Feeding 5000 men and others, and Saint George. Tales of 2 Worlds
This week’s gospel reading ( Matt 14:13-21 ) is another well-known story. It is one of those stories where you need to read around it. And when we do we find that there are two meals – one leading to death and one offering hope. The story before is of Herod’s depraved meal where Jesus’ teacher, mentor and friend, John, is beheaded. Jesus is trying to grieve. Instead he finds a crowd also filled with grief and anger, looking for hope. Herod’s birthday party is full of self-centeredness and greed, symbolic of all that is wrong with Herod, Rome, and the Temple leadership. As a Tribune in the Roman Emperor’s bodyguard, this is the world St George often lived in. But as a Christian he was drawn to Jesus. The Jesus who in his grief still meets the poor and discarded masses with generosity and compassion. In contrast to the abuse of power encountered in the Herod’s birthday bash, and in the Roman court, Jesus lives out God’s faithfulness, gracious abundance, and compassion. Despite the ...
