More than Enough

Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of the dominant themes that runs through all the Gospels is the theme of the reversal of fortune. God takes the lowly and makes them great, the weak and makes them strong. Jesus asks us to be servants if we wish to be masters. The owner of the vineyard pays those who worked the shortest amount of time the same as he pays those who worked all day. Jesus asks us to take a lower seat at the banquet rather than a seat at the head of the table. Sometimes Jesus refers to his disciples as “these little ones.” Indeed, I suspect that many people look upon the reference to little ones as references to children. However, in the eyes of God we are all “the little ones.” The number of times that this theme is proclaimed makes us certain that the Gospels are asking us to be like the maid of Nazareth who sings, “My soul proclaims the glory of the Lord, for God looks upon the my lowliness so that all ages will call me blessed.”

Each of the readings for this particular Sunday includes references to this theme. In the Second Book of Kings from the Hebrew Scriptures, Elisha is asked how 100 people can be fed with 20 barley loaves. If we think in terms of the loaves of bread that we can find on the shelves of Mariano’s or Jewel’s, we would miss the point. For these people, a loaf of bread refers to something that we would call flatbread, a round disk that would be torn apart and shared with others. In addition, we must also pay attention to the fact that these loaves were made from barley, the cheapest and least nutritious kind of grain for making bread. God responds to the question by noting that they shall eat and there will still be some left over.

Psalm 145 sings of the fact that God is able to satisfy the desire of every living thing. There will be enough to go around.

The first part of chapter 6 of St. John’s Gospel introduces what has come to be known as the “Discourse on the living bread.” While God was expected to feed 100 people with 20 loaves, Jesus expects his disciples to feed 5,000 people with only five barley loaves. The evangelist emphasizes the smallness or lowliness of the young boy’s offering by saying that it would take more than 200 day’s wages to give each person just a little bit of food. Yet, we know how this story ends. The disciples begin to distribute the food only to find that there is more than enough. In fact, there are 12 baskets of fragments left over after all have had their fill. The number 12 is not used by accident. Israel consisted of 12 tribes, and Jesus intends to found his church upon 12 apostles. There are many other instances of where the number 12 comes to play in both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Saint Luke tells us explicitly that Jesus was 12 years old when he was found teaching the elders in the Temple of Jerusalem. In the Book of Revelation, we are told that the tree of life will bear fruit 12 times a year. The number twelve symbolizes authority and power.

Finally, The Book of Revelation also describes the new Jerusalem as a city with 12 gates, each gate bearing the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Each gate is made from a single pearl and is guarded by an angel. In addition, the city is founded on 12 courses of stone, each course of stone bearing the name of one of the apostles. In addition, each course of stone bears a single gem, 12 different gems in all. These elements symbolize the unity and continuity of God’s people, from the twelve tribes of Israel to the twelve apostles of the New Testament. As the Discourse on the Bread of Life will reveal in the coming weeks, St. John is making a very pointed reference to the Eucharist through this miracle. The feeding of the multitude, therefore, must be regarded as a foretaste of the Eucharist at the heavenly banquet. The collection of 12 baskets of leftovers highlights the abundance of Jesus’ miracle, showing that God’s provision is more than enough to meet the needs of the people. Jesus’ instruction to gather the fragments emphasizes the importance of not wasting God’s blessings and being good stewards of what we receive.

Finally, St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians calls us to humility, gentleness and patience. These attributes speak to our character as little ones, people who do not to lord it over others, people who look to their neighbor in peace.

In a world where power is looked upon as being the ultimate goal, we cannot miss the implication that true power comes to those who put others first. Jesus himself is an example of this as we read in St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians: “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

One other point that validates this claim is the fact that it is a boy who freely gives his five loaves and two fish to Jesus. He was, I am sure, just as hungry as everyone else in that crowd, yet he brings the little he has and shares it with Jesus. In the hands of Jesus, this little bit becomes more than enough to feed the 5,000. We are reminded once again that when we share the few gifts we have with Jesus, amazing things can happen. We need not worry that we are not enough or that we do not possess large resources. The gifts we have been given when freely offered to God, will provide more than enough.