Exodus 16:2-21/Galatians 4:21-31/St John 6:1-15
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
It was intentional. Jesus knew what He was doing. He was creating the problem; perhaps in order to show that even our most dire of crises are not as consequential as we presume. At any rate, Jesus purposefully led the crowd out into the wilderness, as St John informs us, For He Himself knew what He would do.
Previously we heard how Christ was intentionally driven out into the wilderness by God the Holy Spirit. Immediately following His baptism, the Son of God is set upon the way of the cross and put into direct conflict with the devil. It is St Matthew who instructs us, Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness in order to be tempted by the devil (Mt 4:1). So too it is St Matthew’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, that tells us that seeing the great crowd, Jesus had compassion on them and healed their sick (Mt 14:14).
And so, Jesus intentionally led the crowd of people out into the wilderness. Only He did not lead them out there to kill them with hunger, as Israel had grumbled against Moses and Aaron. But He did led them out there to test them, that is, to test His disciples. And us. Will they walk according to His Word or not? Will they trust Him to provide daily bread? Will you?
Will you wait with patience upon the goodness of the Lord? Or will you grumble against Him in the midst of this wilderness? He who to this day has fed you, and to many joys has led you, will He now neglect your physical needs? Abandon you to pain and sorrow without relief? Will He who did not withhold His only Son from you, fail to give you all good things?
Repent, but do not despair. For He who ever gently schools you, He who daily guides and rules you, will remain your help divine. He who brought Israel up out of slavery in Egypt, leading them into the wilderness, also graciously fed them there with manna and quail, with bread and meat. So too this One, YHWH in the flesh, Jesus led the crowds out into the wilderness on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, away from Jerusalem. And He is the One who has led you from your redemption through Holy Baptism out into the wilderness of this world.
And as He fed them, so shall He not neglect, but care for you. For like a Shepherd He gently leads His flock into the wilderness, creating the crisis in order that He may provide for them, strengthen their faith, and that they may learn to trust in Him for all good things.
He asks, Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat? He said this to test Philip. So He tests you. Philip answered, “Not even two hundred days wages would supply enough for all of them to get a morsel.” I don’t know what the right answer would have been. Perhaps it was as St John answered in Revelation, Sir, you know.
At any rate, Christ does know what He will do. He does not laugh off Andrew’s informative news that a little boy has brought his lunch and is willing to share. Neither does He do as the liberal Bible critics suggest: encourage the crowd to share what each has brought, as this little boy has done. For note, the little boy does not share with others, but he brings it to Andrew who brings it to Jesus.
And our Lord who everyday is feeding people all over the world by the miracles of rain and growth and harvest, takes these loaves and fish and feeds five thousand men, not including the women and children, out in the wilderness. Where the Israelites had to work by daily gathering that which was given, here the crowds are instructed to sit down in the lush grass, for they shall be waited upon. Does it not sound like the twenty-third Psalm? Your Good Shepherd makes you to lie down in green pastures, providing, according to His attentive mercy, for all your needs? For this is the Gospel, dear Christians; the direction of all of Christianity. The Lord gives. We receive. As it is written, Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy (Titus 3:5).
And whereas in the Old Testament with the manna in the wilderness, the Israelites had neither plenty nor lack, with none left over until morning; here, in the New Testament, Christ Jesus provides bread and fish in abundance; for when they had all eaten fill, He told the disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets. Twelve. For the number of the Tribes of Israel. Twelve. For the number of the Apostles. This is the superabundance of the Gospel; our Lord forgiving sins through His Word, through Holy Baptism, in the Holy Absolution, in the Holy Communion, in the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren. This is grace upon grace; cups overflowing.
So much so that when the people saw the sign that He had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is come into the world!” Their confession is true. But He would not be their Bread King. Instead He withdrew to the mountain by Himself, for His hour had not yet come.
But St John alludes to His hour and properly orients us through this narrative. For this history. Jesus truly fed five thousand men on five loaves of bread and two fish given by a little boy. But, as St Paul said in the Epistle, This may be interpreted allegorically.
Does not St John tell us that the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand? This is not simply historical detail. He arranges this narrative around the High Feast, when, according to the good and gracious will of the Father, Jesus Christ will offer Himself up as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is intentional. It is the divine will that the Christ must suffer and die. For He is the Good Shepherd who leads His people like a flock and will lay down His life for the Sheep.
Indeed He shall offer up His Body for food and His Blood for drink, the very Bread that comes down from heaven that gives eternal life. And this is not as the manna given to our fathers in the wilderness, who ate and died. The flesh of the Son of Man is living bread, eternal food, the medicine of immortality.
And this is foreshadowed here, in the St John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. This is not the Eucharist, it is not the Sacrament of the Altar given on the hillside in the wilderness. It is bread and fish. But it may be interpreted sacramentally; eucharistically, even as Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks, instructing the disciples to give and collect in order that none may be lost.
The apostolic church made this connection plain in that late first century catechism known as the Didache, when concerning the bread in the Eucharist, they prayed, “Just as this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and then was gathered together and became one, so my your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom” (Didache, 9:4). Indeed you heard similar words to these on Ash Wednesday and will again hear them on Maundy Thursday! Beginning and ending the Lenten season.
Indeed, dear Christians, during Lententide you are instructed and encouraged to fast. To discipline your body and learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. And yet man does need bread to live. Bread which the Lord Himself provides. He does not deny His children; but in love and compassion, He feeds them.
Today is your respite during the Lenten fast. Indeed each Sunday is a respite; a mini-Easter along the road to the Cross. Yet today particularly so, for today is Laetare, meaning ‘rejoice.’ This is not the full-throated joy of the resurrection of our Lord. But it is the retrained joy of the forgiven sinner crying out in thanksgiving for all the good gifts of her dear Father in heaven; including everything that is meant by daily bread.
And it is here, in the green grass of the pasture of His Church that Christ your Good Shepherd bids you come and sit, recline and rest, as He feeds you on the wholesome Word of the forgiveness of your sins. Here where He bids you come to His Table and feast on the living Bread from heaven which sustains you all the days of your pilgrimage and wandering in the wilderness of this world. Here He clothes you with salvation and you, His saints, shout for joy.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
It was intentional. Jesus knew what He was doing. He was creating the problem; perhaps in order to show that even our most dire of crises are not as consequential as we presume. At any rate, Jesus purposefully led the crowd out into the wilderness, as St John informs us, For He Himself knew what He would do.
Previously we heard how Christ was intentionally driven out into the wilderness by God the Holy Spirit. Immediately following His baptism, the Son of God is set upon the way of the cross and put into direct conflict with the devil. It is St Matthew who instructs us, Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness in order to be tempted by the devil (Mt 4:1). So too it is St Matthew’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, that tells us that seeing the great crowd, Jesus had compassion on them and healed their sick (Mt 14:14).
And so, Jesus intentionally led the crowd of people out into the wilderness. Only He did not lead them out there to kill them with hunger, as Israel had grumbled against Moses and Aaron. But He did led them out there to test them, that is, to test His disciples. And us. Will they walk according to His Word or not? Will they trust Him to provide daily bread? Will you?
Will you wait with patience upon the goodness of the Lord? Or will you grumble against Him in the midst of this wilderness? He who to this day has fed you, and to many joys has led you, will He now neglect your physical needs? Abandon you to pain and sorrow without relief? Will He who did not withhold His only Son from you, fail to give you all good things?
Repent, but do not despair. For He who ever gently schools you, He who daily guides and rules you, will remain your help divine. He who brought Israel up out of slavery in Egypt, leading them into the wilderness, also graciously fed them there with manna and quail, with bread and meat. So too this One, YHWH in the flesh, Jesus led the crowds out into the wilderness on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, away from Jerusalem. And He is the One who has led you from your redemption through Holy Baptism out into the wilderness of this world.
And as He fed them, so shall He not neglect, but care for you. For like a Shepherd He gently leads His flock into the wilderness, creating the crisis in order that He may provide for them, strengthen their faith, and that they may learn to trust in Him for all good things.
He asks, Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat? He said this to test Philip. So He tests you. Philip answered, “Not even two hundred days wages would supply enough for all of them to get a morsel.” I don’t know what the right answer would have been. Perhaps it was as St John answered in Revelation, Sir, you know.
At any rate, Christ does know what He will do. He does not laugh off Andrew’s informative news that a little boy has brought his lunch and is willing to share. Neither does He do as the liberal Bible critics suggest: encourage the crowd to share what each has brought, as this little boy has done. For note, the little boy does not share with others, but he brings it to Andrew who brings it to Jesus.
And our Lord who everyday is feeding people all over the world by the miracles of rain and growth and harvest, takes these loaves and fish and feeds five thousand men, not including the women and children, out in the wilderness. Where the Israelites had to work by daily gathering that which was given, here the crowds are instructed to sit down in the lush grass, for they shall be waited upon. Does it not sound like the twenty-third Psalm? Your Good Shepherd makes you to lie down in green pastures, providing, according to His attentive mercy, for all your needs? For this is the Gospel, dear Christians; the direction of all of Christianity. The Lord gives. We receive. As it is written, Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy (Titus 3:5).
And whereas in the Old Testament with the manna in the wilderness, the Israelites had neither plenty nor lack, with none left over until morning; here, in the New Testament, Christ Jesus provides bread and fish in abundance; for when they had all eaten fill, He told the disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets. Twelve. For the number of the Tribes of Israel. Twelve. For the number of the Apostles. This is the superabundance of the Gospel; our Lord forgiving sins through His Word, through Holy Baptism, in the Holy Absolution, in the Holy Communion, in the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren. This is grace upon grace; cups overflowing.
So much so that when the people saw the sign that He had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is come into the world!” Their confession is true. But He would not be their Bread King. Instead He withdrew to the mountain by Himself, for His hour had not yet come.
But St John alludes to His hour and properly orients us through this narrative. For this history. Jesus truly fed five thousand men on five loaves of bread and two fish given by a little boy. But, as St Paul said in the Epistle, This may be interpreted allegorically.
Does not St John tell us that the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand? This is not simply historical detail. He arranges this narrative around the High Feast, when, according to the good and gracious will of the Father, Jesus Christ will offer Himself up as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is intentional. It is the divine will that the Christ must suffer and die. For He is the Good Shepherd who leads His people like a flock and will lay down His life for the Sheep.
Indeed He shall offer up His Body for food and His Blood for drink, the very Bread that comes down from heaven that gives eternal life. And this is not as the manna given to our fathers in the wilderness, who ate and died. The flesh of the Son of Man is living bread, eternal food, the medicine of immortality.
And this is foreshadowed here, in the St John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. This is not the Eucharist, it is not the Sacrament of the Altar given on the hillside in the wilderness. It is bread and fish. But it may be interpreted sacramentally; eucharistically, even as Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks, instructing the disciples to give and collect in order that none may be lost.
The apostolic church made this connection plain in that late first century catechism known as the Didache, when concerning the bread in the Eucharist, they prayed, “Just as this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and then was gathered together and became one, so my your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom” (Didache, 9:4). Indeed you heard similar words to these on Ash Wednesday and will again hear them on Maundy Thursday! Beginning and ending the Lenten season.
Indeed, dear Christians, during Lententide you are instructed and encouraged to fast. To discipline your body and learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. And yet man does need bread to live. Bread which the Lord Himself provides. He does not deny His children; but in love and compassion, He feeds them.
Today is your respite during the Lenten fast. Indeed each Sunday is a respite; a mini-Easter along the road to the Cross. Yet today particularly so, for today is Laetare, meaning ‘rejoice.’ This is not the full-throated joy of the resurrection of our Lord. But it is the retrained joy of the forgiven sinner crying out in thanksgiving for all the good gifts of her dear Father in heaven; including everything that is meant by daily bread.
And it is here, in the green grass of the pasture of His Church that Christ your Good Shepherd bids you come and sit, recline and rest, as He feeds you on the wholesome Word of the forgiveness of your sins. Here where He bids you come to His Table and feast on the living Bread from heaven which sustains you all the days of your pilgrimage and wandering in the wilderness of this world. Here He clothes you with salvation and you, His saints, shout for joy.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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