John 6:1-15
Chapter 6
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
and large crowds followed him because of the signs they saw when he healed the sick.
He went up on the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.
The Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
Then, lifting his eyes, Jesus saw the crowds coming toward him and asked Philip:
“Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?”
He said this to test Philip, because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him:
“Two hundred silver coins wouldn’t buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece.”
One of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said:
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said:
“Make the people sit down.”
There was plenty of grass there, so they sat down, about five thousand in all.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish, giving them as much as they wanted.
When they had eaten enough, he told his disciples:
“Gather up the pieces left over, that nothing may be lost.”
So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with bread, that is, with pieces of the five barley loaves leftover from those who had eaten.
When the people saw the sign Jesus had performed, they said:
“This is really the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Jesus realized they would come and force him to be king, so he went to the mountain alone.
Commentaries
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand.
The crowd does not come to Jesus seeking healing, as the first Gospel notes (Mt 15:30), but is motivated by messianic excitement due to the signs he has performed. Jesus himself creates the suspense. He does not address God, as Moses did, but instead speaks to Philip, highlighting the human impossibility of the miracle. Jesus’ instruction is for people to lie down to eat, to “sit at the table.” Jesus not only distributes the food but also leads the gathering at the table. John uses language similar to that of the institution of the Eucharist (11), which clearly foreshadows the Eucharistic banquet; additionally, it symbolizes the abundance and lasting nature of the Eucharistic food. Only John hints at a messianic appearance. Jesus, knowing that the crowd was coming to make him king, withdrew to the mountain. This action foreshadows what he will declare in his speech: only through his death will he become king and the true bread of life.