This weekend, we celebrate the Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The voice of Isaiah in the first reading invites us to the feast that God sets before us. This is symbolic of both the Eucharistic meal and the eschatological banquet in the Kingdom of God. The second reading is an exultant proclamation of the wonderful victorious power of God’s love in the lives of believers. Nothing is stronger than God’s love for us. The Gospel reading is very familiar in that some form of this story appears six times in the four gospels. This story of Jesus feeding the multitude is symbolic of the Eucharist and like the Eucharist it is also symbolic of the eschatological banquet. It presents a clear image of the inclusiveness of the invitation as all Israel (twelve tribes) is gathered in a new exodus following Jesus into the wilderness. The story as told by Matthew highlights the role of the disciples as ministers of the meal.
First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-3
1 All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
2 Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
3 Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
NOTES on First Reading:
* 55:1-13 These verses form a glorious finale to the to the section of Isaiah (Isa 40:1-55:13) known as Deutero-Isaiah or Second Isaiah. It includes a reference to almost every major theme found in the section blended together.
* 55:1-3 These verses which begin the finale are a symbolic invitation where God’s salvation is freely extended to his people and to all nations. Verses 1-2 are a long series of imperatives in the style of Jewish wisdom literature (Prov 9:1-5, Sirach 24:;18-20). The ritual meal is extended into the lives of the people. The banquet is an important biblical symbol of God’s care for Israel. See Exod 12 and Exod 24:5,11.
* 55:2 The benefits assured to David will be renewed. See Isaiah 12:3 and John 7:37. The prophet has placed the covenant promises which God made to David in terms of promises to Israel. By everlasting covenant is not meant a covenant beginning now and lasting forever but rather, a covenant that constantly brings promises of the far distant past into fulfillment in the everlasting present.
Second Reading: Romans 8:35,37-39
35 What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NOTES on Second Reading:
* 8:35 This is a rhetorical question asking who will separate the Christian from the love that Christ has for us? None of the dangers or troubles of life can make the true Christian forget the love of Christ for us that was made known to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Neither is anything able to diminish that love for us which burns in the heart of Jesus.
* 8:36 Literally the text reads “it is written.” Paul quotes Psalm 44:23. This Psalm is a community lamentation bemoaning the injustice that the faithful suffered at the hands of enemies and recalling Israel’s fidelity to Yahweh and seeking His protection. This quote illustrates that tribulation is not evidence of an absence of God’s love.
* 8:37 The antecedent of “Him” could be Christ as in 8:35 or God as in 5:5,8
* 8:38-39 These two verses present a third series of obstacles that are added to the other two lists in Vs 33-34 and 35-37. All the names in verse 38 refer to spirits of different ranks. It is not clear whether they were considered good or evil spirits but in any case they would not be able to separate Christians from God’s love. Paul may have listed them because the people of the time may have considered them to be hostile to human beings. The heights and depths in verse 39 are probably ancient astrological terms referring to proximity or distance from the zenith (high point in the sky). Thus even astrological forces are not able to come between a Christian and the love of Christ.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 14: 13-21
13 When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. 14 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 (Jesus) said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” 17 But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” 18 Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” 19 and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over –twelve wicker baskets full. 21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
NOTES on Gospel:
* 14:13 The death of John the Baptist was the motivation for Jesus’ withdrawal but the people followed Him. This image of the crowd following Jesus into the deserted places may be intended to bring to mind a new exodus.
* 14:14 In Mark 6:34 Jesus taught them in His compassion. Here He heals their sick.
* 14:15-21 The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of Jesus that is recounted in all four gospels (See also Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-15). The main reason for this may be that it was seen as anticipating the Eucharist and the final banquet in the kingdom (Matthew 8:11; 26:29). But it also looks backward to the feeding of Israel with manna in the desert at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 16) which some expected would be repeated in the messianic age. It was probably also be meant to recall Elisha’s feeding of a hundred men with small provisions (2 Kings 4:42-44).
* 14:16 Here Jesus teaches the disciples that they are to feed the faithful. They can not duck the responsibility.
* 14:17 The fish do not really fit into the Eucharistic overtones and will be mentioned only once more. Mark’s version which is probably more original mentions the fish at least five times.
* 14:18 As in all ministry, the elements of our ministry whether they be material goods, mental or spiritual talents or abilities or simply a willing spirit, must first be brought to Jesus that He may bless them, multiply them and enable them to accomplish His purpose.
* 14:19 The grass may indicate that the event took place in the spring time. Matthew uses the same language (taking, saying the blessing, breaking, and giving to the disciples) here that he uses in Matthew 26:26 to describe the actions of Jesus with the bread at the Last Supper. Matthew’s silence about Jesus’ dividing the fish among the people (Mark 6:41) may also be significant in stressing the Eucharistic reference. The disciples act as mediators between Jesus and the crowd. He does not give the food to the people directly but through the disciples.
* 14:20 The crowds represent “all Israel.” The twelve baskets represent the twelve tribes under the twelve disciples (Matthew 19:28). Matthew uses the same Greek word, klasmata , “fragments,” for the left over food as was used for the Eucharistic bread in the early church.
* 14:21 The addition of the detail about women and children makes the total number of people very large, perhaps as large as 20 or 30 thousand. With a likely total Jewish population in Palestine of about a half million this is a serious social event. It happens again in chapter 15 and the two events involves people on a very large scale with Jesus feeding 10% of the population if we count both occurrences.
Scripture text: New American Bible with revised New Testament copyright © 1986,1970, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Commentary Sources:
Vince Del Greco
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990) (Eds. Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy)