Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus 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. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’ When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

The players in this first scene of John’s Chapter 6: Bread of Life teaching seek different things. The pursuing crowd are attracted to Jesus because of the healings he has performed: admiration, curiosity or perhaps a hunger for their own healing. Later, they play the role of would-be kingmakers.

The disciples, of whom Andrew and Philip have speaking roles, are still in transactional mode: it will cost too much or there isn’t enough.

We who know the answer to Jesus’ rhetorical question, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” are put in a privileged position: we’re ahead of the plot, we’re already reclining on the great deal of grass in that place and seeing the twelve baskets of fragments become the twelve apostles’ new universal movement where all are fed and no one misses out.

The apostles’ transformation is proceeding, because there is the imminent threat of the Passover, with Jesus’ total reimagining of it. We are also not to miss that Jesus first gave thanks and later withdrew to the mountain alone.

Our prayer may reflect these desires described in Psalm 27:4,13
“One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple…
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

And again in Matthew 4:4,
“One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”.

What is the one thing you seek today?