25 July 2021: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary time B

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
2 Kgs 4:42-44	Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18	Eph 4:1-6	Jn 6:1-15
		RCL: Eph 3:14-21	RCL: Jn 6:1-21

Bread of life: sign, test, and teaching

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on seeing and understanding God’s care and feeding of disciples.

First reading (2 Kgs 4:42-44)

The first reading is from the Second book of Kings, which includes stories about the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Elisha, Elijah’s successor, was a prophet in the north (Israel) during the divided kingdoms (Israel and Judah). In today’s pericope, an unnamed “man from Baal-shalishah” gives Elisha a gift of firstfruits, including twenty barley loaves. Constant fighting between Israel and Assyria reduced most inhabitants to poverty and starvation. Acting on God’s word, Elisha distributes the barley loaves to his hungry neighbors (the “hundred”). The people eat their fill, and, as God promised, “they had some left over.” The Lectionary editors chose this reading because many elements, such as a few barley loaves, a doubting disciple, the prophet’s command, feeding many, and leftover fragments, closely parallel today’s gospel.

Second reading (Eph 4:1-6)

The second reading is from the semi-continuous reading from the letter to the Ephesus ekklesia. In today’s pericope, the author exhorts the Ephesians to unity. He calls for unity through the community’s diverse gifts: humility, gentleness, patience; bearing with one another, and peace. “Bearing with one another” means accepting others without regard of status or ethnic origin (gentile or Jew). “Peace” binds the other virtues “the unity of the Spirit.” Using liturgical language, the author summarizes the ekklesia‘s unity: “one Lord” celebrates Christ’s victory over polytheistic gods; “one faith” encourages unity of belief against false teachers; “one baptism” urges honorable behavior in the community; “one God and Father” unites Jews and gentiles. In his closing, the author sums up God’s work of unity: God is king of the universe (“over all”); God unites everything and everyone through Christ (“through all”); God is visible in every aspect of creation (“in all”). The Lectionary editors chose this reading as part of Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Ephesians.

Gospel (Jn 6:1-15)

This week the gospel evangelist changes from Mark to John. For the next five weeks, John’s gospel recounts the story of Jesus feeding five thousand (Jn 6:1-71). Today’s pericope describes the sign itself; the coming weeks’ pericopes, from Jesus’ “bread of life” discourse, explain and interpret Jesus’ sign.

• The sign of feeding. Jesus already knows what he will do, but he uses the opportunity to test and teach his disciples. Philip and Andrew see only limits to Jesus’ request (lack of money, only five loaves and two fish); they haven’t grasped Jesus’ teaching about unlimited nourishment in Jn 4:32-34. John describes Jesus’ feeding sign a few words: took, gave thanks, and distributed. The people eat until they are filled, leaving twelve baskets of leftovers. Jesus’ sign teaches about God’s superabundant care.
• The sign’s meanings. In Mark and Matthew, Jesus is moved by compassion to feed the shepherdless crowd. In John, Jesus acts to satisfy the crowd’s physical hunger, while also revealing that God’s kingdom can fulfill their spiritual hunger as well. John connects Jesus’ sign with stories and themes from Hebrew scripture, including manna in the wilderness (Ex 16:4-35, Nm 11:7-9), Elisha’s feeding the hundred (2 Kgs 4:42-44, first reading), and Ps 23. He also uses liturgical language (“take,” “give thanks,” “distribute,” “reclining” for a meal) to connect the sign with Eucharistic practices in his ekklesia. Jesus’ sign anticipates the messianic feast; it is a parable-in-action that God’s kingdom is near. The sign also foreshadows the Eucharist, the believing community’s eschatological meal.

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about how we see and interpret God’s care. Elisha, at God’s prompting, feeds a hundred people with a few barley loaves. The Ephesians author urges the community look for God in every aspect of creation. Jesus offers the sign of feeding five thousand to reveal a God who cares for people’s physical and spiritual needs and to reveal himself as prophet and messiah. How do we see God’s actions in our world? Do we limit God by seeing God with limited human understanding, or can we see beyond our own limits to God’s superabundance? Do we live in a small world, restricted to approved family and friends, or do we bear with one another, inviting all into community? Do we limit ourselves by fulfilling only our own needs, or do we accept God’s unlimited good gifts and share them freely?

—Terence Sherlock

18 July 2021: Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary time B

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Jer 23:1-6	Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6	Eph 2:13-18	Mk 6:30-34
		RCL: Eph 2:11-22	RCL: Mk 6:30-34, 53-56

Discipleship: action, reflection, compassion

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on good practices for shepherds and disciples.

First reading (Jer 23:1-6)

The first reading is from the prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied in Judah (the southern kingdom) as Babylon was coming to power. In today’s pericope, Jeremiah criticizes the Jewish leaders (specifically king Zedekiah) for their poor care of the Jewish people (“woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock”). The leaders’ behavior (“evil deeds”), such as worshiping foreign gods and provoking the Babylonian empire, will result in the Babylonian exile. God, the true shepherd, promises to return the people from exile (“I myself will gather the remnant”) and “appoint” good shepherds from David’s line (“a righteous shoot to David”). This future shepherd’s name (“the Lord our justice”) is an ironic wordplay on king Zedekiah, whose name means “the Lord is justice.” Unlike Zedekiah, the future king will be true to his name. The Lectionary editors chose this reading because the image as God as true and caring shepherd is echoed in the words and actions of Jesus in today’s gospel.

Second reading (Eph 2:13-18)

The second reading is from the semi-continuous reading from the letter to the Ephesus ekklesia. In this pericope, the Ephesians author contrasts the division that existed before Christ’s saving act with the unity that now prevails in the believing community. Gentiles (“you who were once far off”) have been incorporated into God’s people (“have become near”) through Christ’s saving death (“blood”). Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians now have equal standing before God (“made both one”). The Law’s rules about Temple worship and meal-sharing separated Jews from gentiles. Through his transformative death and resurrection, Christ “broke down the dividing wall” of the Law; his saving action (“through the cross”) reconciles Jews and gentiles (“both”) with God. Both gentile Christians and Jewish Christians have equal “access to the Father” through the “one Spirit.” Access is a liturgical term that describes “approaching God in worship.” The Lectionary editors chose this reading as part of Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Ephesians.

Gospel (Mk 6:30-34)

In Mark’s gospel, the apostles (“the sent ones”) return and report to Jesus “all they had done and taught.” The crowd interrupts the disciples’ ongoing formation and elicits Jesus’ compassion, which becomes another teaching moment for the disciples.

• Discipleship training, interrupted. Last week, Jesus sent the Twelve to preach and to heal. Today they return and report their results. Jesus invites his disciples to refresh themselves with him in the wilderness. In this scene, Mark offers discipleship’s essence: doing what Jesus does (mighty works and teaching) and being with Jesus. But the crowds interrupt the disciples’ quiet time; they don’t even have time to eat (later in this story they end up serving the hungry crowd). Disciples must balance service (doing and teaching) with reflection (resting). When disciples lose this balance, their service can become self-serving and their reflection can become self-pity.
• Jesus’ compassion for the lost. Jesus has a deep physical and emotional reaction to the crowd and their needs. The Greek verb σπλαγχνίζομαι/splanchnízomai, translated here as a “heart moved to pity,” actually means “to have an emotional and physical reaction in one’s ‘inner parts.'” In Hebrew scripture, the same emotional/physical response lies behind God’s “merciful love” (raḥûm or raḥămîn): “with everlasting love I will have compassion on you” (Is 54:7-8). Jesus feels compassion for a leaderless people and acts to address their spiritual hunger (and later in the story their physical hunger as well). Mark’s story teaches the believing community that disciples must also be concerned for and act on people’s physical and spiritual hunger.

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about teachers and disciples, shepherds and sheep. Jeremiah warns the Jewish leaders that they are bad shepherds of God’s people, but promises God will continue to care for the flock. The Ephesians author reminds his hearers that Christ’s transformative death unites and reconciles both gentiles and Jews to their common Father. Jesus calls his disciples to reflection after their mission, but encounters a lost people in need of care and leadership. Disciples live in tension between serving others and being with Jesus. As good shepherds, are we true to God’s messages, rather than our own? As disciples-in-formation, do interruptions of “doing and teaching” take away from being alone with Jesus in prayer and silence? As believing community members, do we find in God’s merciful love a model of concern and care for others?

—Terence Sherlock