We begin with the Gospel of Matthew, where the disciples remind Jesus of it being a lonely place, and as the day was drawing to a close; to send the crowds away so that they could go into the villages and buy food for themselves.
Jesus tells the disciples ‘You give them something to eat’- from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.
The miracle - Feeding the Five Thousand is recorded in all the four Gospels. But for now we look at-
John 6:5-13 5 Jesus said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus then 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. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.
When we speak of the feeding of the five thousand, only in John 6:9, we hear of the boy. Andrew, Peter's brother mentions, (“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish;)
Jesus called for the bread and fish to be brought to Him. He then gave thanks for the meal, broke the bread, and gave it to His disciples to give to the crowd.
To feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish is a miracle of miracles - miraculous.
(In the Gospel of Matthew, we learn, there are women and children besides the five thousand men) Matthew 14:21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Mark 6:42-43 - 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.
It is a knowing that God is a God of Abundance. It is in understanding that if God wants to give you something, God gives irrespective of where you are or what your situation is. But when we follow our own will, we don’t trust God enough to wait on Him.
So, in simple terms a surrender is trusting God that whatever He has chosen for me is His best decision for me.
And like Jesus, on the boat, I can sleep without a care in the world. For my Abba Father, watches over me.
First Point: Jesus is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity.
Second Point: God never sleeps. So, what is it we need to learn from this. It is simple. It is Jesus guiding us.
We must always remember God is always watching over us, so if we are sleeping or whether we are awake, that trust that God is in Control will keep us from worrying or fearing things that we have no control over. Surrender to God is always the best answer.
It is in a complete surrender to God, not holding onto titles, material possessions such as money-wealth, God will bring out the Extraordinary. A complete surrender implies Trust.
God delights in a humble person. For a humble person knows that God is in CONTROL.
GOD AT WORK
This boy in the crowd of 5000+, had been chosen by God. God chooses whoever He wills. Which means each one of us has something to offer, if we are only willing to offer. God has blessed each one of us with talents. In this boy’s case God gave the boy five loaves and 2 fish and, in that moment, the boy had the choice to keep to himself or to willingly offer to God what is Gods.
We must be willing to give to God our all, each day of our lives. The Good God knows the talents, He has blessed us with.
The Widow with the 2 Pence gave her all. It was her choice, and she gave all she had.
Mark 12:17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
The boy carried food with him, maybe his family was with him. I do not know. All we do know is that he handed over his meal, he became an active participator in the work of God.
Whatever we possess is God’s. Our life is not our own, it is God’s. The very breath in our body is God’s. Therefore, nothing truly is ours.
Not the wealth-not the money, not the tiles, nothing is ours. It is all given to each person according to their ability. We are meant to share our resources and not keep them to ourselves like the third servant.
We ought to remember and REMEMBER always:
GOD IS in CONTROL.
The Rich Young Man Matthew 19:16-29 (Mk 10:31 & LK 18:18-30)
16 And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
20 The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
The talents we have been given, is for our betterment, with it we help ourselves when we help others. We are not to accumulate talents including wealth for ourselves, we ought to share it with our less deprived, brothers and sisters. For we take nothing with us when we leave.
The rich young man had everything. He followed all the commandments. But he knew in his heart there was something missing.
Now to understand this, we will look at what Jesus says in Luke 9:23 “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Let God be your every focus. Now we will look at Lk. 9:23 and Mt.V.21 below:-
V.21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
let him deny himself-go, sell what you possess and give to the poor.
Deny yourself the pleasures of the world. Don’t get attached to the things of the world. God must always be our first priority.
Remember: Jesus took the human form and lived among us denying Himself. God leads by example. And for the rich man his number one priority was wealth.
Remember: Deny yourself-Keep God first place.
The talents we have, we are meant to make use of it for ourselves and everybody. We are meant to help and see to it that no one goes to sleep hungry, and no one is left alone and there would be no homeless people. We are meant to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort and encourage everybody. If we followed what Jesus asks, there would be no homeless person, no hungry child or adult. For God has blessed us all with talents, it is we that hold back from participating with God.
God is our greatest Encourager.
God is The greatest Mathematician.
The Call is for all. Jesus says: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And for the rich young man, it was most difficult to give-sell his possessions and give to the poor. By this we understand, that he kept God at second position.
And all of us Christians are like that rich young man, who claims to do many things, and we do, but we are too attached to the money, wealth and property. We cannot surrender our comforts.
And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And this is a message from Jesus to all of us. We have to detach ourselves from everything that is worldly, everything that keeps us away from God.
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
(Only Priest's and Nuns have sacrificed their entire lives to be with God.) They have given their all.
Often the Priests and Nuns are criticized or transferred because of our egos.
WELL, this is a wakeup call.
And take up his cross daily-and you will have treasure in heaven.
We must carry our cross daily, denying ourselves daily, for there is much to be done and much to suffer in order to help others. Mostly people think the things that are given to them, is theirs to do with as they please. It never ever occurs to them that at the end of this life, there is an account one must give for all the squandering one does with what they thought was theirs.
When you share what you have, when you give for the good of the other, when you live a life of obedience and love, you already know what Heaven feels like.
And follow me-and come, follow me.
When you desire to follow Jesus, you must deny yourself the pleasure of the world. And what this means is simple, KEEP GOD FIRST! In simple terms, God is my Everything, my ALL!
At the beginning of v. 21 Jesus says, if you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor.
That is what Abba Father, did for God is PERFECT. God the Father, gave us His only Son, God gave us His all. The news of Christ' birth was made by an Angel to the poor shepherds. The Baby Jesus was laid in a manger.
Jesus came into a poor family and the good message was given first to the poor.
Jesus in every way, is showing us how to be more like Abba Father, and how we too must follow and become perfect as Jesus continues in Matthew 5:48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Remember-REMEMBER
If and when, you feel you have little, look to the boy with the two fish and five loaves. Remember by trusting and sharing what he had – God multiplied the two fish and five loaves to feed 5000 people.
Trust God with your LIFE!
This boy never got the adulation of the crowd. But we will forever remember, the miracle God worked through this boy.
Every celebration of the Mass, God feeds us with Himself.
YES! God never forgets.
This boy with the five loaves and two fish saw the food multiply in a miraculous way. In Jesus’s Hands the small meal for 2-3 people became a meal that fed 5000+.
Therefore, it is a participation in God’s work.
“Render to God the things that are God’s.”
Everything in Creation is GODS.
We don’t know WHAT God will ask of us and WHEN?
Be Alert for we never know when The Master comes!
Mark 13-The Necessity for Watchfulness
32 “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Watch therefore—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.”
Hebrews 12:2 RSV
2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Please continue to read The Widows Offering. Part 4
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