Feed Them Yourselves

 

Gospel: Matthew 14: 13-21

 How often do we human beings blame God for all sorts of things: natural disasters, famines, diseases, sporting event outcomes – the list is endless.  We human beings never take responsibility for any of these things.  So, when Jesus goes off to a deserted place after the death of John the Baptist, crowds follow him.  More than likely these are followers of John looking for a leader, someone to guide them now that their beloved leaders is dead.  No one asked them to follow in such great numbers to a deserted place without any provisions, and yet there they are.  What is to be done?

 

Jesus turns the issue to us: what are we going to do about it – what are you prepared to do about it? The disciples provide all they have in terms of food – five loaves, two fish.  Jesus does the rest and the people are well-fed with leftovers to spare.  This remarkable event was a sign to the people that at the death of John the Baptist Jesus is the One to guide God’s people now, for not even had John produced such abundance for them during his time of ministry. 

 

Our world finds itself with many poor and hungry people looking for food, and God asks us – what are you going to do about it – what are you prepared to do? Given the reality  that hunger on earth is the result of human behaviors of selfishness and deliberate inequality of distribution, the challenge of Jesus is a moral rebuke to our world.  We who hoard the riches of the world so that a privileged few could enjoy then dare to blame poverty and hunger on God.  The words of Jesus are addressed to us today: feed them yourselves.