Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 Children to be brought for Christ


John 6:1- 14
V 9“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish….”

 This is an incident narrated in all four gospels. The fourth gospel presents this as a sign, for John’s gospel everything is portrayed as a ‘sign’ rather than a miracle. Seeing the large crowd coming to him, Jesus identifies their need - to feed them. He asks Philip how they may feed the crowd- a test question showing that Jesus sees more than a crowd of people; he sees their need. Philip calculated that more than six months’ wages would be necessary to buy bread for everyone just to have a taste. In the Synoptic gospels, the disciples actually wanted Jesus to send the crowd away rather than bear the risk of this huge task. But Jesus was moved with compassion and insisted they take up the responsibility to feed them. 
Andrew identifies a boy who was willing to spare his lunch box containing five loaves and two dried fish- traveling food for the poor. Andrew himself was doubtful whether this small supply of food will be sufficient to meet the huge demand.
Jesus takes the initiative to feed the hungry. The disciples follow his instructions and seat the people in the grass. (To Mark’s gospel, people sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties (Mk.6:40) as if no one should be left unfed due to any flaw in distribution.) Jesus then takes the boy’s offering and distributes it to the crowd. Whether the miracle is a supernatural multiplication of the food or the unleashing of compassion and generosity among the people is not altogether clear. The text is explicit, however, that Jesus causes everyone's hunger to be satisfied and twelve baskets of leftover are collected. This indicates the character of the new community where leftovers- both goods and people - are neither insignificant nor abandoned. 
‘The Light to Life’ project of our Diocese could be seen as a humble example of what Jesus had done to the crowd. The twenty dollars collected from among the people are just like five loaves and two fish of the little boy that nourished the multitude.

Prayer
O Lord, help us to give generously what we have to meet the great needs of humanity. Amen.

Thought of the Day
When placed in the hands of Jesus human weakness and finitude become more
than enough.
Rev. Joseph Johnny, Kollad Bethlehem, Kottayam

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