the feeding of the five thousand E-mail Print PDF Mt 14:13-21 - TopicsExpress



          

the feeding of the five thousand E-mail Print PDF Mt 14:13-21 13When Jesus heard of [the death of John the Baptist,] he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. 14When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. 15When 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.” 17But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” 18Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” 19and 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. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. 21Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children. Reflection: His heart was moved with pity. The key sentence in the Gospel is, “When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.” If Jesus were a modern politician, the sentence would perhaps read: “When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was filled with delight because he saw their voting potential.” But Jesus is different. He sees the needs of others rather than the opportunity to secure some personal advantage. This pity for others is not a mere feeling; it moves him to action—he cures their sick and he later feeds the multitudes. When we see people, do we look at their needs, or do we look for opportunities to promote our self-interests? Do we ask what we can do for them, or do we look for ways to exploit the situation for our benefit? Is our pity mere feeling, or is it true concern? What are you doing to help feed the hungry and heal the sick around you?
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 17:06:58 +0000

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