YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT!

Matthew 14: 13-21

Whenever we read this story of the feeding of the crowd or the multiplication of the loaves, we see a clear sign of Jesus’ concern for both the material and the spiritual needs of the people. When they were sick, Jesus healed them, when they were sad, he encouraged them, and when they were hungry, he fed them. In this passage, they are in a deserted place and the disciples express a genuine concern to Jesus that the people would need to leave in order to avoid the problems of being stuck on the road, in the dark, with no food. Send the crowd away so that they may go and buy food for themselves.

But Jesus takes a different approach: They don’t need to go away; you give them something to eat. Jesus calls his disciples to get involved in this situation. This feeding of people in the wilderness is not to be seen as some kind of spectacle to enhance Jesus’ fame and popularity among the people, but it is an indication that Jesus’ followers distinguish themselves by their compassion, and generosity.

We treasure this story because it captures the way in which Jesus challenges his disciples to address a problem and not ignore it. The disciples were shocked by what Jesus was suggesting, because, like many of us, the disciples approached the issue with an idea of scarcity … we do not have enough, we cannot do this, it is out of the question, we should not even try. We have only five loaves here and two fish! But Jesus wanted his disciples to think, not in terms of what they did not have, but rather in terms of what God had given them … an idea of plenty. The message in our Gospel is that if we will embrace a challenge, we must bring forward what we have, no matter how little it is, then God will do the rest.

This story has profound importance because it is a sharp reminder that we should never ignore a problem and refuse to provide help and support when others are in need. Sometimes we can easily think like the disciples and say: Send them away … they are not our concern. But this is not an attitude our Lord will accept. He calls us to be generous and to share. This story is a clear call to be compassionate. You give them something to eat! It matters not whether they are like us, members of our families. If they are in need we must respond!

This story also reminds us of what God can do when we give him what we have, five loaves and two fish. That was not very much, but when brought to Jesus, what seemed like very little became overabundance.