Reflection - Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Photo: unsplash.com/@sbrison

Like a play that we have seen before and understand already how the plot unfolds, we read this week’s gospel. The extraordinary events of last’s week’s gospel - the five thousand plus human beings fed by Jesus - need some kind of response to understand what happened.

Even today, with our high tech scientific work into illness and food research, there are countries that are still in the same precarious state of life as in Jesus’ day. War and famine still destroy people.

For someone to come from nowhere (Nazareth) with the power to heal and feed people wherever he went, how do people respond? It would be the same today. The only chance to be healthy, the only chance to have a full belly, might be from such a person.

Jesus says they are only interested in getting food and that this points to deeper realities. Today as then, people would look for food first and then ask questions. For example, is this powerful action a one-off action? Who wouldn’t trust in such a powerful man except for the question: where does this power come from? This is more than ability; this is sheer power.

Which brings other questions to light. In any country at any time in history, powerful people have vested interests in their society and country; who is this man with or against? Who stands behind this man? So the people ask him by whose authority he perform these miracles? The Pharisees had their belief in the Law behind them, the Romans who subjugated the country and its restless people had their imperial legions to back up what they wanted. But people with nothing, would they follow someone who heals them and feeds them. Is this a powerful rival?

Last week Jesus was in action. This week in the gospel he is preaching, he explains what is happening, and it is powerful to read his words. These words are just as relevant today; the same offering is presented. Believe in the one sent by God, the one on whom God has set his seal.

We know the end of the story, the Resurrection of Jesus. We understand how the people discussing with Jesus would recall the gift of manna in the desert when they were struggling to leave Egypt.

We have the bird’s eye view of what happened. It is easier for us. It wasn’t Moses who gave them manna to eat. It was God the Father at work - according to Jesus. Such bread came from God. Jesus gave them bread from the earth. Then he lays out clearly what is happening.

Yes, God has given food in the past. Jesus himself has supplied food for the people. But he points towards a deeper reality. A deeper challenge, a deeper call. He proclaims: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst."

Columban Fr Gary Walker is currently living at the Columban house in Sandgate, Brisbane.