Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
On my way to the store in India on my last vacation, I met this crippled man sitting on his wheelchair begging. I have seen him on my previous visits and I have always been generous with him. This time too, I gave him money enough for him to smile. Secretly, there is a sense of contentment every time I do this. I guess it makes me feel good. This time however, even after my return this man has not left my mind. And the question that has been playing in my mind is, why could I not be more generous with him? What stops me from giving him a hundred rupee bill rather than a ten rupee bill? For that matter, why not a thousand rupee bill? After all, I always have a few thousand rupees in my wallet. More importantly, why have never asked him name or where he lives? Why have I not offered to visit his home or do something for him that might change his life forever? What is the harm in being just a little more generous?
What is the harm in being a little more generous? Just before I left for India, I was with my Indian priest friend for a conference in Florida. After dinner in a restaurant one evening, I saw him give almost a fifty percent tip. I always tip twenty percent and I told him that he was giving too much. And he said to me, “It’s OK” he said. What’s the harm in being just a little more generous?”
We can approach the miracle of the multiplication of loaves from many perspectives. The best place to begin is last week’s gospel. In last Sunday’s gospel, Jesus “saw the vast crowd and his heart was moved with compassion for them… (Mk 6:34). Being generous with his time, Jesus began to teach them many things. In today’s gospel reading, the same compassion that led Jesus to teach the crowds also made him think about their physical hunger. Jesus’ question “Where can we find enough food?” left the disciples perplexed. The task seemed gargantuan. But then there appeared a little boy bearing a beacon of hope. Five loaves and two fish was all he had. He gave it all the Jesus. What is the harm in being just a little more generous?
a)What is this miracle really about? This miracle can be understood on so many levels. We can reflect upon this miracle as the proof of the divinity of Jesus, as prefiguring the Eucharist or as God’s care for his people. How about we understand this miracle from the perspective of the abundance and generosity of God? It is in God’s nature to give. It is in God’s nature to be generous. God fed the Israelites in the desert, quenched their thirst, gave them a homeland and gave them new life. There is nothing God holds back from God’s people, not even his Son. This miracle of the multiplication of loaves begins in the heart of Jesus and it will end on the cross. And before that awful death on the cross he would take bread one more time, say “This is my body,” and ask his disciples to do this in “memory of me.” And this time, the bread would not just feed five thousand people but generations and generations of people including each of us today. Today, we will leave this church a forgiven, healed, restored, fed and loved people – all because of the generosity of God.
b)Understanding insecurity. One of the most basic human needs is the need for security. And there is a healthy and an unhealthy way to deal with it. Let us get back to the story I began my homily with. So why did I not give that needy man a thousand rupee bill? First of all, perhaps because I think that I need it more than he does. Even though I had not designated that money for any purpose, I was sure I will need it in the future. It is part of my insecurity. I think this is how we human begins think. Recall a time when someone hit you for money at the church parking lot or at the groceries. Or recall when you were visiting another church for mass. Eight times out of ten you probably you gave the smaller bills to the beggar or put them in the collection basket. Why do we do that? What is the harm in being just a little more generous? Generosity comes from overcoming our insecurity in a healthy way. I am not saying that we have to be reckless but surely, we could all do with being just a little more generous.
c)What is the harm in being a little more generous? Having reflected on the generosity of God, there another element yet to be reflected upon – the little boy. The God who created the world from nothing could also have created bread for five thousand people. But that is not how the story goes. A little boy brought his five loaves and two fish and gave it to Jesus. He did not keep any for himself or give half of his food to Jesus. He wasn’t putting the small bills in. He overcame his own insecurity to give all he had. Christ recognizes this because very soon he would give all he had on the cross. On that day, in his little way, this boy’s generosity matched the generosity and abundance of God. And that is the key for a Christian - that we strive to match the generosity of God. Paul says in today’s readings lists various says, “I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love.” What is the harm in being a little more humble, gentle, patient and loving? What is the harm in being a little more generous?
- Fr. Satish Joseph