July 29, 2018

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time B 2 Kings 4:42-44; Ephesians 4: 1-6; John 6: 1-15 If I was to ask the question, ‘Was Jesus a practical person?’ Say I heard Him speak, what would I need to hear to conclude that He was honest, caring and loving, and was concerned about me? Would I stay and listen even if my calendar was full? If after this first time listening to Him, would I walk about three to four miles that same day to listen to Him again? The people complained about the religious and political leaders and those with money and influence looked at them as ‘losers and nothings’. What would I need to convince me of Jesus’ sincerity and honesty? When I read Scriptures, do I form an image of Jesus and let Him form or even re-form my image of God? Most people seem to have a much more working knowledge of the New Testament than the Old Testament. Most have a good knowledge of Jesus including His miracles, teachings and care for the people. Do we see the Old Testament as a precursor telling us of God’s continued care or do we see it as a group of books telling us of God’s anger at the people’s unfaithfulness? Are these two books interconnected? One author shares that the theme for the readings today are: the bread of life, food for the world. Another states that the theme shows how we can take the basic things of life that God provides and use them to transform the lives of those around us. Another shares that except for Mary, it would be difficult to find a person in the Gospels who was a quick learner about the nature of the Kingdom of God. So these readings help us to be patient with ourselves when we fail to understand it, but let us continue trying. Both books of Kings are a collection of the stories about Elijah and his successor, Elisha. The fourth chapter of 2 Kings today brings out four stories in Elisha’s life. The first tells of a widow of one of the guild prophets who had no money and was being pursued by her creditors. She had nothing but a jug of oil. The prophet told her to borrow as many vessels as she could. Then go home, close the door and fill these vessels with oil. Then go and sell the oil and this will pay off her creditors and she and her children can live in security. #2 A woman of influence urged him to dine with her. Her husband was old and they have no children and no one will care for her when her husband dies. The prophet told her, “Next year your will be fondling a baby son.” When the son was old enough to work in the fields he became severely sick. She went to the prophet begging for her son. Elisha said, “Lay my staff on the boy.” Still there was no sign of life. Elisha came and stretched out on the boy, he lived. #3 When Elisha returned home there was famine in the land. He told his servants to make some vegetable stew for the guild prophets. Yet someone found a wild vine with wild gourds on it. He added this to the stew and they saw that this poisoned it. He took some meal and threw it in the pot and now there was nothing harmful. #4 A man brought him twenty barley loaves. The prophet told him to feed the people. The man said this wouldn’t be enough for the large crowd. Yet they ate, had enough and had leftovers. This shows God’s constant care and love as does today’s Gospel. Paul is telling the Ephesians that we hear over and over of God’s love and caring in the Old Testament tales. We also hear how the people did not live up to their part of the covenant. God said, “I will be your God, you will be my people.” So what does it mean for us to be God’s covenant people? Paul says we are to walk with humility and gentleness, with patience bearing with one another in love. What does bearing with one another mean? One translation says, showing tolerance for one another in love. (NASB) The NLT reads making allowance for each others’s faults because of your love. The Greek word means to endure or to put up with difficult people or circumstances. This means living our faith involves making the community more Christlike. And where to we get our energy? Jesus shares this with the Eucharistic overtones in the Gospel. The people were hungry; they had listened to Him, watched Him perform miracles and went up the mountain with Him. (probably the Mt. of Beatitudes) “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many? Jesus said, ‘Have the people recline…The men recline, about five thousand in number.” The situation was desperate, similar to Elisha in today’s first reading. Jesus fed them all in abundance. No attempt is made to say how He did this. No attention is given to the miracle. This multiplication of the loaves and fishes is a sign that Jesus offers to reveal something about Himself. He is the prophet who is to come, The word ‘prophet’ means, ‘The Lord saves.’ The people didn’t realize this. They wanted to make Jesus their king. Jesus understands their need to be fed with the truth of the good news of God’s love for each person. God constantly feeds us with His word and with the bread of the Eucharist, which this miracle prefigures. So often we forget that the Eucharist is a miracle. We come to see a miracle each time we are at the Eucharist. Do we realize this? The people today hearing Jesus didn’t realize this. They are so impressed with the miracle that they haven’t understood the nature of God’s kingdom that He preached about. Living the Word shares, “… Jesus takes what is available and uses it to feed over five thousand people in today’s Gospel. The lesson for us seems too obvious at first. Take what you have, your first fruits, not your leftovers. Thank God for what you have. And then feed others using those resources. It sounds too simple, so simple that we forget the power of this obvious example. When we live this lesson, we often discover that there is more than enough to satisfy the hungers of the human heart and our physical needs, too.” This miracle happened because one boy was willing to share what little he had; from this small gift, Jesus worked a miracle. What gifts have I been blessed with by the Lord? Am I grateful? Do I share these gifts to all or a select few? Connections states: “Eucharist is possible only when self defers to community, only when serving others is exalted over being served, only when differences dissolve and the common and shared are honored above all else.” So I reflect on: • I look at the past week and see how God has provided for me. What talents and goodness do I have to feed others with God’s presence and love? • Had I been in the crowd at the Sea of Galilee, would I have followed Jesus around the lake to hear His words again?Would I have given up whatever food I had brought with me to share with others? • How easily do I share, not from my excess but from my own need? • In the midst of plenty, do I worry about those who have too little to eat? • Do I waste God’s gifts to me on me and those I love? Sacred Space 2018 states: “Jesus began with what was already present: a few loaves and fishes. When I feel that it’s impossible to acquire what is needed, I will try to look first at what I already have. The apostles collected all the leftover food, ‘so that nothing may be wasted.’ Am I careless with the abundance of God? Do I take good care of resources and treasure God’s gifts?”