Today’s Gospel is a wonderful affirmation that Jesus is indeed the prophet who has come into the world. The story tells us that with almost no resources, just the lunch of a little boy, Jesus was determined to feed the people. He did it miraculously and abundantly. And, in fact, the scraps were more than what he started with. Those who ate of the meal were so impressed they wanted to make Jesus their king.
From this miracle, Jesus will attempt to teach the people its significance that he himself is the bread that has come from heaven, not the magic provider of everything they want, but the genuine source of all that they need.
A good lesson for us to learn is when we share all we have; God can provide all that is needed for everyone. This is a sign of God’s abundant love working through simple people. It is this sort of generosity that allows the hand of the Lord to feed us and answer all our needs.
