17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)   

 July 26, 2009

2 Kgs 4:42-44

Ps 145 

Ephesians 4: 1-6

John 6:1-15

Let’s listen again to the story.  Let’s have a look at it from an eyewitness report.

There were all these people there.  They came out knowing that Jesus’ preaching could satisfy their spiritual hunger.  But it had been a long time and now they had a physical hunger.  But nobody wanted to leave.

But there were all these people.  And they were hungry.  It was Jesus who said: “What are we going to do? How will we feed them?”

Philip knows what to do.  “You just buy some bread for them.”  Then, as an after thought, he adds: “But there are thousands of them.  Why to buy just one piece of bread for each of them, well, we don’t have enough money!”

Andrew says: “Does anyone have any food?”

A big hush comes over the crowd.  People look suspiciously at one another.  Their must have been quite a few who had some food, but they all kept their mouths shut.  Nobody admitted to having a crumb of bread or an ounce of fish.  They did not want to take the risk of losing it.

But this small boy who was up near the front.  He had been watching Jesus with an open mouth and a wet nose.  He patted his pockets and said: “Sir, I have some bread.”  Out came five slices of bread and two small dried sardines.

The crowd laughed.  Everyone except Jesus.  Jesus took the slices of bread and two fish and told the people to sit down. 

The noise level of the crowd grew again as everyone sat down.  Only the small boy remained standing there, looking up at Jesus, his eyes full of wonder – wondering “am I the only one with bread?” and “is he going to eat my bread and fish?”

Jesus gave thanks to the Father for the bounty of creation and the generosity of a small boy.  He gave the bread and fish to the disciples and told them to divide them among the people.  They started to break until everyone had enough, even more than enough so that they still had bread in their hands when their stomachs were full.

Then Jesus collected the leftovers.   Twelve baskets they gathered.  Jesus gave them to the boy; after all it was his bread, his fish. 

Living in a greedy society, it is not hard to figure out why conflicts and quarrels arise.  Somebody wants what another has.  Not just material things, but power, influence, attention.  Jealousy, resentment, hurt, anger and many other troubling experiences arise in the human heart even (especially?) among people who are wealthy, never go hungry and have virtually everything. 

Paul encourages us today to grow in that sense that God provides everything we need.  If we don’t have it, we probably don’t need it.  There is enough food, enough money, enough power, enough prestige, enough to satisfy the human heart.  If I don’t think so, then there is something wrong with my thinking.

The next time you are asked to give and you think “I don’t have much.  It isn’t’ worth the while.”  Think of the small boy.  Think of his generosity.  Remember the twelve baskets given back to him.