Resisting the Perennial Mindset That ‘It’s Never Enough’
Photo from Unsplash.Last Sunday the Eucharistic Congress “fed” the vast crowds with Eucharistic devotion, prayer and a series of presentations that aimed to spark revival. Its timing coincides nicely with the Mass readings for the next several Sundays, which present a lengthy discussion about the bread of life in the Gospel of John.
And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said. (2 Kgs 4:44).
Recall a time when you were overwhelmed with grace.
Do you struggle with a scarcity mindset about faith?
Where do you place your confidence these days?
Taking a pause from the Gospel of Mark, the Lectionary turns to John to pick up exactly where Sunday’s previous passage was leading: the feeding of the hungry multitudes. Last week, the first thing Jesus did after he looked upon the crowd was to discuss the faith: “He began to teach them many things” (Mk 6:34). Mark’s narrative highlights Jesus as the shepherd who heals, teaches, feeds and is moved with compassion for the desperate crowd.
In the passage in the Gospel of John that recounts the same miracle scene, the theme shifts. With John’s passage today, the focus lingers on the question of crowd size followed by the plan to feed this vast people: “When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him...” (Jn 6:5). Unlike Mark’s version, Jesus knows exactly where this interaction is going. “He himself knew what he was going to do” (Jn 6:6). His disciples, however, do not. Philip becomes concerned about the crowd size. Andrew points out a boy in the crowd with five barley loaves and two fish: “But what good are these for so many?” (Jn 6:9).
What good is scarcity in the midst of a multitude of needs? This is John’s concern.
Jesus responds with generosity. The scene shifts to an abundant meal with Eucharistic undertones. For example, “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining” (Jn 6:11). The emphasis shifts from scarcity to having just the right amount to consume: “And also as much of the fish as they wanted.” After that right amount is consumed, the image becomes one of an abundance of barley loaf fragments left over, indicating that people had more than enough to eat. A similar feeding of a hungry crowd is described in today’s first reading. There Elisha does not hesitate to feed the many with a pauper’s meal of barley loaves. Elisha’s concern—“You will eat and have some left over” (2 Kgs 4:43)—will be Jesus’ concern in today’s Gospel passage.
The message is simple but effectively resists the perennial mindset that says, it is never enough. Everyone is fed, with more than enough left over. This becomes the image of the Eucharist today as spiritual food for the vast, hungry crowd that, so often, is left feeling unsatisfied from hollow pursuits in life. Jesus is building momentum in this opening discourse from John; he is the bread of life.
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