Sandwich Powers

Whatever you bring is enough for him

The lectionary gospel for this coming Sunday is Matthew 14:13-21:

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

It’s the only miracle in all four Gospels, the feeding of the multitude. The numbers vary a bit: the feeding of the multitude, the feeding of the five thousand. Matthew and Mark include a second account of four thousand fed. Add in the women and children who would not have been counted according to first century prejudice and, well, it was a lot of people.

It took considerable sandwich powers.

All four Gospels describe this scene up on the mountain with Jesus, the disciples and a crowd Jesus just can’t shake.

In all four Gospels the menu is the same.

Bread and fish.

Five and two.

And all four gospels have this action that sounds like communion:

Jesus took the loaves.

Blessed them.

Gave it to them.

Saying, “Take and eat.”

Each Gospel portrays the crowds as all full and satisfied.

And every gospel includes the leftovers: 12 baskets.

5 loaves + 2 fish + 5,000 plus hungry people =

12 baskets leftover.