Some thoughts for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time and Jesus Feeding Way More than 5,000

Here are some of my thoughts on the reading from Matthew 14:13-21, the Feeding of many more than 5,000.

Jesus hears his teacher, mentor, and close friend, John the Baptist, was brutally beheaded at one of Herod’s depraved Epsteinlike banquets. In response, Jesus retreats to grieve John’s, but finds a massive, grieving crowd searching for hope. There is a powerful contrast here between Herod's birthday party—and Jesus, who meets the poor masses with healing, generosity, and deep compassion. Despite the story’s impossibility all were fed until they no longer wanted or were hungry.  Their prayer – “give us today our daily bread” was answered. God is bringing in a new age where all have enough to eat.

Tradition places this event at Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee, where a famous fifth-century floor mosaic beneath the church altar shows two fish and four loaves. With the communion bread—the fifth loaf—on the altar, the mosaic invites all who gather at the table into this and other stories of God’s abundance. The Last Supper reminded Jesus’ disciples of the many times he embodied God’s generous compassion, feeding the hungry and honouring and blessing all those he ate with. At every eucharist, we too are invited to remember and live out this radical compassion.

This year is an election year. I wonder how this story with its image of God’s compassion, generosity, justice, and care for all shapes our hopes for Tauranga Moana and for Aotearoa-New Zealand, and how that will influence how we vote.