Readings and Reflections for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 King 4:42-44
Psalm 145:10-19
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Dear Friends,
In 2 Kings we have the story of Elijah who has twenty barley loaves to set before one hundred people. They all ate and had leftovers. Barley loaves are small – one loaf would not quite make a meal for one person – but Elijah trusts that the Lord will provide.
In the Gospel reading from John, Andrew asked Jesus how the five barley loaves and two fish could possibly feed the huge crowd of thousands that had gathered. As with Elijah, the food is given out to the people and there are ample leftovers.
Paul speaks to the Christians in Ephesus about the Heavenly Father who abundantly pours out from His riches to bless, enlighten, and strengthen his people until they are “filled with all the fullness of God.”
Comment: I don’t know how many of us would have the courage to set 5 loaves before a great crowd, or even twenty loaves before a much smaller crowd. Both Elijah and Jesus are models of radical trust in God’s ability to provide! There continue today to be reports of rare events where pots of food have not run out when shared with the needy, though most of the time the pot simply runs dry. Such things are beyond our control and in the hands of God. But one act of trust we all can share in is the simple act of generosity and sharing with others. The point for me is not to “try for miracles” but to give whatever I have to offer. That is what I can do, and I need to trust God to provide beyond anything I can do.