The Feeding of the Five Thousand must be one of the best known of Jesus’ miracles. In fact it’s so well-known that it’s become a common metaphor for any instance of stretching meagre resources to feed or to help in some way a large number of people. But as well as being a well-known miracle of Jesus, it’s also been seen one of the most important. We know this because it’s one of the few stories about Jesus that appears in all four of the Gospels. So the Evangelists, whom we know carefully selected and edited what they knew about Jesus to suit their own circumstances, must all have regarded this story as too important to omit from their narrative of Jesus’ ministry. So what is so important about this miracle story? How should we interpret it for our situation and what practical lessons can we take from it?
Let’s start by bearing in mind that Jesus never seemed to do anything miraculous without a purpose. His miracles, whatever they were, seemed to be intended to either inspire faith in the faithless, strengthen the faith of the doubting, and to help the faithful, either directly, as in the healing miracles, or by encouraging and bringing understanding to them. And while we can see elements of all these things in the Feeding of the Five Thousand, it’s main purpose was perhaps to bring understanding to the faithful, in particular, to the disciples. And this is hinted at a little later in St Matthew’s Gospel when the disciples seem confused after a dispute between Jesus, the Pharisees and Sadducees. When Jesus tells the disciples to
“…beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
the disciples start discussing the fact that they have no bread with them and Jesus asks them why they don’t yet perceive. He specifically asks them to recall the miraculous feedings and asks them,
“How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?”
So there’s clearly something much more going on in this miraculous event than simply the feeding of a lot of people with a few loaves and fish.
In St Matthew’s telling, the story is full of symbolism. The location of the miracle, “a desolate place” recalls the wandering of the people of Israel in the wilderness where God fed them with manna. It possibly also recalls an earlier miraculous feeding when the prophet Elisha fed a hundred men with twelve barley loaves. But as well as looking back, it also look forward because Jesus’ actions in taking and blessing the bread point us to the Eucharist. And we’re also called to look forward to the coming Kingdom which is often described as a banquet at which, just as in this miracle, all will eat and be satisfied.
So in this miracle story we’re asked to understand that something extraordinary is going on and someone extraordinary is at work. In the wilderness, it wasn’t Moses who fed the people, but God. And here, in this desolate place, it’s Jesus who feeds the people. So Jesus is greater than Moses. Miraculous as it might have been, Elisha’s feeding of a hundred men with twelve loaves pales into insignificance compared to the miracle Jesus performs here. So Jesus is greater than the prophets. But Jesus isn’t only able to feed his people now, in this time and place, he will continue to feed his people in all times and places in the Eucharist. And ultimately, Jesus is the one who will preside at the Messianic Banquet in God’s Kingdom. A short time after this, just after the dispute with the Pharisees and Sadducees I mentioned earlier, Jesus ask the disciples who they think he is, and for Peter at least, the penny had finally dropped: Jesus is
“…the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
and that’s what we’re being asked to understand in this miraculous story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand.
But we’re being asked to understand something else too, I think. This story looks forward to the Eucharist but at the first Eucharist, the Last Supper, Jesus not only took, blessed and broke the bread, he gave it out too. But here, it’s the disciples who asked to distribute it. In fact, when the disciples want to send the people away to find food, Jesus says to them,
“You give them something to eat.”
So this miracle story looks forward to the time of the Church too, to the time when it’s the disciples who will have to feed the people. And not only with the bread of the Eucharist but, as the story of Jesus’ dispute with the Pharisees and Sadducees suggests, with good teaching; the leaven of Jesus. And that is the practical lesson for us in this miracle story.
But when it comes to feeding people with the leaven of Jesus, we know that it can seem like feeding the five thousand because there are an awful lot of people who need feeding, but not many of us to do the feeding. But nevertheless, as his disciples, Jesus is asking us to give them something to eat. He’s asking us to feed them through proclaiming the leaven of the Gospel so that they will come to faith and understanding and so come to the banquet of the Eucharist where we can distribute the Bread of Life among them.
And really, it is that simple. The problem is that we’re often put off by the enormity of the task. Just like those disciples who though they didn’t have enough food for all those people, we look at what needs to be done and think we don’t have what it takes to get the job done. But, just as five loaves and two fish were enough to feed five thousand people when they were placed in Jesus’ hands, so what we have will be enough if we put what we do in Jesus’ hands, when we stop worrying about how we’re going to do it, how we possibly can do it, and just get on with it and try in Jesus’ name. And that’s all he asks us to do.
But as well as thinking they can’t do it, that they don’t have the wherewithal to do it, I think, no, I’m certain actually, that the main reason people, good Christian people, don’t put this calling into action is the fear of failure. But I’m equally certain that Jesus’ response to this would be “O ye of little faith.” We aren’t called to do this on our own. If we do this in Jesus’ name and for the glory of God, he will be with us and what we have to get the job done, no matter how insufficient or inadequate we might think it is, will be enough. We have to remember too that Jesus never asked us to achieve a 100% success rate. When he sent his disciples out ahead of him he told them,
“…whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”
So if people don’t or won’t listen to us when we proclaim the Gospel, it’s not our fault, it’s theirs. We’ve tried: we’ve done what we’re called to do, if people won’t listen, on their own heads be it.
We won’t be judged harshly for failure in that sense but what we no doubt will be judged harshly for is not even trying because what they really betrays is a lack of faith.
So this morning’s Gospel, the Feeding of the Five Thousand, calls us to understanding and faith and sets us a challenge. As we read it do we perceive, do we understand just who Jesus is? Can we then join with St Peter in acclaiming Jesus as the Christ and Son of God? Do we have the faith to do what he asks of us, regardless of how ill equipped we might thing we are to meet the challenge?
Amen.
The Propers for th 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2nd August 2026
Entrance Antiphon
O God, come to my assistance;
O Lord, make haste to help me!
You are my rescuer, my help;
O Lord, do not delay.
The Collect
Draw near to your servants, O Lord,
and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,
that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide,
you may restore what you have created,
and keep safe what you have restored.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Readings
Isaiah 55:1-3
Psalm 145:8-9, 15-18
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Matthew 14:13-21
Prayer after Communion
Accompany with constant protection, O Lord,
those you renew with these heavenly gifts and,
in your never-failing care for them,
make them worthy of eternal redemption.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Parish Church of St Mark Chadderton 