Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
2 Kings 4:42-44 | Psalm 145:10-11, 15-18 | Ephesians 4:1-6 | John 6:1-15
“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.’” -John 6:9-10
Are you strong enough to be weak?
The reality of our lives is that we live in a world of logistics. Food costs money, and people need to be fed to live. The Lord does not condemn us for considering these worldly calculations, but instead invites us to also remember that His power reigns above our human logic and limitations.
When faced with feeding the 5,000, both Phillip and Andrew have no idea how the task will be accomplished. Yet the difference was that Andrew, even in his confusion and doubt, still brought to Jesus what was available: a seemingly insignificant five loaves and two fish. Like Andrew, the Lord invites us as well to be honest with our doubt and the things we may lack, yet still in faith, bring everything to Him.
When we bring our crumbs to the Lord, He does not ask us to provide for ourselves. On the contrary, Jesus asked the crowd in this story to have a posture of receptivity, saying “Have the people recline” (John 6:10). It does not say that Jesus gave food to the most deserving, or those who worked the hardest that day. Instead, John again states that Jesus fed “those who were reclining” (John 6:11). The Lord does not ask us to fix our own emptiness. He simply asks us to come to Him in honesty, to give Him what we have, no matter how insignificant it may seem, and simply receive His abundance.
In the first reading, Elisha multiplies ten barley loaves to feed a crowd of 100. Then in the Gospel, Jesus feeds 5,000 men with only five loaves. The disciples were well-accustomed with the Old Testament, so they knew well the story of Elisha, and yet, they doubted. We all forget how the Lord has provided for us in the past. Take a moment to recall ways that the Lord has provided for you in your emptiness.
What are the crumbs in your life that Jesus may be asking you to give Him in faith today? (i.e. your time, money, energy, mental health, talents)
What would it look like to have a posture ready to receive in that area of your life?