Manna in a lunchbox

Jock Stein September 25, 2023 4 1

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John 6: 1-11 (NRSVA)

1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages 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 boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ 10 Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus 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. 

 

The Gospel account repeats the story of manna in the desert, in a different setting. The bread of heaven is found in the lunch box of a small boy with five loaves and two fish.

Philip’s ‘if only’ is replaced by Andrew’s ‘it is’. ‘If only we had’ gives way to ‘here is what we have’, in face of a lad who seems (for some reason we are not told) to have brought his lunch to the disciples. It is the kind of simple, crazy gesture which Jesus notices and uses beyond the disciples’ wildest dreams.

Commentators have often noticed the detail about grass in verse 10, and wisely remind us that John’s gospel should never be boxed up, packaged as a ‘spiritual gospel’, as if this was just a spiritual message about sharing and not grounded in history and practice. No, the food comes out of the box, and the interpretation likewise, taking us beyond our boxed in notions of what Jesus can and cannot do.

The gospel is bread from heaven, and bread of heaven. It feeds us and challenges us to feed others, body and soul.

PRAY:

Lord Jesus Christ, we are seated before you, wanting manna from heaven.

Lord Jesus, we are seated before you, praying for the world’s hungry people, and bringing to mind when last we supported a hungry person.

Lord Jesus, we are seated before you, waiting for your word of command . . . and praying as you taught us, ‘Our Father in heaven, give us this day our daily bread – and forgive us our short-comings, as we forgive anyone who left us short.’ Amen.