John 6,1-15.
It was springtime and the feast of Passover was near when the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves took place in an idyllic setting, on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish is the only miracle from the public ministry of Jesus to be found in all four gospels. John’s account is unique because he attaches to it a lengthy sermon by Jesus on the Eucharist the Bread of life – the nearest we get in John to an Institution (of the Eucharist) Narrative.  According to John, this miracle happened just before the feast of Passover, which was the key feast in the Jewish calendar celebrating their liberation from Egypt and their identity as God’s chosen people. The miracle of multiplication of the loaves, and Jesus’ teaching about it, are to be understood in a Passover context. While the mountain/hill which Jesus and his apostles ascended is not named it is probably meant to have a resonance with Mt Sinai. Large crowds of people follow Jesus because of the miracles they have seen him work, especially healing the sick. Healing always attracts people.
Jesus takes the initiative with this miracle, showing his concern for their situation. He tests Philip by asking him where they could get bread to feed so many people. Being from Bethsaida, Philip would know the local scene best. He informs Jesus that they have only 200 denarii which could buy each one a small piece of bread. Andrew pipes up that there is a boy there who has five barley loaves, (the inferior quality bread which the poor ate), and two (dried) fish, but rightly surmises that such meagre supplies would hardly suffice to feed them. Jesus asks them to get the people to sit down –as many as 5000 in all.
Jesus’ taking the loaves, giving thanks to God for them, and giving them to the disciples to distribute to all who were sitting, waiting, reminds us of the taking, blessing, breaking and giving associated with the Eucharist. He does the same with the fish. He fed everyone, and as at the wedding at Cana, he more than provided for their needs. He is never parsimonious with his gifts. The fragments of bread left over are collected and fill 12 baskets. The word for fragments (klasmata) (6,12), was often used in Christian literature from the end of the first Christian century to describe the crumbs left after the celebration of the Eucharist, its use here hinting too at the Eucharistic symbolism of this miracle.
The people’s reaction to the miracle is to conclude that Jesus was the prophet who was to come. In Deut 18,15 God promised that he would raise up a prophet like Moses for the people of Israel in the future. The people now concluded that this had happened. The idea of wanting to crown Jesus as king shows that that they must have thought that he was the expected Messiah. (In some Jewish circles the Messiah was expected to come at Passover). Jesus, knew that their expectations of what the Messiah would be and do, were, for the most part political and worldly, and so he escaped back into the hills by himself. He will correct their misunderstandings later.
When helping people, Jesus always used what was available in a situation as the starting point. He transformed their meagre offering of five loaves and two fish into food to feed 5000 people. He can magnify our meagre offerings and efforts, talents, and gifts, if we ask him, and let him.
He always wants us to make our contribution, however paltry it may seem. Grace builds on nature.
Fr Geoff O’Grady