But I want to reflect on this the passage as if it did not literally happen, that Jesus did not feed 5,000 people with such little food, 5 loaves.... 2 fish. My mind casts back to my visit to the Church of TABGHA in the Holy Land where there is artwork on the ground of the 5 loaves and 2 fish. However, this work only has 4 loaves. How did the artist forget a loaf? He/ she didn't. There are only 4 loaves as Jesus Christ is the 5th loaf, the one who carries and feeds us.
Back to the Gospel with this in mind, Christ as the 5th loaf. Was it earthly food that Jesus fed the 5,000 with? I would say that it was not earthly food but spiritual food. If one is satisfied with spiritual food then there is not as much of a need for food of the earth as we will not hunger.
This passage has a second part, the collecting of scraps after and filling 12 baskets. This number 12 is significant as there were 12 tribes of Israel and 12 Apostles. But let me stick with the idea that Jesus fed with spiritual food, not earthly food. Jesus overfed the people and this is why so much was collected at the end. Spiritual food is not something we can understand intellectually. This is why the passage does not tell us that Jesus spoke to or taught the people, for the food he fed them with went deeper than the intellect and straight to the soul of those present, The 12 baskets were not physical baskets but the spiritual food that St John, as a companion of Jesus, knew he still had to share.
As people of God are we ready to receive the spiritual food He has to offer like the 5,000 did that day? God wants to feed us and satisfy us with spiritual food. And he will if we let him.
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