeks. This now is Mark’s recording of the Sermon in the Temple, and we have here too, at the conclusion of the sermon, a declaration of Christ’s coming, of the parousia, of Christ the King. One key message remains: Beware, keep alert, watch; no one knows when this moment of full revelation will be save the Father. Meanwhile, in this present world, live wholly with Jesus [ … ]
Sometimes, when I read my Bible, I pause in the reading and say to myself: ‘This bit’s real.’ It would be fair to say, I have issues with Mary, because, contrary to what we are taught to say, Mary isn’t my mother. Rather: Mum is. One bit of the Bible-text says this: And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, “He is beside himself.” … And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mark 3: 21; 31-35.) Here she comes. She is in considerable distress. I can imagine that. I can relate to that. To save her boy from whatever he’s got himself into this time. And you’re not telling me there isn’t something inside that. Her boy is beside himself. Radical. Radicalized. Radicalizing. A misunderstood word. /ˈradɪk(ə)l/ adjective & noun. 1 Forming the root, basis, or foundation; original, primary. 2a Inherent in the nature of a thing or person; fundamental. b Of action, change, an idea: going to the root or origin; far-reaching, thorough. c Advocating thorough or far-reaching change. d Characterized by departure from tradition; progressive; unorthodox. ‘He has a demon! And he is mad!’ – thus ‘the Jews’. (e.g. John 10: 20.) Come home! It’s all she wants. His family want him back now. But it is an exclusive cult: there is an inside and there is an outside; and on the outside, they are not meant to understand, lest they be converted. He has defined himself as different from anything she was. Only at the end does Jesus say to his Mum – and with savage, bitter irony: ‘Woman, behold your son.’ And then he dies. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. We ask that we might find Mary in our hearts as a Yes! place for Jesus. It is also recommended that we pray to Jesus that we may be further in oneness with Mary. It is self-emptying, such that we only exist insofar as we are responsive to God’s Word. * Last term, and put-out to pasture, the old Archbishop Emeritus came over to stay for a few days and did the odd class with us. He spoke of Yes! as the meaning of Mary’s virginity. And we were not very nice about him. One or two took umbrage. One or two got the hump. In a sense, his Grace, the Arch, basically wanted to move anyone he’d ever known from a high-place – a mountain – received theological ‘truth’ – to an imminent, human plane. Earthing the spiritual. Recalibrating metrics of life’s believability toward a spiritual sense of things. He might have asked the impermissible question: what happened? His Grace described it. God’s love as a cloud. This descended upon Mary – and subsumed her. Within the cloud, Mary capitulated utterly. She became only and purely a response to God’s love. As he spoke, the Arch cradled her. He carried her in his lap – in his hands. His Grace was a consecrated bishop. He was faith. He sat squat, a rounded man, hands cupped and ankles crossed, fingers interlocked, with parted thighs. Rumpled, washed, speckled. A lifetime’s skin… There could be no doubt His Grace spoke through long-term personal relationship with Mary. It was Julian went for him: ‘So are you saying Mary was a Virgin? Or are you not saying Mary was a Virgin?’ Nasty. No, it wasn’t pretty. Julian twisting his silver ring. For a moment, what Julian had said to the Arch simply failed to communicate. No, for a moment, that dumped on the air meant nothing. Then His Grace said: ‘There is a range of possible meanings we may understand in the question of Mary’s virginity. For example, there are understandings of the word virginity entailed in the action of giving birth.’ Julian said: ‘Duh! So had she had sex or hadn’t she?’ Trigger words. No, it wasn’t pretty. On that went for a little while. At length, Julian’s point seemed reluctantly conceded. Then the Arch told us a new story, an additionally human event, the more to baffle us. Controversially, he told us that Mary could not have been Joseph’s first wife, for this would not have been the way of things in the society of that time. His belief was that Joseph must have taken Mary into his household through pity. That would be normal, he said, for Joseph to bring a young, vulnerable girl, who is about to have a baby, within his protection, not meaning to enjoy with her marital relations, but through kindness. ‘And this story of the inn and stable,’ the Archbishop said, ‘it can’t have been like that really. Joseph has travelled with Mary to stay with his family, at home in Bethlehem, and they don’t want Mary in their house, for reasons which I am sure we can understand. It must have been there was considerable resistance to Mary. But Mary gives birth, and who can resist a baby? That’s what happened. It must have been. ‘I’m convinced that must have been how it happened really.’ Later that term, toward the beginning of Advent, we met boys who had been here before, in Valladolid, and now were in regular seminary. They had heard and recited verbatim all the Archbishop had said to them. Their spot-on impressions of each of the fathers were scathing. […]
