Barley Loaves

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, and fresh grain in the ear.  Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” But his servant objected, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” 

Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.” “For thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said. (2 Kings 4:42-44)

Our readings often are connected in some way, and the link can be enlightening.  For example, today’s first reading from Kings, obviously was the basis for John’s story about Jesus feeding the 5,000.  With a firm faith in Jesus as the Christ, John embellished the story of Elisha (“the man of God”) and the barley loaves.  The Gospel reads:

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 last line of our Gospel suggests Jesus didn’t want to be made a king. When he realized that was the peoples’ purpose, “he withdrew again to the mountain alone.”  We at Christ the King should ponder Jesus’ reaction.  Jesus came to serve and not to rule.  Such is the irony of the title we have bestowed on him, and us.

Deacon David Pierce