God's Grace Alone Suffices

𝐅𝐄𝐁. 𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝟏 𝐊𝐠𝐬 𝟏𝟐:𝟐𝟔-𝟑𝟐; 𝟏𝟑:𝟑𝟑-𝟑𝟒

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟎𝟔:𝟔-𝟕, 𝟏𝟗-𝟐𝟐 “𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐬, 𝐎 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐊 𝟖:𝟏-𝟏𝟎

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞…” (𝐯.𝟐) 

         It is the natural tendency among heads of families to provide for the needs of their families. There’s nothing wrong with that and certainly nothing you can do about it. The moment you decide to settle down and start raising a family, you know what you’re getting into.

         At times, such provisions extend beyond the immediate members of your own family to your extended family on both sides of the fence. To top it all given the generous character that is innate among Filipinos, even close friends and beer brothers form part of the family loop.

         But all these things are non-issues since we almost always find a way to help our family and friends in need without breaking the bank. But what if you are surrounded with 4,000 hungry mouths whom you need to feed because they heard about how you have been a big help to people in need. The worst part is you’re not prepared for it and it would be an embarrassment if you cannot at least feed your guests with something to eat.

And what a better way to show God's unfathomable love than today which is celebrated in almost all parts of the world as a day when our love for that special someone is shared and celebrated.

         This miracle event depicted in Mark’s Gospel for today is the second time that Jesus was said to have fed the crowd who have been following him and this will show the kind of God that Jesus was and who remains the same today and tomorrow.

        That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here in this passage Jesus gave the people another opportunity to get a glimpse of what God was like for there was no one who could do what he has been doing.

         If you have been following the Gospel readings these past few days you will note what the daily routine of Jesus was like. Having experienced rejection in his own hometown, Jesus left and preached in all the villages that he went into, and the people were amazed for he taught and spoke with authority.

         Along the way, he debated on several occasions with the Scribes and Pharisees over the traditions that the Jews were obliged to observe and follow such as eating without washing their hands as the disciples did. And Jesus surprised the Pharisees and the people when he said that nothing outside can make a man unclean, but what comes out of a man was what makes him unclean.

         These debates and arguments probably took its toll on Jesus which was why he and his disciples went to the region of Tyre and Sidon with the intention of spending time to rest but his fame preceded him as crowds of people even in Gentile territory sought him out wherever he went. On his way back to Galilee, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and speechless, and the people could only say “he has done everything well.”

        And a very beautiful recording of what followed next which can be found in this Gospel passage today when Jesus said: “𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.” (𝐯𝐯.𝟐-𝟑)       

        This passage sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time, but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞; (𝐯.𝟐) meant that empathy for the people was written all over his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to concern, love and compassion.

         Jesus could have driven away the crowd, but he did not. Instead, he gave the people what they needed. He probably also healed all those who were sick and, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles had with them – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. (𝐯𝐯.𝟓-𝟕)

        What Jesus also did was he showed his Apostles the important role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we now too will play. To serve the needs of the 4,000 who were there, Jesus had to rely on his Apostles and other Disciples to help feed the people.

        And this is the reality that we also face today. For the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have committed their lives to the Lord because it was through the Apostles and now through us that the truth can be proclaimed.

        What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the seven loaves and a few small fish but the miracle of the dependence of the people on God. Notwithstanding their hunger and thirst as they have been with Jesus for three days, they did not complain but they simply waited for whatever provision that Jesus will give them.

       Here we also see what we saw Jesus did when he fed the five thousand on another occasion. “𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬…” (𝐯.𝟔) In everything that he had done, Jesus never did it on his own. He always prayed to God the Father to bless him by the power of the Holy Spirit, and this was the kind of discipline that Jesus wants us to also observe and follow.

         More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and Disciples a lesson of what love and compassion meant. The plight of the people was always in the heart of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus is telling us now to also feel compassion for the poor and Jesus showed that love can turn us into becoming generous to others.

         This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give may not be enough, this miracle of the seven loaves and a few small fish assure us that whatever we give to others in love will be multiplied.

        To sum it up, Jesus in this passage showed us the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be filled with love and compassion when serving others.

        But more importantly, Jesus shows us that the food that will last is for all. As the feeding of the 5,000 narrated in all four Gospels (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟏𝟒, 𝐌𝐤 𝟔, 𝐋𝐤 𝟗 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐧 𝟔) was for the Jews, this passage refers to the feeding of 4,000 who were Gentiles.

       This means that the food that comes from God arguably is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike, for saints and sinners too. It also means that God can supply all our needs including the forgiveness of our sins if only we will have the humility to come to him in reverence.

        There is also one significant scenario in this gospel reading in that while there is no doubt that Jesus was and still is a powerful God his power comes from his relationship with God the Father. Just as in all the other instances in the Scriptures, Jesus would always look up to heaven and pray which only shows that he does not forget where his power was coming from.

        Again, this is the same with us. We can only dispense with the spiritual power that we have if we will remain connected to the source of that power. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘍𝘦𝘣. 14, 2026)