EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Human Beings have the Ability to Feed Themselves

First Reading ( Is 55:1-3 ) : The Lord's words are food for humankind
Second Reading (Rom 8:35,37-39) : Nothing can separate us from God.
Gospel ( Mt 14:13-21 ) : Jesus' first multiplication of bread
Chinese Classics:
“The cause of poverty is not with scarcity, but rather with uneven distribution.” (1)

The book of Isaiah said, ‘Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. (Lk 12:15-21)

The Prophet Isaiah's words were realized in Matthew's Gospel. When Jesus delivered his sermon more and more people gathered. They had been following Jesus a long time that day, but they had not had a meal. When Jesus saw the large crowd his heart was filled with pity. Towards evening Jesus told the disciples to give food to the large crowd. But the disciples said they had only five loaves and two fish.

Jesus told them to bring him the five loaves and two fish. He then blessed them and told the disciples to give the food to the people. According to the Bible everyone ate and had enough. The disciples collected twelve baskets full the leftovers. The number of men who ate was about five thousand, not counting the women and children. This is the well-known story about feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. (cf Mt 14: 13-21)

The story outlines the mighty power and generosity of God. God is master of the universe and everything belongs to him. He has the power to nourish all people and bestow His gifts on each one unconditionally. ‘Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.’

When we run to God and are in contact with God, we have reached the source of grace and are before a reservoir of grace. God will give us all we need. But the story here not only refers to the power and generosity of God but also to the generosity of people.

The five loaves and two fish belonged to someone. In John's Gospel it is said they belonged to a child. He had five loaves and two fish but the crowds numbered in the thousands.

When Jesus told the child to distribute his loaves and fish, our common sense tells us that Jesus' way was stupid. Five loaves and two fish was barely sufficient for one person or one family. But to feed five thousand or ten thousand people with them meant no one would have enough.

Hence, if nobody would have enough anyway one might as well feed a person, a family, a small group of people first. Was Jesus' request sensible?

However at the time, there must have been people who had brought food generously. Some interpret the miracle of five loaves and two fish in this way: Jesus did not actually perform a miracle to increase the loaves. His miracle was to increase the love and willingness to share among the people. It is similar to Parishes holding a picnic, everyone is asked to bring some food. When they arrive at their destination, all share their food with one another. Those who bring food of course have enough, also those who did not bring food or who did not bring enough will be fed as well. Experience tells us that there will be a great deal of food leftover each time.

Jesus saw the crowd of people and guessed they might have brought some food with them, perhaps a little, perhaps very much. When Jesus moved, inspired, incited and encouraged the people to share with others whatever they could, there would be plenty of food left.

Of course I am not saying that Jesus did not perform a miracle by increasing the bread. What I want to emphasize is that no matter whether the bread was increased, or peoples' love, it was “miraculous.”

God can feed all people directly or God can move people so that they can feed themselves.

I once read about a survey taken in the 1980's.: it said that there were over 40 billion people in the world and to feed them it needed only 150 billion USD annually. That 150 billion USD was actually one week's amount spent on the world's military expenditure. So a week's military expense can feed all 40 billion people in a year!

Some calculations also have revealed that the expenditure on national security in US President Reagan's time could feed all of humankind for one hundred fifty years.

These statistics are really worth our reflection: if money for killing people can be diverted to feeding people, there would be no hunger. However, the fact is that today we have a total of 100 billion starving people who are regularly being deprived of sufficient food and warmth. Many children have empty stomachs when they go to bed every night. Why? Is it because there is not adequate food? Or must it have to be like what happened in Old Testament times that God must feed the people with manna from heaven? No! Human beings are capable of feeding themselves.

In as early as the period of Spring and Autumn and the Warring Kingdoms, Mencius had already pointed out that poverty and hunger were not the problems. Nor was shortage of money the issue. The issue is “not with scarcity, but rather with uneven distribution”. It is because we do not know how to distribute and we do not want to share.

What we need is love and a spirit of sharing. If God can directly feed people, that of course is a miracle; but if God can move people to support one another, I believe that is an even greater miracle.

(1)不患寡而患不均。