In caring for people, Jesus also cares for their stomachs. Love nourishes. Any mother can tell you that. And God, who is infinite father and infinite mother, takes care that we have something to eat. This is clearly seen in the episode of the feeding of the five thousand, which is today's gospel. A similar episode in Matthew further underscores Jesus' concern (see Mt 15:32). John, in his typical emphasis on Christ's divinity, focuses more on his control of the situation. Thus, when Jesus asks Philip where they can get bread for the people to eat, John comments: "I was saying it to test him, for he well knew what he was going to do.".
When the disciples want to dismiss the crowd (Mt 14:15), Jesus replies: "No need for them to go, feed them yourselves." (Mt 14:16). In today's Gospel from John, both Philip and Andrew express their helplessness in the face of the need to feed so many. While refusing to let them dodge the situation, Jesus takes the reins. God always does this: He demands that we play our role, but the really effective role is His, and we must always remember that. If Philip and Andrew, in response to Christ's question, had jumped up and started running in search of bread, they would have exhausted themselves uselessly. The proper response to any problem is to be willing to do what we can, always knowing that what really matters is what God does. We are only instruments of his action, just as we see the apostles helping to distribute the bread.
We must always remain calm. A small detail in today's Gospel says a lot. Jesus says to the disciples: "Tell people to sit on the floor.". And God had already foreseen it, for we are told: "....There was a lot of grass in that place." God thinks of everything. A little boy had very little to give, his five barley loaves and two fish, but he gave everything. The disciples, at least, had the good sense to talk to Jesus - to pray - in the midst of their inadequacy. With a little generosity and willingness on the part of some, with a little prayer, God then does the rest, by far. And Our Lord even tells the disciples to gather up the leftovers afterwards so that nothing is wasted. Awareness of the enormity of divine power must not lead to waste. God may multiply food, but he does not want us to waste it.
Homily on the readings of the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
