God Who Cares For Us

 

Jesus Christ could satisfy both our spiritual and bodily hungers. 

Reflection on Today’s Readings, 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, July 28th, 2024
Texts: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145:10-11,15-18; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15 

Reflecting on today's readings brings to mind the words of our Lord: "But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33). Today's first reading, Psalm and the gospel remind us that it is God who cares for us. The psalm is about God's providence and acknowledgement of it by His faithful. It says, "The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand and you satisfy the desires of every living thing." 

The first reading affirms God's graciousness in providing for us. Elisha fed hundred men with twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain and had some left. There is emphasis on the fact that the twenty loaves were insignificant to what hundred men ate. This is clear in the words of his servant: "How am I to set this before a hundred men?" However, Elisha emphasized that it would be by the Lord's doing. He puts it thus: "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the  Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left." 

He fed five thousand me

Today's gospel reading reveals Jesus Christ as the Lord whom the Psalm speaks of; the Lord who opens His hand and satisfy the desires of all the living. He fed five thousand men, without counting women and children, with five loaves of barley and two fish. The humanly impossibility of this is expressed in the words of Andrew: "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so manqy?" They are indeed like a drop of water in an ocean. 

There is emphasis that Jesus made it possible. This is clear in the words: "Jesus said to Philip, ‘How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do." Jesus Christ could satisfy both our spiritual and bodily hungers.  

There is also a reminder, today, that our God is God of abundance. After the feeding of hundred men, some left. Twelve baskets, full of scraps, were left after feeding five thousand men. This brings to mind the words of St. Paul: "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine" (Eph. 3:20). 

Our God is God of abundance

What the body needs should not be our priority since our God knows that we need them. St. Paul introduces us to what should be our priority in the second reading. He says, "I, a prisoner for the  Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." We are to prioritize living life worthy of our calling over bodily need.  

Today’s message is that we should not allow the bodily needs to distract us from living life worthy of our calling. God can provide bodily needs but He will not live our lives for us; we live our lives by ourselves. Therefore we are to live life of lowliness, meekness, patience, forbearance and unity.  

Prayer  

O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us and grant that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may use the good things that pass in such a way as to hold fast even now to those that ever endure. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke