Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way."
Jesus knows that we are hungry. He has pity on us. He does not want us to go off on our own seeking to fulfill our needs, whether physical or spiritual. He knows that if we go off on our own we may collapse on the way. He wants to meet our needs himself. After all, he himself is the shepherd who gives repose to his sheep. He is the one who spreads a table before us and fills our cups to overflowing.
Jesus is able to give us a feast even when it doesn't seem like there is enough.
"Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?"
Isn't this our constant, all too human refrain? There are so many needs all around us. How could we ever meet them all? We need to start with what we do have. We need to listen to Jesus and entrust that which seems to be too little into his hands. It isn't necessarily easy to give away what little we do have when there is clearly a shortage. But if we do it at the command of Jesus it is somehow sufficient, and even overflows.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.
It isn't mediocre fare that Jesus offers. It is rich food and choice wines. He does give us our daily bread, but it contains all sweetness within. And yet somehow, even the great banquet of the mass presages a still greater feast to come.
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
This desire of Jesus to fulfill our deepest desires should not surprise us. After all, he is the one whom we first behold in Bethlehem, whose name means "House of Bread". He has come to give himself to us. If we are hungry or know others who are hungry let us rejoice. We know where is found food enough for all.
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