Dear Friends in Christ
This portion of the gospel on the feeding of the multitude is one that is very familiar to us, and it is full of imagery pointing to Jesus being the Bread of Life. A crowd has followed Jesus because of the miracles they have seen him perform. There are thousands to feed, not enough money, and seemingly inadequate provisions. But we know what happens when Jesus offers thanks for the food at hand. There is more than enough for everyone, and all are astonished.
However, it would seem that there is more to the story than giving thanks and providing food. As the scene is opening and the situation becomes clear, Jesus poses the problem to Philip and the disciples: "where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"(John 6:5). Yet scripture tells us that Jesus already knew what he was going to do: "He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do".
Jesus uses this circumstance to bring his disciples deeper into his mission. He is encouraging them to see that his work is also their work. In other words, he is nurturing those seeds of faith, preparing them to believe things that up to this point were thought unbelievable.
But again, the act of satisfying people's physical hunger is not to be ignored. Taking responsibility for the hungry and those less fortunate is paramount in sharing in the reign of God. Jesus provided bread for their hunger; his life was bread for their lives. We are called to do and be the same.
Fr Mafu
