Abundance

John 6

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.  Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’  Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.  Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 

I was present to witness this event, how Jesus fed the multitudes on the mountainside. Leading up to this, his amazing miracles were all about healing the sick, the blind and the deaf. You should know that as a result, Jesus had become the subject of quite a bit of attention among the Galilean population. As the news traveled, crowds began to follow Jesus around, curious for the most part, to see what he might do next. However, I don’t believe anyone could possibly imagine what he would do on this mountainside.

Oh, and before going any further, who am I? You won’t know me by name, as I was just an anonymous follower of Jesus. I did nothing special to warrant any attention from the twelve disciples who were closest to Jesus. Maybe the best thing that could be said about me was that I was a student of Jesus, one who followed him, one who observed him, and one who believed in him. And I was there, on the mountainside, just one face in the crowd.

You no doubt know that Jesus did not usually seek out people to heal. Instead, they most often came to him, begging him to heal them or some family member. And Jesus always reacted with great tenderness and generosity, never putting anyone off, never claiming to be otherwise occupied or busy, and absolutely never refusing to heal on the grounds that the seeker was unworthy. Jesus, you see, was very focused on those he called “the least of these.”

And as I am sure you remember, Jesus, when asked, even healed on the Sabbath. But this mountainside miracle, an unbelievable feat, was different. No one asked Jesus to feed this crowd. Instead, it was all his idea, and actually, in this case, it was Jesus who was the one doing the asking, as he tested Philip with his iconic question, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”

I can tell you that, from my observation, until Jesus asked his question, none of the twelve had given a single thought to feeding that crowd. In fact, Philip’s response, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little’ was true, and was supported by the other eleven. In their minds, there was simply no way.

And even when Andrew brought the boy to Jesus, he cast doubt on what Jesus could do with just five barley loaves and two fish. ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’  But Jesus was not dissuaded, nor did he criticize Andrew, Philip, or any of the others for their lack of faith.

Instead, Jesus got down to work.

You surely know the rest of the story, which is included in all four of the Gospels that you can read today. The crowd was fed, all of us; all of us were as the scripture says, “satisfied.” And there were even leftovers! Jesus literally multiplied five loaves and two fish into more than enough food to feed thousands!

So, let me ask you: was there some deeper meaning to this miracle? Or was it simply a wonderful but essentially random act on the part of Jesus, borne on the spur of the moment out of his desire to serve?

Here’s my take on this: Jesus clearly was inclined to heal people, and he did so at every opportunity. But this miracle on the mountainside, feeding a large crowd, was truly at the heart of who he was. And when you take a step back to view his entire ministry, you will see that feeding others was a consistent theme of Jesus.

It began inauspiciously enough, at a wedding in Cana, where the wine ran out part way through the celebration. Called into help by his mother, Jesus turned water meant for purification into the finest wine anyone had ever tasted. And you will no doubt remember that Jesus did so in secret, with only the servants present to witness his miracle. – John 2

But now, his feeding of literally thousands on the mountainside was in full view; not in response to a request for food, but as his own idea, a purposeful act to signal just who Jesus is and what he seeks to do.

And you may also remember that Jesus did it again, a second time (Mark 8). Yes, later on, Jesus fed another large crowd, again multiplying the meager offering of someone who was present.

The events of the next day after the miracle shed light on just what Jesus was about. You may remember that he had sent his disciples back across the Sea of Galilee, to Capernaum. Jesus did not go with them. Out on the sea, they were almost swamped by the waves of a great storm, until Jesus came, walking on the water, to join them and quiet the storm (John 6).

Back in Capernaum, there was an intense exchange between Jesus and the remnants of the crowd, who had followed him there from the mountainside. I was there too, listening.

It was in that exchange that Jesus began to quite literally equate himself to food. Calling himself the “bread of life,” he emphasized how passionate he was to feed those whom the Father gave to him. And not only physically, but especially spiritually, Jesus defined his ministry as one to give life to his flock, literally feeding them with his very being. He was, as he said, “the bread that has come down from heaven.”

His words went so far as to offend some, suggesting that his followers must eat his flesh and drink his blood. In so doing, his very life would be passed on to them, and he would live inside of them.

I was reminded that Jesus fed as no one had ever done before. The children of Israel had been fed by the manna from heaven as they journeyed through the barren desert. But, as Jesus said, while the food sustained them one day at a time, they eventually died.

The food offered by Jesus, on the other hand, doesn’t just feed empty stomachs, enabling life a day at a time. His food literally gives life, an eternal life to all who will consume him to live inside of them. And as he did on the mountainside, Jesus will multiply whatever is offered to him.

And finally, you may also remember how Jesus proclaimed the “new covenant” in his body and blood on the night before his crucifixion. And in that meal, now called the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper, he invited all to partake of him.

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’. – Matthew 26

Early third century depiction of the bread and fish from the catacombs in Rome

That promise has now come down through the ages from my time to yours, and is available today to all who will choose to follow Jesus. Let yourself be fed by Jesus, for that is what he so passionately wants to do!

So, let me ask you: what is this all about? Why was Jesus so passionate about feeding us with his very life?

Jesus himself had the best answer to that question: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” – John 10