The Loaves and Fish of Our Lives
I recently watched an interview with Dallas Jenkins, creator of The Chosen series. The interview was beautiful, and Dallas shared testimony on how he’s seen God working through his life and work. One moment in particular stood out to me, because it was a reflection of a popular Bible story that—despite hearing it a dozen times in Mass and even seeing it portrayed on his show—I had never thought of before.
The story I’m referring to is Matthew 14:13-21 and Mark 6:30-44: “The Feeding of the 5,000.”
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
—Matthew 14:13-21
Now when we read this, we might be tempted to focus on a miraculous event that showed the greatness and power of Christ, and that’s absolutely a reflection worthy of having. But what made Dallas’s account of this so fascinating to me was that, in recalling a time he was drawn to meditate on the story, he felt the Lord focusing less on the miracle, and more on the offering.
In the story, Jesus is teaching in a deserted place, for a substantial amount of time, to many, many men, women, and children. But I’d like to focus on the bolded sections above and what they tell us:
He led them to this deserted place, far from the city.
He told His disciples they didn’t need to leave.
He asked for the loaves and fish.
Jesus is not surprised by their hunger. Quite the opposite; Jesus is the reason they’re hungry in the first place!
He led them to this place—He’s the one who caused their hunger and created these circumstances for the people. So when He asks the Apostles what they have to offer, He creates a miracle in return.
What are you hungry for? A job; a relationship; a diagnosis; a change in season; a breath?
Christ knows your hunger—He’s the One who caused it—because He created you for more than this world. And to be made for more than this world means that longing is ever-present in our lives, from the smallest pleasures to the grandest vocations.
He is not surprised by your hunger; He wants to make a miracle of it, with our participation.
What is the Lord asking you to give Him to fulfill this hunger? What are your loaves and fish?
One of the beautiful things Dallas said as he was reflecting on this hidden reality within the Gospels was the reaction of the little boy who gave the loaves and fish. Dallas shared that so often in our lives we try to do things alone, and only after we’re successful do we give the glory to God—after we’ve accomplished it “alone.” But reflecting on that boy who gave the humble offering of his bag, Dallas says,
“The boy who gave five loaves and two fish didn’t go to his parents and say, ‘Mom! Dad! I fed 5,000 people today!’ He said, ‘I gave five loaves and two fish and look what God did!’”
Jesus wants our participation—He asks for it.
Jesus knows our hunger—He’s the cause of it.
Jesus wants to create a miracle of your life and the lives around you—He loves you.
All He does is ask us to provide the loaves and fish; He performs the miracle in return.