July 26, 2009 17th Sunday, Year B
An Invitation to Share
When children love a story, they want it told over and over again with exactly the same details and
nothing missed out. The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is one of those gospel stories that even
people of no religious interest can often quote. Indeed, most of us can tell the story in detail, without too
much prompting. But one detail might escape us. While all the Gospels include this story, the Gospel of
John makes a special point. It includes the role of a small boy, whose five barley loaves and two fish
provide Jesus with all that he needs to feed the crowd.
This small detail provides us with an opportunity to explore the story in new and imaginative ways.
Certainly, Jesus may have performed a remarkable miracle by simply multiplying the loaves and fish to
the point where twelve hampers of scraps were left after everyone had eaten. But something even more
remarkable happened. Is it just possible that the young boy was not alone in having brought some food
with him? Could it be that many others had had the foresight to come prepared? But it was the little boy
who, realising there was a problem, had the generosity and indeed the courage to come forward and
offer the little he had to feed the large crowd.
We can ask whether the Gospel writer is indicating that the generosity of this unnamed boy served to
release the good will of many others - so that they too would open up their own hampers and share
what they had with others, so that there was more than enough. This would certainly link us with other
gospel stories and parables such as the wise and foolish virgins, and the instance of the widow who put
all she had into the temple treasury.
If we turn to the story as it is told by the other evangelists - Matthew, Mark and Luke - we find Jesus
telling the disciples themselves to give the people something to eat. Perhaps, then, the reference to the
young boy is John's way of teaching us the same message: namely that it is our job to ensure that the
world's resources are distributed fairly. In our complex world of today we have developed sophisticated
ways of dealing with each other in the market-place. But recent events have shown us the tragic global
consequences of greed and self- interest. By contrast the gospel message of Jesus is always calling us to
act in a spirit of generosity and self-sacrifice with the promise that there is available an abundance that
can satisfy us all. Indeed Jesus puts it very simply: "Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure,
pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you
measure out is the amount you will be given back."
It is surely clearer to us now more than ever before, that because we are Christians called by Christ; we
must do all in our power to ensure a just distribution of wealth across our world.
Tim Buckley CSsR
© Redemptorists 2009
**********************************************
An Invitation to Share
When children love a story, they want it told over and over again with exactly the same details and
nothing missed out. The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is one of those gospel stories that even
people of no religious interest can often quote. Indeed, most of us can tell the story in detail, without too
much prompting. But one detail might escape us. While all the Gospels include this story, the Gospel of
John makes a special point. It includes the role of a small boy, whose five barley loaves and two fish
provide Jesus with all that he needs to feed the crowd.
This small detail provides us with an opportunity to explore the story in new and imaginative ways.
Certainly, Jesus may have performed a remarkable miracle by simply multiplying the loaves and fish to
the point where twelve hampers of scraps were left after everyone had eaten. But something even more
remarkable happened. Is it just possible that the young boy was not alone in having brought some food
with him? Could it be that many others had had the foresight to come prepared? But it was the little boy
who, realising there was a problem, had the generosity and indeed the courage to come forward and
offer the little he had to feed the large crowd.
We can ask whether the Gospel writer is indicating that the generosity of this unnamed boy served to
release the good will of many others - so that they too would open up their own hampers and share
what they had with others, so that there was more than enough. This would certainly link us with other
gospel stories and parables such as the wise and foolish virgins, and the instance of the widow who put
all she had into the temple treasury.
If we turn to the story as it is told by the other evangelists - Matthew, Mark and Luke - we find Jesus
telling the disciples themselves to give the people something to eat. Perhaps, then, the reference to the
young boy is John's way of teaching us the same message: namely that it is our job to ensure that the
world's resources are distributed fairly. In our complex world of today we have developed sophisticated
ways of dealing with each other in the market-place. But recent events have shown us the tragic global
consequences of greed and self- interest. By contrast the gospel message of Jesus is always calling us to
act in a spirit of generosity and self-sacrifice with the promise that there is available an abundance that
can satisfy us all. Indeed Jesus puts it very simply: "Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure,
pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you
measure out is the amount you will be given back."
It is surely clearer to us now more than ever before, that because we are Christians called by Christ; we
must do all in our power to ensure a just distribution of wealth across our world.
Tim Buckley CSsR
© Redemptorists 2009
**********************************************
