Ordinary Time 12- Year B
We are invited into John’s gospel this week, and again we gather with the disciples as they cross the Sea of Galilee for retreat. But now the crowd follows – on land – and as Jesus climbs out of the boat, there is a multitude of men, women, and children awaiting his arrival. To the disciples’ surprise Jesus responds by healing the sick, and then teaching the crowd many things.By late afternoon our gospel companions are becoming anxious and tired. Finally they interrupt his teaching and remind Jesus that “This is a deserted place. The hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.”
Again our surprise as Jesus answers, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” Quite suddenly we are thrust into an impossible situation. Jesus has asked us to do an act of ministry for which we have little or no resources: feed a multitude! Then, turning to Philip he asks, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip remembers standing there, scanning the crowd. His first thought was to figure how much it would cost to feed all these five thousand people. After a quick count he replies, “Six months’ wages of a day laborer wouldn’t buy enough bread for each person to even have a little.” All he could think of was the money needed, and he knew they didn’t have enough in their common purse to even think of buying bread. Jesus then turns to the other disciples along with Philip and asks, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” After some time of looking, Andrew returns bringing a boy with him. “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish,” he reports. However as he looks again at the thousands of people gathered there and the meager amount of food available, his voice trails off into a conclusion of hopelessness: “But what are they among so many?”
In reply Jesus gives the disciples another task: “Make the people sit down.” And so they move among the crowd, organizing the people into groups of fifty and a hundred, and instructing them to recline on the grass. Now Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish, looks up to heaven, and blesses them, and begins to break them into pieces. We, along with these gospel companions watch his hands, breaking bread, dividing up the fish. The baskets in front of them are becoming fuller and fuller. Then Jesus tells them to give the food to the people. In shock and wonder, they begin to distribute the bread and fish. All are fed. All have enough and are satisfied. After the meal there are even twelve baskets full of broken pieces of barley bread and fish remaining which the disciples gather up.
The people are aware of the miracle they had just seen, and eaten! and they begin to move toward Jesus, wanting to force him to become king. But Jesus knows the reasons for their surge of desire. In their excitement over the healings, the miraculous provision of food, and Jesus’ teaching, the crowd is in a mood to force Jesus’ hand, and begin a revolution against the Roman government by making him king. The people do not understand the nature or the ways of the kingdom of God, nor do our gospel companions. Jesus had faced into the temptation to win the world by adopting its ways, and instead of being drawn into the demands of the crowd, he tells his followers to start back across the lake while he dismisses the people. Then he goes up on the mountain to pray. As evening falls Jesus is on the mountain in communion with Abba.
We, meanwhile, are with the disciples. It has been a long, tiring day, and to add to our weariness the sea becomes rough as a strong wind blows against us. We strain at the oars for hours into the night and make little progress. But we do have time to think. Following Jesus seems to make little sense from our perspective. First he changes plans about needing to find a place to rest, then he expects us to feed the multitude with next to nothing, and finally refuses to welcome the accolade and desire of the crowd that he should become king. What kind of man is this? Is this really the Messiah, the one we believe will become king, seated on David’s throne, and who will restore the nation of Israel by releasing it from Roman domination? As dawn breaks we realize that we have only rowed about three or four miles. The wind and waves still make progress difficult, and we are bone weary. But suddenly our fatigue lurches into terror as we catch sight of a figure walking on the water, not far from our boat. Is it a ghost? Terrified, we cry out. In return the strange figure speaks comfort to us. The voice is familiar: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Terror changes to comfort as the disciples ask Jesus to get into the boat – and then we realize that we are arriving at the shore of our destination.
Reflection
Take some time now to look back over your own experience of ministry. Pay attention to those times when the ministry task you were–or are being–called to do seemed impossible.
What was your immediate response?
How did you bring the situation into your prayer?
In what way did God offer you help and guidance?
What was your response to God?
And what did you notice as you moved in simple faith and obedience in
response to the task?
Prayer before Reading Scripture
Lord Jesus Christ,
You come to us
In the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit,
Help me to be aware of how you come,
To be hospitable to your help,
And to your leading in the way of Jesus.
Amen
Scripture Guide
- 7/20 Monday: John 6:1-14
- 7/21 Tuesday: John 6:15-21
- 7/22 Wednesday: Psalm 14
- 7/23 Thursday: 2 Samuel 11:1-15
- 7/24 Friday: Ephesians 3:14-21
- 7/25 Saturday: John 6:1-14
- 7/26 Sunday: John 6:15-21