"The Uncomfortable Comforter": A Reflection on The Gospel for July 29th, 2018: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 6:1-15  (RSVCE)
Feeding the Five Thousand

​6 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tibe′ri-as. 2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3 Jesus went up into the hills, and there sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii[a] would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus then 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. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by himself.

An evangelical pastor friend, after years of serving a rather legalistic congregation, decided to start reading a few of the more liberal theologians and scholars. One of these so called experts, in her exegesis of the above passage, said that the “miracle” was simply getting 5,000 people to share whatever munchies they’d brought with them that day; like a big communal picnic. In other words, it wasn’t a real miracle. I think my friend, being close to retirement and getting rather sick and tired of the fundamentalist mindset of the “hell, fire and brimstone” crowd, decided to push his inner pendulum to the opposite extreme. Jesus can be so uncomfortable and demand so much of us—let’s explain everything away and get on with saving ourselves, and the world, on our own.

Needless to say, I did not agree with him. For one thing, the people “followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased”.  They went expecting a miracle! Jesus does not disappoint.  But, He first asks a question: “seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.”

How are we to buy bread? The disciples’ response is that there is nowhere near the money needed to purchase food for so many.  But what is Jesus really asking?  Could it be, “Who do you say I am?”  (Matthew 16:15, Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20)

The ‘test’ our Lord was giving them, was to answer and respond to this question—then act accordingly—trusting Him to provide EVERYTHING we need, not just food. When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!” How long did that last, I wonder? Some would follow, but most would likely forget that anything miraculous had happened. Jesus would say later in the gospels that even the prophets and all the miracles were not enough to bring people to their knees.

Then he does this: “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by himself.” Our Lord did not come to be crowned an earthly king so that He could perform miracles and get his loyal subjects to do the same. He came to die so that we might have eternal life, and while we live an earthly life, He is the source of all that enriches and makes that life full. He is the food that nourishes our bodies, minds, hearts and souls.

He withdrew from the crowds and went off to be by himself. He did this a lot. We need to imitate Him in this. We need to get away and be alone with God, the three-in-one.  I want miracles and I will continue to pray for them, and even if I don’t get what I ask for, the very act of being in His presence, is life giving. Eucharist is His body and blood. He IS the miracle.

Judy Savoy

"...while we live an earthly life, He is the source of all that enriches and makes that life full." - Judy Savoy (Ora Reflections)