Sharing

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.”

One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone. (John 6:1-15)

The above passages describe one of Jesus’ well-known miracles – the multiplication of loaves and fishes.  The large crowds likely traveled about nine miles as part of their pilgrimage to Jerusalem in preparation for the Feast of Passover.  Travelling that far and likely with children, these pilgrims would have brought food and water; otherwise, they would have foolishly put themselves at risk. 

According to William Barclay, “…It may then be that Jesus, with that rare smile of his, produced the little store that he and his disciples had; with sunny faith he thanked God for it and shared it out.  Moved by his example, everyone who had anything did the same; and in the end there was enough, and more than enough, for all.  It may be that this is a miracle in which the presence of Jesus turned a crowd of selfish men and women into a fellowship of sharers.”  Men and women were changed, not the bread and fish. 

This attitude of sharing to help others is evident during our ongoing and severe coronavirus pandemic.  Waiting for a miracle of supernatural origin to “defeat” this deadly virus is ill-advised and dangerous.  Our real-life miracle is the unwavering devotion of scores of medical professionals such as doctors and nurses and all who work with them especially emergency responders and those who clean and disinfect.  They all share the danger on our behalf.  These men and women (and all of us) will be forever changed after facing their fear, saving people, and having many die while in their care. 

Like the multiplication of the five barley loaves and the two fish feeding the multitudes, this virus exponentially multiples and spreads.  But unlike this virus bringing sickness or death, the bread and fish offered by Jesus led to life – then and still today.

Deacon David Pierce