Ordinary 18

The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalm 145; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21

The story of the loaves and fishes must have been considered very important to the early Christian communities. For it is was recorded, with some variations, six times across the four Gospels. But I’ve come to reflect that the story is not about loaves and fish; not about filling the stomach and satiating physical hunger. We can do that. As Jesus says to his disciples which includes us: “Give them some food yourselves.” Jesus doesn’t need to provide a picnic.

 

Why do I think more is going on here?

 

First, consider what Jesus does.

Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish and prays: Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, ha-motzi leḥem min ha-aretz. [Praised are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.] Then he breaks the loaves and gives it to his disciples, who in turn give it is to the crowd. And then what? There is this sacred opening in regard what happened. The Gospel simply records that the people ate, were satisfied and there were left-overs.

 

Also consider the situations of the people in the story.

Jesus has just heard that John the Baptist was executed by Herod. John is crushed the capriciousness and spinelessness of a puppet king, the vengeful jealousy of a queen and the immaturity of a young manipulated girl. Jesus is grieving and deeply saddened over the death of his cousin and teacher. He is afraid. If this is how they treated John, will he be next? Why else does he withdraw to a deserted place? And after this story he will return to be alone in prayer.

 

The people follow Jesus, walking around the lake. They are drawn to Jesus, yet tired and worried. They’ve brought their sick.

 

The disciples are oblivious as usual. They just want the people to go home. It’s late. Their tired.

 

Related to this is the prophecy of Isaiah. “You who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat, come without paying and without cost…”

To whom is God speaking?

God is speaking to his people in exile in Babylon. They are longing to return home. To rebuild Jerusalem and its Temple. To return to their land, homes and families left behind and rebuild a life.

 

How many of us here are grieving?

Grieving the death of a person; a spouse, a friend or a child?

How many are grieving the death of our dreams and hopes?

Grieving the inability to obtain employment, the divisions in a family, a fading or dead friendship?

I recently entered an unexpected retirement. I am grieving a particular way of living out priesthood. How am I to live this vocation out now? I’m not satisfied.

 

Who here is worried? Worried over someone who is sick, addicted, lost.

Worried about the next pay check or the inability to pay bills or have to decided between medications and food?

 

Who is in exile?

Exile may not be from a place but from ourselves. How many of us do not accept ourselves, do not fully know who we are or don’t like what we’ve become? Exile takes many shapes other than a foreign place. All we know is we want to go ‘home,’ whatever ‘home’ may represent. What is Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey about? What is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz about? They are homecoming stories. And ‘home’ is often within us.

 

No amount of bread and fish is going to satisfy our griefs, our sadness, our longing for home, or our multiple worries for others. The story is not about loaves and fish. It is about Jesus who is the Bread of Life, the Cup of salvation, the Word of the Father.

 

The Eucharist is not just about receiving Jesus in the bread and wine of Holy Communion. Jesus is equally present in the Word proclaimed. Hear again the words of Isaiah:

Heed me and you shall eat well; you shall delight in rich fare.

Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.

 

God is speaking about the living Word not water, grain, wine or milk.

Take seriously the verse from Matthew:

A person does live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

[Matthew 4:4b]

 

If we want to be satisfied, we mush feast on Jesus in both Word and Sacrament.

 

More is going on than loaves and fish…

 

 

 

2 August 2026