18th Sunday of year A
You too can be a miracle worker
+A reading from holy Gospel according to Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.
When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they answered ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’ ‘Bring them here to me’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining; twelve baskets full. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.
1. The readings on this Sunday are all about God’s providence. They talk of God provoking joy and celebration for those who come to him. The first reading (Is55:1-3) is an invitation to participate in the feast prepared by God. The second (Rom 8:35,37-39) encourages us never to separate ourselves from God who is the source of our happiness. The gospel dramatized this providence when Jesus fed gratuitously a crowd of about five thousand people.
2. A close look at the gospel will reveal some truths about our faith. The gospel begins by showing Jesus withdrawing from the people after the arrest of John the Baptist. But the people could not let him be. They followed him because they know what he can offer. Jesus began by healing their bodily sicknesses. He then fed their souls with the word of God. Then came evening and the intervention of the apostles to send the people away for them to take care of their physical hunger. Strange enough, Jesus objected and asked them to “give them something to eat.” How could they do the impossible with their little provision of five loaves of bread and two fish? They gave what they had to Jesus. He prayed over them and the miracle happened. Five thousand people ate to their satisfaction and twelve baskets remained as left over.
3. Through this miracle, made possible by the donation of the apostles, Jesus not only demonstrated his power as God but made his followers to understand that when people willingly give what they have, they give God opportunity to prove himself. He equally showed them that the preacher should not only be concerned with the spiritual wellbeing of his flock but must also be interested in their material wellbeing. This challenges the church to open wide her doors for those who are left at the margin of the society.
4. When Jesus said: “Give them something to eat yourselves ” he knew that the disciples do not have much to give. He however wanted them to give the little that they have. This is a way of showing that we do not really need to have much before we can share. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the early christians put their goods in common. Their rule of life was: from each according to his capacity and to each according to his needs. Today we no longer do this because we have learnt to trust more on ourselves than on God. The result is fear of the unknown leading to greed and avarice.
5. Pope St. Paul VI in Populorum Progressio, noted that God has given humanity enough for each person’s need. However, greed has made it impossible for all to live a comfortable life. Few people grab what is meant for multitudes and store them away only for their own use. Apply this to our country Nigeria and you will see that it is true. In this country, an individual easily takes money meant for the development of a state and invest it for his personal use. In the last two months we have heard of one man, a civil servant having 53 properties worth billions of naira. Last week we heard again of an ex governor having an investment of 423 billion naira in Egypt. These could be a tip of an iceberg in the ocean of greed that has eaten up this country. Today Nigeria is classed among the poorest countries in the world and individuals are richer than the state. How is this possible?
6. Today’s gospel makes a direct call to you. Share what you have with those who are in need. Give food to the man you see dying of hunger for if you do not feed him, you are killing him. Do not wait to be rich before you can give. Give the little that you have, as the widow of Zarephat (1Kg 17:8–24) gave to Elijah and you will be giving God the raw material for miracles. You will become a miracle worker.
@Vitalis Anaehobi
02/08/26
