SUNDAY- 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME –B
I
Reading: 2 Kings 4: 42-44: They will eat and have some left over.
II Reading: Ephesians 4: 1-6: One Body, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.
Gospel: John 6:1-15: Jesus gave out as much as was wanted to all who were sitting
ready.
Jesus
feeds the crowd of more than five thousand people with five barley of bread and
two fish. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fish is
presented as a sign of his authority and divinity. Jesus shares his own Body
and Blood in the form of the sacrament of the Eucharist. It is called the
“Bread of Life Discourse” in the chapter 6 of John’s Gospel.
Each
time we celebrate the Eucharist, we are anticipating the eternal banquet of
heaven. Jesus transforms the gift of bread and wine into his own Body and Blood
and he also transforms our lives. The Holy Spirit sanctifies the gift we offer
in the form of bread and wine.
Jesus
becomes the spiritual food for us the
believers; he offers himself to us in three ways: through faith in him, through
his Word and in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist we are fed by Jesus himself
spiritually and physically and we are sent to serve others very specially the
poor, destitute, outcasts, sinners and the needy in the world.
We
need to share our little things or wealth or talents to meet the needs of the
people as the small boy shared his five loaves and two fish and Jesus
multiplied and fed the hungry with generous heart.
How
are we going to eradicate and meet the problem of hunger in the world today?
The
best remedy against hunger may be to be generous with the hungry.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand: The Provision for Human Need
Chapter
6 reveals Jesus to be the Provision for every human and material need. Jesus
first demonstrated the truth, then he began to preach and teach it. He showed
that he was...
Concerned
with every need in life (even a missed meal, Jn 6:1-15)
Concerned
with every overpowering need the calming of a storm (Jn 6:16-21).
No
matter how small the need or how stormy the problem, Jesus is the provision,
the Bread of Life, and the power to meet human’s every need. He can provide a
single meal (Mt 6:11- give us this day our daily bread), and he can calm the
stormiest problem.
Believing
and trusting are essential for God to meet human need. So faith and trust in
the power of Jesus is essential in life to see that Jesus Christ is the Bread
of Life, the Provision of human need.
1. The setting (v.1-6)
a.
After
this sometime Jesus crossed the lake of Galilee
b.
Feverish,
surging crowds followed him
c.
Jesus
sought rest and relief
d.
The
pilgrims were gathering for the Feast
e.
The
two concerns of Jesus
1)
The
missing of a meal- Jesus wants to meet every need
2)
The
testing and strengthening of his disciples: teaching the kinds of faith
2. Lesson 1: there is s pessimistic
faith (v.7)
3. Lesson 2: there is an optimistic but
questioning faith (v.8-9)
a.
Andrew
searched for and brought food
b.
He
questioned the supply
4. Lesson 3: there is a positive and
unswerving faith (v.10-13)
a.
Jesus’
faith
1)
He
took and gave thanks for what he had
2)
He
gave what he had
3)
He
used others to help him
b.
God’s
answer and provision
1)
He
meet the people’s need: he fed and filled them
2)
He
gave an overabundance
3)
He
allowed no waste
5. Lesson 4: There is a materialistic
profession of Jesus (v.14-15)
a.
The
people’s profession: Jesus was the Messiah
b.
The
people’s concept: Jesus was an earthly and materialistic king
Thought: While a person is
giving what he/she has, he/she must trust the power and provision of God. If a
person gives, God does the rest.
Thought:
People seek truth
and life in such things as philosophy, science, technology, wealth, fame,
sensation, art, music, literature and religion. But there is only one pearl
that is priceless and worth more than the world itself-the pearl of Jesus
Christ Himself (1Cor 2:3; 2:8-10). Acts 4:12; 1Cor 3:11; Phil 3:8; Col
1:19;2:3,10
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