The Multiplication of the Loaves

Continuing with Fouard's Life of Christ:

Chapter 8: The Bread of Life

I: The Multiplication of the Loaves

Luke ix. 10-17; Mark vi. 30-56; Matt. xiv. 13-36; John vi. 1-21.

Bethsaïda Julias

In the north-western region of the lake, and near the spot where the Jordan empties its waters into the little sea, there stood a flourishing town.  Its name of Bethsaïda, which he boy in common with that other village in the neighbourhood of Capharnaum, would indicate that it no very remote time it had been but a fisherman's station; but in the time of Jesus, Philip, Tetrarch of Iturea, had transformed the settlement into a city, and had called it Julias, in honour of the daughter of Augustus.  Round about this young and vigorous town stretched great tracts of moorland, bordered on the east by hills, which were as bleak and lonely then there is today they are; it was toward this wilderness that the Lord fixed the course of their little ship.  Here His disciples counted upon finding that repose of which they stood greatly in need; but their hopes were destined to be disappointed.

Despite the privacy and quiet with which Jesus is screened their sudden departure, some witnesses had marked the sale being hoisted and the boat drawing away from land.  But as they met with only contrary winds, little progress could be made; hence their arrival was anticipated, and Jesus, coming to land close to the river mouth, found there a multitude as great in number as that which they had tried to escape.  Besides the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages, there were many pilgrims among them, who had come from distant lands; for it was now close upon their Paschal Season, and caravans were being collected all along the seaboard.

Yet the Saviour would not swerve from His first designs; setting out inland, He led the way to a lonely and retired hill, and there seated Himself with the weary little circle of Apostles.  But hardly had he done so, when on raising perhaps his eyes, He saw the multitude coming toward Him, — a fatigued and huddled throng, "like sheep without a shepherd." Something in their forlorn and uncared for condition so touched the Heart of Jesus that at once He forgot His own weariness and gave all His thought to them.  "He spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and healed all their sick."

The sun was sinking over the distant hills of Zabulon, yet still the Saviour continued His blessed office of charity; then in a few moments (for twilight lingers for such a little while in the East) night was come upon them, surprising this foot-sore and fainting flock far away out here in the wilderness.  At last the disciples began to show signs of uneasiness, and a gathering about the Master, finally spoke out their fears.

"This place is a desert," they said, "and the hour is late; send away the people, so that they may go into the nearest farmhouses and villages, where they can find lodging and victuals."

"They have no need to go," replied the Lord; "do you yourselves give them to eat."

And as the Apostles stood staring and speechless at such an astounding proposition, Jesus turned to Philip and said,

"Where shall We buy bread to feed all this multitude?" (He spoke in this way to try him, for He Himself knew what He would do.)

"Two hundred denarii," Philip answered, "would not buy enough bread for each one to have even a small portion."

"How many loaves of bread have you?" was all Jesus said; "go and see."

Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, returned immediately saying, "there is a young lad here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fishes; but what is that among such a crowd as this!"

Jesus bade them bring the loaves and fishes.

"Make the men sit down," He said to the Apostles.

They obeyed His behest; and the people sat down upon the long grass, in companies of hundreds, and fifties.  It was still springtime.  The fierce heats of the sun had not yet robbed the Galilean hills of their soft garment of green; and thus the groups of friends and companions, ranged about in order, made a happy and charming scene, which, together with a glowing tints of the oriental robes, left such a vivid picture upon the memory of Peter that in after years he described it to Mark the Evangelist as being like gorgeous beds of flowers extending along the rich green-sward.

The miracle of the loaves and the fishes. J-J Tissot.

And Jesus took the five loaves and the two fishes into His holy and venerable hands, and with His eyes lifted up toward Heaven, He gave thanks to God, blessing the bread, brake, gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the people; with the fishes He did likewise.  Whereupon, in the hands of the Lord, the broken bread and the portions of fish multiplied without ceasing; and so He continued to give unto these His ministers until all were satisfied.  Then, to mark more clearly still how plentiful are the gifts of Heaven, yet at the same time to guard against any squandering of His bounties, He said to his disciples:—

"Gather up what fragments are left, for fear they should be lost."

Each one of the Apostles, taking up his wicker pack, threaded his way through the orderly bands; on their return, the twelve baskets were filled with the leavings.

In the eyes of the Evangelists this Miracle assumed the greatest importance; for each one gives us an account of it, and Saint John, by proceeding at once (as though it were the only natural sequel) to record His promise of "the Bread of Life," shows us what a lofty meaning Jesus attached to this prodigy of love.  The site of the pilgrims wending their way up to Jerusalem, the nearness of the holy festival, at which He might no longer take part without great danger two Himself, the thought of the Last Supper, where out, just one year hence, He was to substitute for the Paschal lamb and Immortal Food, — all thoughts like these impelled Jesus to declare at once and for ever the great Mystery of His love.

The primitive Church was so assured of the truth of this interpretation that during five centuries, when she would figure forth the Eucharist, she represented, not the Last Supper, but the multiplication of the Loaves; and this scene she set over again for the very Table of the Lord, together with the Fish, which is the symbol of the Christ, and the baskets1 overflowing with fragments scattered up by either Apostles.

And thus we know that by working this prodigy Jesus sought to prepare their minds for the reception of higher truths; but far from responding to the lofty designs of the Lord, the emotion now stirring the excited throngs had sprung from the belief that their dreams of earthly happiness were at last to be realized.

"This is He!" they explained to each other.

"This is surely the Prophet who was to come into the world!"

And so without doubt they had understood the promise, thinking that Jesus would stretch forth that sceptre which Balaam had foreseen, whereupon at once their oppressors would crouched before Him.  He would be like to Elias descending from His chariot of fire; another Jeremy, who should restore the Mosaic Worship in all its olden splendour; and unto the Temple He would be the Ark, which, since the days of Babylon and the Captivity, had been hidden from the eyes of the faithful.

The Saviour new these passionate aspirations, as He knew well that they were already planning to bear Him along with them, and by force of arms proclaim Him King.  He saw, too, that the hearts of His disciples were beginning to burn high as they listened to these visions of glory, while they were gradually being filled with these ardent hopes of their fellow countrymen.  It was indeed time to forestall an uprising which would have drawn down upon Him and upon His Mission the wrathful vengeance of Herod, the Sanhedrin, and Rome.

Immediately he called the Apostles, bidding them follow Him to the beach.  There He commanded them to embark forthwith, and to head for Bethsaïda in the vicinity of Capharnaum; then as they were loathe to obey, the Master obliged them to set sail at once, leaving Him there upon the shore.

When they had disappeared over the darkening waters, Jesus dismissed the crowds attending Him, and, profiting by the shades of night, He sought the lonely heights of the mountain, unseen by any man.  He went thither to fortify His Soul against the onslaught of other and sadder trials, for on the morrow Capharnaum would reject Him, even as Nazareth had done; nor was it to be long before all of Galilee would follow their example; and so on, during all that last year of His Ministry, until His eyes could discern before Him only one unbroken succession of base desertions and thankless perils.

In the meantime, with the midnight, the tempest had descended upon the valley of the Jordan; beaten upon by wild winds, the waters rose in their might and broke over the little ship of the Apostles.  The whole night long they struggled against the storm, rowing with all their strength, in the hope of making the port of Capharnaum; but the gale, wrenching the box from its track, kept them tossed buffeted amid the great seas.

"It is I, fear not!"  J-J Tissot

At the fourth watch of the night,  they had gone barely halfway on their course, and were still fighting against the wrack of the storm, when of a sudden they saw someone afar off, walking over the waves; it seemed to them as though He were making toward them, yet so as to cross before their bows.  Believing that this which they saw was a phantom, they were filled with dismay, and in utter terror cried out aloud.  But at once the calm voice which they knew so well came over the raging elements, quieting all their alarms,

"It is I, fear not!"

And, indeed, it was Jesus, who had taken pity upon the troublous toils.  They felt sure of His divine help, and they duly made ready to welcome Him; but Peter impetuous and fiery have sold as ever, cried out,

"Lord, if it to be Thou, bid me to come to Thee upon the waters!"

"Come," replied the Lord.

"Lord!" He cried, "save me!" J-J Tissot.

Straightway the Apostle sprung from the vessel's side, hastening to meet the Master.  And at first he trod the waves with unfaltering footsteps; but when he felt the fury of the whirlwind about him, terror clutched at his heart strings and he began to sink.

"Lord!" He cried, "save me!"

Jesus, reaching out His hand, upheld and sustained him stop

"Ah, man of little faith!" He said to him, "why hast thou doubted?"

Meanwhile the others besought the Saviour with all manner of prayers to come to them, certain that the Divine Pilot would bring them safely into the haven.  Nor was there faith disappointed.  Scarcely had Jesus entered with Peter into their ship when the winds fell; and presently they found that their vessel had reached the harbour toward which they had been so long fighting their way.

The effect which this sudden stealing of the tempest had upon the disciples minds was altogether different from the enthusiasm caused by the multiplying of the loaves.  "They had not understood the latter miracle at all," says Saint Mark, mournfully, "because their heart was blinded." Too dull and too sordid of soul to conceive of any spiritual Kingdom as yet, their fancy filled with flattering dreams of high fortune awaiting them, they had met the brave hopes and resolutions of the excited people with daring encouragements; for they hoped that the Master would be moved by such zealous courage, and with a word establish His throne upon the earth.  Accordingly, when they saw that He meant to refuse the sceptre now offered Him, they were so sore at heart and so dissatisfied that they quite forgot the almighty attributes of their Lord, and dared to resist His command.  It required a night of anguish and terror, like this through which they had passed, to bring them to a knowledge of their fault.  But this trial tore the veil from their eyes; as they be held Jesus bidding the roaring floods be still, and holding the powers of nature beneath His feet, they recognized "Him Who spreadeth out the heavens and walketh upon the waves of the sea." (Job ix. 8).  Throwing themselves on their faces before Him, they worshipped and adored Him, saying:

"Truly, ay, truly Thou art the Son of God!"

No sooner had Jesus descended from the vessel than He was known and greeted; and instantly the rumour flew from lip to lip, until the land of Genesareth was made aware that he had returned.  The multitude which was just dispersing now collected together once more, and brought with them other ill and maimed folks, beseeching Him to let them only touch the hem of His robe.  This prayer recalled the faith of the poor creature with the issue of blood, and Jesus healed all who approached the Divine Presence with such simple hearts of faith; afterwards He re-entered Capharnaum, welcomed on every hand with cries of delight and gratitude, the last which it was given to Him to hear in this "His city" by adoption.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam