1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber’i–as. 2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
Loaves & Fish
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, 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.
Distribution of Loaves & Fish
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.
Fragments
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.
Reaction of People
14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”
Jesus Withdraws by Himself
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
B EXPLANATION
Introduction:
a) In Year B the Gospel Readings are from Mark’s Gospel. This week we would have expected that the Gospel would have been Mark’s account of the Feeding of 5,000 Men (Mk. 6: 30–44). The Liturgy replaces this miracle with John’s account of the same but spends five weeks in the explanation (Jn. 6: 1–71), with two small sections omitted (Jn. 6: 16–23; 36–40).
b) The multiplication of the loaves is the only miracle recorded in each of the four Gospels. It occurs once in all four but Matthew and Mark add a second account, giving six versions in total. John’s account enlarges on Mark’s version.
c) John records seven signs or miracles in his Gospel. The number seven symbolises perfection in Jewish culture. John limited his recording of miracles and signs to seven but he gave indications that there were many more not recorded by him (Jn. 20: 30–31; 21: 25). This passage is sign number 4.
d) The seven signs are:
(1) changing of water into wine at Cana (2: 1–11);
(2) cure of the son of an official (4: 46–54);
(3) healing of the paralytic at the Sheep Gate (5: 1–18);
(4) feeding of the crowd (6: 1–15);
(5) walking on the water (6: 16–21);
(6) sight bestowed on man born blind (9: 1–41);
(7) raising Lazarus to life (11: 1–44)
e) Two of the seven signs concerning food refer to wine (sign 1) and bread (sign 4) and “prefigure the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1335). John prefaces chapter 6 on the Bread of Life with this present passage.
f) Each of the seven signs is a miracle. But there is a difference in the words “sign” and “miracle”. Miracles are easy to understand; there is no complication of meaning. Signs refer to something else and to understand the sign one must know to what the sign refers. In this present passage Jesus works a miracle which is a sign pointing to a deeper meaning. There are several hints in the passage to that meaning. Jesus will explain that profound meaning in the remainder of John, chapter 6, spread over the following four Sundays.
1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber’i–as.
“the other side” — It is not clear where this is. When the scene closes the disciples go off to Capernaum (Jn. 6: 17). It could be “the other side” from Capernaum.
“The Sea of Galilee” (Mt. 4: 18; 15: 29; Mk. 1: 16; 7: 31) — also called “The Sea of Tiberias” (Jn. 21, 1), “The Lake of Gennesaret” (Lk. 5: 1) or, in the Old Testament, “The Sea of Chinnereth” (Nm. 34: 11). Bethsaida, Capernaum, Magdala, Tiberias were some of the towns on the seashore.
2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased.
“They saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased” — John’s Gospel records only seven miracles, each a sign. John tells us that Jesus worked many more (Jn. 2: 23; 3: 2; 4: 45) but these were not recorded by him. He repeats this statement in Jn. 20: 30; 21: 25.
The faith of the crowd would not be strong if based only on the miracles. Faith must be based on the person of Jesus who performs the miracles. The crowds were following Jesus not for himself but for what he could do for them.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
“Jesus went up on the mountain” — It is not known which mountain this was. Jesus ascending a mountain is a frequent setting in the four Gospels and it is reminiscent of Moses going up Mt. Sinai to meet with God and receive a revelation to be shared with the people. It can indicate that Jesus is making special contact with his Father in prayer and/or has a special revelation or teaching to impart.
“and there sat down with his disciples” — This was the posture of a teacher. There is no verbal teaching given in today’s passage but the whole chapter is a teaching or revelation for the disciples whom he had with him. He will teach them with the food of his word and the new manna or Bread from Heaven.
“Passover, the feast of the Jews” — This is the second reference to the Passover (Jn. 2: 13). It is not a casual remark but has deep meaning for this chapter (Jn. 6).
Lest there be any confusion John distinguishes the Jewish celebration of the ancient Passover from the Christian feast, Jesus’ “hour”, with its reference to the Eucharist, the subject of Chapter 6. The original Passover feast recalls Moses, unleavened bread, manna from heaven and the covenant made between God and his Chosen People. “By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus’ passing over to his Father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom.” (CCC, 1340)
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, 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.
“a multitude was coming to him” — This is an expression used frequently in John’s Gospel to describe people coming to faith (Jn. 3: 21; 5: 40; 6: 35, 37, 45; 7: 37).
In verse 2 above John says that the crowd was with him, or at least following him. Here he says that the crowd “was coming to him”. The first reference could be to a physical presence; the second to a faith–presence.
“Jesus said to Philip, ‘How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ — Jesus takes the initiative. There is no indication that the crowd was hungry or in need of sustenance.
“This he said to test him” — First, Jesus decided to test the faith of Philip who had been with him from the beginning of the gathering of disciples (Jn. 1: 43–51). This is a reminder of a parallel in Numbers, chapter 11, where God tested the faith of Moses when the people complained that they were tired of eating manna and Moses could not take their complaints any longer.
Second, Jesus shows us how we are to trust in his help for our apostolic works.
“for he himself knew what he would do” — As the passage develops we will see that Jesus said and did several things which will refer to Eucharistic practice. This feeding is not a Eucharist but prepares for the institution of the Eucharist. Jesus’ intention is to give an instruction on the Eucharist.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”
“Two hundred denarii” — A denarius was the equivalent of a day’s wage for a labourer.
Philip’s approach was that if there is no money, there is nothing that can be done. Jesus will show that it is God, not money, who provides what is necessary.
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?’”
“lad” — The word used in Greek describes the boy as particularly young and insignificant. If he had objected to sharing his food the miracle would not have been possible. Contrast “lad” with Philip and Andrew: he gave everything while they were prepared to give nothing.
Jesus did not forget or neglect the “lad”. He was fed by Jesus. A lesson to be learned is that we must all have the courage to trust in and give to Jesus from our meagre resources for the needs of others. He will not forget or neglect our personal needs. No matter how insignificant people may be judged, there is always something that each can offer to Jesus. Never refuse an invitation to give your insignificant time, talent or treasure to Jesus. You will not be doing what he wants; he will be doing it in you or with you and (ultimately) for you.
The amount of loaves and fish emphasises the insignificance of what Jesus would multiply.
“fivebarley loaves and two fish” — Loaves made from barley were the ordinary food of the poor. The fish would have been dried or preserved.
“but what are they among so many?” — Andrew, one of the two disciples John the Baptist invited to follow Jesus (Jn. 1: 40–43), voices his unbelief in Jesus being able to feed the multitude with so little. Five loaves, perhaps better understood as small buns, would not have been sufficient for two people for a single meal. Jesus will show that no matter how insignificant are resources, he can multiply and provide in abundance. The underlying meaning is: Trust him!
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.
“Make the people sit down” — When Jesus “sat down with his disciples” (Jn 6: 3) on the mountain the Greek word used differs from the Greek word used in this verse which indicates their posture for a meal. “Recline” might convey the meaning in a better way.
“Now there was much grass in the place” — a sign that it was spring time. Already we have been informed that the Feast of Passover, celebrated in the first month of the year, in springtime, was approaching (Jn. 6: 4). There is also a hint of Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd where it says: “Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose”. Jesus acts as a pastor, one who feeds. “There is nothing I shall want” (from the Psalm) is fulfilled.
“the men sat down, in number about five thousand” — This is a huge number but it did not include women and children. The magnitude of the miracle is heightened by this number.
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.
Jesus “took”, “gave thanks” and “distributed” are the same words as in Mt. 26: 26; Mk. 14: 22; Lk. 22: 19; I Cor. 11: 25 which indicates that this is a symbolic description of the institution of the Blessed Eucharist.
“when he had given thanks” — John uses the Greek word ‘eucharist’ for giving thanks.
Jesus “distributed them” — Jesus, not the disciples, as the three synoptics record, distributed the loaves and fish. That one person could distribute food to 5,000 men seems almost impossible. John does not describe the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. His point here is that it is Jesus who is the real giver of the eucharistic bread.
12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.”
“He told his disciples” — Jesus has the disciples gather what was left over. They were not involved in the distribution.
‘Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost’” — The food was multiplied in abundance, the identical point made after turning water into wine at Cana, the first of the seven signs or miracles (Jn. 2: 1–11).
The Greek word for “gather up” is one that was used in the early Church for the gathering of people to attend the Eucharist. There is a reference here to Jesus telling his disciples to gather the people together for the Eucharist celebration that none of them be lost. This they did not understand at the time but it became clear to them after the resurrection.
“that nothing may be lost — This verse is similar to Exodus 16: 16, 19–20 which treats of the manna, and which uses the same technical word, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, every man of you, as much as he can eat; you shall take an omer apiece, according to the number of the persons whom each of you has in his tent.’… And Moses said to them, ‘Let no man leave any of it till the morning.’ But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them.” In Exodus what was left over became foul. Jesus instructs his disciples to gather the eucharistic bread as it does not become foul but may be used for people who are not present.
In an age of consumerism, wastefulness and widespread poverty, these words are a lesson in thrift and concern for the needy.
13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.
“twelve baskets” — In the Jewish culture “twelve” was a special number indicating completeness. There were twelve tribes in Israel, now replaced by the Church with the twelve apostles. The “fragments” were intended for people who did not receive. These have to be “gathered up” by the disciples into the Church to be fed by Jesus.
“the five barley loaves” — The fish are not mentioned because in this Eucharistic teaching bread alone is relevant. The remainder of the chapter speaks of bread and does not mention fish.
14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”
“When the people saw the sign which he had done” — These words were used in verse 2. The multitude followed because of the signs which were beneficial for them. In this verse 14 they have not deepened their faith in Jesus; it is the sign, the miracle that appeals to them.
“This indeed is the prophet who is to come into the world!” — The people believed that a prophet like Moses would come to establish the Messianic kingdom. This belief was based on Dt. 18: 15, 18 where Moses gives a prophecy which the Lord confirms: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren — him you shall heed — …. And the Lord said to me, I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him”.
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
“They were about to come and take him by force to make him king” — Jesus understood that because he had provided free food for the multitude, they wanted him to continue this supply. They would make him an earthly king. This was their concept of the expected Messianic King, a purely political ruler who would free them from the Roman dominion and look after them with abundance.
“Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” — He withdrew from their presence. Verse 3 tells us that Jesus had gone up the mountain with his disciples. There is no mention of them coming down. The fact that such a huge crowd sat on green grass could indicate that they were back on a plain, most likely near the sea.
Once again we witness Jesus’ predilection for mountains as places for prayer by himself. John does not mention the temptation in the wilderness, one of which was that the devil would give him the kingdoms of the world. This temptation looms here and Jesus’ counter–attack was to go off and seek his Father’s assistance in overcoming it by prayer.
C APPLICATION
As with all passages in the New Testament, we ask the question, ‘What are we being told about Jesus?’
First, we are told that Jesus was a Teacher instructing his disciples, including us, of course. He went up a mountain, the place of teaching (mountain of Beatitudes) or revelation (Mt. Sinai) and sat down, the posture of a Jewish teacher. He was teaching his disciples and John’s readers. This means that Jesus was revealed as nourishing his disciples with his word.
Second, we are told that he was trying to bring the crowd to a deeper faith. These people are mentioned twice in what would appear to be contradictory terms. The first declares that they were following Jesus and they would seem to have caught up with him. Then, three verses later, we read that he saw them “coming” to him, John’s technical way of describing someone coming to a deeper faith. Jesus had a faith–lesson for the crowd.
A third and very important point is that “the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand”. This is the key to understanding this passage and the entire sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, the readings for the following four weeks. Jesus was announcing his death and resurrection and saying that this has to be understood in the light of the Jewish feast. The Passover celebrated the Exodus under Moses when the Israelites were liberated from Egypt and brought to the Promised Land, being fed on the way with manna from heaven. Jesus, at the feast of Passover, by his death and resurrection, will liberate his new people. He is the ‘new Moses’, the prophet and Messianic King who will feed his people with the new Bread from Heaven as they journey through life to the Promised Land.
John wrote his Gospel towards the end of the first century. He used several words in this passage that were taken from the Eucharistic Prayer in use at the time. This enforces that John was writing with the Eucharist in mind. There is an offering, a thanksgiving and a meal. Nevertheless this passage is not a Eucharist but a teaching on the Eucharist. Jesus wishes to bring people to faith in the Eucharist.
He succeeded up to a point with the crowd. They recognise the similarity between the miracle and the manna but they failed to understand the full meaning of the sign. They proclaimed him as the prophet whom Moses promised. They considered him to be the Messianic–King bringing liberation and abundance to their lives. Their pre–conceived human and political notions of the prophet and Messiah clouded their incipient faith.
“He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day” applies here. Jesus ran back to the mountain by himself. He did not want the crowd to let their human and political self–interests destroy his mission. They will meet again and then he will continue his teaching. That will be the contents of the remainder of John Chapter 6.
Commentary on the 17th Sunday of the year (B) 26th July August 2015
JOHN 06: 01–15: JESUS FEEDS 5,000 MEN
A TEXT
Setting
1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber’i–as. 2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
Loaves & Fish
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, 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.
Distribution of Loaves & Fish
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.
Fragments
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.
Reaction of People
14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”
Jesus Withdraws by Himself
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
B EXPLANATION
Introduction:
a) In Year B the Gospel Readings are from Mark’s Gospel. This week we would have expected that the Gospel would have been Mark’s account of the Feeding of 5,000 Men (Mk. 6: 30–44). The Liturgy replaces this miracle with John’s account of the same but spends five weeks in the explanation (Jn. 6: 1–71), with two small sections omitted (Jn. 6: 16–23; 36–40).
b) The multiplication of the loaves is the only miracle recorded in each of the four Gospels. It occurs once in all four but Matthew and Mark add a second account, giving six versions in total. John’s account enlarges on Mark’s version.
c) John records seven signs or miracles in his Gospel. The number seven symbolises perfection in Jewish culture. John limited his recording of miracles and signs to seven but he gave indications that there were many more not recorded by him (Jn. 20: 30–31; 21: 25). This passage is sign number 4.
d) The seven signs are:
(1) changing of water into wine at Cana (2: 1–11);
(2) cure of the son of an official (4: 46–54);
(3) healing of the paralytic at the Sheep Gate (5: 1–18);
(4) feeding of the crowd (6: 1–15);
(5) walking on the water (6: 16–21);
(6) sight bestowed on man born blind (9: 1–41);
(7) raising Lazarus to life (11: 1–44)
e) Two of the seven signs concerning food refer to wine (sign 1) and bread (sign 4) and “prefigure the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1335). John prefaces chapter 6 on the Bread of Life with this present passage.
f) Each of the seven signs is a miracle. But there is a difference in the words “sign” and “miracle”. Miracles are easy to understand; there is no complication of meaning. Signs refer to something else and to understand the sign one must know to what the sign refers. In this present passage Jesus works a miracle which is a sign pointing to a deeper meaning. There are several hints in the passage to that meaning. Jesus will explain that profound meaning in the remainder of John, chapter 6, spread over the following four Sundays.
1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber’i–as.
“the other side” — It is not clear where this is. When the scene closes the disciples go off to Capernaum (Jn. 6: 17). It could be “the other side” from Capernaum.
“The Sea of Galilee” (Mt. 4: 18; 15: 29; Mk. 1: 16; 7: 31) — also called “The Sea of Tiberias” (Jn. 21, 1), “The Lake of Gennesaret” (Lk. 5: 1) or, in the Old Testament, “The Sea of Chinnereth” (Nm. 34: 11). Bethsaida, Capernaum, Magdala, Tiberias were some of the towns on the seashore.
2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased.
“They saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased” — John’s Gospel records only seven miracles, each a sign. John tells us that Jesus worked many more (Jn. 2: 23; 3: 2; 4: 45) but these were not recorded by him. He repeats this statement in Jn. 20: 30; 21: 25.
The faith of the crowd would not be strong if based only on the miracles. Faith must be based on the person of Jesus who performs the miracles. The crowds were following Jesus not for himself but for what he could do for them.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
“Jesus went up on the mountain” — It is not known which mountain this was. Jesus ascending a mountain is a frequent setting in the four Gospels and it is reminiscent of Moses going up Mt. Sinai to meet with God and receive a revelation to be shared with the people. It can indicate that Jesus is making special contact with his Father in prayer and/or has a special revelation or teaching to impart.
“and there sat down with his disciples” — This was the posture of a teacher. There is no verbal teaching given in today’s passage but the whole chapter is a teaching or revelation for the disciples whom he had with him. He will teach them with the food of his word and the new manna or Bread from Heaven.
“Passover, the feast of the Jews” — This is the second reference to the Passover (Jn. 2: 13). It is not a casual remark but has deep meaning for this chapter (Jn. 6).
Lest there be any confusion John distinguishes the Jewish celebration of the ancient Passover from the Christian feast, Jesus’ “hour”, with its reference to the Eucharist, the subject of Chapter 6. The original Passover feast recalls Moses, unleavened bread, manna from heaven and the covenant made between God and his Chosen People. “By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus’ passing over to his Father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom.” (CCC, 1340)
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, 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.
“a multitude was coming to him” — This is an expression used frequently in John’s Gospel to describe people coming to faith (Jn. 3: 21; 5: 40; 6: 35, 37, 45; 7: 37).
In verse 2 above John says that the crowd was with him, or at least following him. Here he says that the crowd “was coming to him”. The first reference could be to a physical presence; the second to a faith–presence.
“Jesus said to Philip, ‘How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ — Jesus takes the initiative. There is no indication that the crowd was hungry or in need of sustenance.
“This he said to test him” — First, Jesus decided to test the faith of Philip who had been with him from the beginning of the gathering of disciples (Jn. 1: 43–51). This is a reminder of a parallel in Numbers, chapter 11, where God tested the faith of Moses when the people complained that they were tired of eating manna and Moses could not take their complaints any longer.
Second, Jesus shows us how we are to trust in his help for our apostolic works.
“for he himself knew what he would do” — As the passage develops we will see that Jesus said and did several things which will refer to Eucharistic practice. This feeding is not a Eucharist but prepares for the institution of the Eucharist. Jesus’ intention is to give an instruction on the Eucharist.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”
“Two hundred denarii” — A denarius was the equivalent of a day’s wage for a labourer.
Philip’s approach was that if there is no money, there is nothing that can be done. Jesus will show that it is God, not money, who provides what is necessary.
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?’”
“lad” — The word used in Greek describes the boy as particularly young and insignificant. If he had objected to sharing his food the miracle would not have been possible. Contrast “lad” with Philip and Andrew: he gave everything while they were prepared to give nothing.
Jesus did not forget or neglect the “lad”. He was fed by Jesus. A lesson to be learned is that we must all have the courage to trust in and give to Jesus from our meagre resources for the needs of others. He will not forget or neglect our personal needs. No matter how insignificant people may be judged, there is always something that each can offer to Jesus. Never refuse an invitation to give your insignificant time, talent or treasure to Jesus. You will not be doing what he wants; he will be doing it in you or with you and (ultimately) for you.
The amount of loaves and fish emphasises the insignificance of what Jesus would multiply.
“five barley loaves and two fish” — Loaves made from barley were the ordinary food of the poor. The fish would have been dried or preserved.
“but what are they among so many?” — Andrew, one of the two disciples John the Baptist invited to follow Jesus (Jn. 1: 40–43), voices his unbelief in Jesus being able to feed the multitude with so little. Five loaves, perhaps better understood as small buns, would not have been sufficient for two people for a single meal. Jesus will show that no matter how insignificant are resources, he can multiply and provide in abundance. The underlying meaning is: Trust him!
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.
“Make the people sit down” — When Jesus “sat down with his disciples” (Jn 6: 3) on the mountain the Greek word used differs from the Greek word used in this verse which indicates their posture for a meal. “Recline” might convey the meaning in a better way.
“Now there was much grass in the place” — a sign that it was spring time. Already we have been informed that the Feast of Passover, celebrated in the first month of the year, in springtime, was approaching (Jn. 6: 4). There is also a hint of Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd where it says: “Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose”. Jesus acts as a pastor, one who feeds. “There is nothing I shall want” (from the Psalm) is fulfilled.
“the men sat down, in number about five thousand” — This is a huge number but it did not include women and children. The magnitude of the miracle is heightened by this number.
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.
Jesus “took”, “gave thanks” and “distributed” are the same words as in Mt. 26: 26; Mk. 14: 22; Lk. 22: 19; I Cor. 11: 25 which indicates that this is a symbolic description of the institution of the Blessed Eucharist.
“when he had given thanks” — John uses the Greek word ‘eucharist’ for giving thanks.
Jesus “distributed them” — Jesus, not the disciples, as the three synoptics record, distributed the loaves and fish. That one person could distribute food to 5,000 men seems almost impossible. John does not describe the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. His point here is that it is Jesus who is the real giver of the eucharistic bread.
12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.”
“He told his disciples” — Jesus has the disciples gather what was left over. They were not involved in the distribution.
‘Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost’” — The food was multiplied in abundance, the identical point made after turning water into wine at Cana, the first of the seven signs or miracles (Jn. 2: 1–11).
The Greek word for “gather up” is one that was used in the early Church for the gathering of people to attend the Eucharist. There is a reference here to Jesus telling his disciples to gather the people together for the Eucharist celebration that none of them be lost. This they did not understand at the time but it became clear to them after the resurrection.
“that nothing may be lost — This verse is similar to Exodus 16: 16, 19–20 which treats of the manna, and which uses the same technical word, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, every man of you, as much as he can eat; you shall take an omer apiece, according to the number of the persons whom each of you has in his tent.’… And Moses said to them, ‘Let no man leave any of it till the morning.’ But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them.” In Exodus what was left over became foul. Jesus instructs his disciples to gather the eucharistic bread as it does not become foul but may be used for people who are not present.
In an age of consumerism, wastefulness and widespread poverty, these words are a lesson in thrift and concern for the needy.
13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.
“twelve baskets” — In the Jewish culture “twelve” was a special number indicating completeness. There were twelve tribes in Israel, now replaced by the Church with the twelve apostles. The “fragments” were intended for people who did not receive. These have to be “gathered up” by the disciples into the Church to be fed by Jesus.
“the five barley loaves” — The fish are not mentioned because in this Eucharistic teaching bread alone is relevant. The remainder of the chapter speaks of bread and does not mention fish.
14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”
“When the people saw the sign which he had done” — These words were used in verse 2. The multitude followed because of the signs which were beneficial for them. In this verse 14 they have not deepened their faith in Jesus; it is the sign, the miracle that appeals to them.
“This indeed is the prophet who is to come into the world!” — The people believed that a prophet like Moses would come to establish the Messianic kingdom. This belief was based on Dt. 18: 15, 18 where Moses gives a prophecy which the Lord confirms: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren — him you shall heed — …. And the Lord said to me, I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him”.
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
“They were about to come and take him by force to make him king” — Jesus understood that because he had provided free food for the multitude, they wanted him to continue this supply. They would make him an earthly king. This was their concept of the expected Messianic King, a purely political ruler who would free them from the Roman dominion and look after them with abundance.
“Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” — He withdrew from their presence. Verse 3 tells us that Jesus had gone up the mountain with his disciples. There is no mention of them coming down. The fact that such a huge crowd sat on green grass could indicate that they were back on a plain, most likely near the sea.
Once again we witness Jesus’ predilection for mountains as places for prayer by himself. John does not mention the temptation in the wilderness, one of which was that the devil would give him the kingdoms of the world. This temptation looms here and Jesus’ counter–attack was to go off and seek his Father’s assistance in overcoming it by prayer.
C APPLICATION
As with all passages in the New Testament, we ask the question, ‘What are we being told about Jesus?’
First, we are told that Jesus was a Teacher instructing his disciples, including us, of course. He went up a mountain, the place of teaching (mountain of Beatitudes) or revelation (Mt. Sinai) and sat down, the posture of a Jewish teacher. He was teaching his disciples and John’s readers. This means that Jesus was revealed as nourishing his disciples with his word.
Second, we are told that he was trying to bring the crowd to a deeper faith. These people are mentioned twice in what would appear to be contradictory terms. The first declares that they were following Jesus and they would seem to have caught up with him. Then, three verses later, we read that he saw them “coming” to him, John’s technical way of describing someone coming to a deeper faith. Jesus had a faith–lesson for the crowd.
A third and very important point is that “the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand”. This is the key to understanding this passage and the entire sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, the readings for the following four weeks. Jesus was announcing his death and resurrection and saying that this has to be understood in the light of the Jewish feast. The Passover celebrated the Exodus under Moses when the Israelites were liberated from Egypt and brought to the Promised Land, being fed on the way with manna from heaven. Jesus, at the feast of Passover, by his death and resurrection, will liberate his new people. He is the ‘new Moses’, the prophet and Messianic King who will feed his people with the new Bread from Heaven as they journey through life to the Promised Land.
John wrote his Gospel towards the end of the first century. He used several words in this passage that were taken from the Eucharistic Prayer in use at the time. This enforces that John was writing with the Eucharist in mind. There is an offering, a thanksgiving and a meal. Nevertheless this passage is not a Eucharist but a teaching on the Eucharist. Jesus wishes to bring people to faith in the Eucharist.
He succeeded up to a point with the crowd. They recognise the similarity between the miracle and the manna but they failed to understand the full meaning of the sign. They proclaimed him as the prophet whom Moses promised. They considered him to be the Messianic–King bringing liberation and abundance to their lives. Their pre–conceived human and political notions of the prophet and Messiah clouded their incipient faith.
“He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day” applies here. Jesus ran back to the mountain by himself. He did not want the crowd to let their human and political self–interests destroy his mission. They will meet again and then he will continue his teaching. That will be the contents of the remainder of John Chapter 6.