Eucharist on the Grass

January 7, 2025 - Tuesday after Epiphany

Mark 6:34-44

In today’s Gospel, Jesus does two remarkable things: He feeds the minds of the people with His teaching and their bodies with food. This naturally draws our minds to the Eucharist, which also has two parts. First, we listen to God speaking to us through the Scriptures, and then we are nourished with the supernatural bread of life.

Jesus was motivated to teach the crowd because of their dire situation — they were like sheep without a shepherd. This phrase, when understood in the context of the Jewish War by Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, reveals the tragedy of the time. The leadership in Israel was deeply flawed: the Herodian dynasty was obsessed with power and wealth, and society was fractured by competing factions. While Mark does not detail Jesus’ teaching here, the Gospel of Matthew offers a glimpse in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Leaders and educators have an essential role in shaping society. When leadership is corrupt, or educators distort truth, people suffer deeply.

Jesus’ concern for the crowd’s welfare also extended to their physical needs. Yet, He wanted His disciples to take an active role: “Give them some food yourselves.” Notably, Jesus did not turn stones into bread, rejecting this as a temptation of Satan in the desert. Instead, He took the disciples’ meager resources and used them to provide food in abundance. This teaches us a powerful lesson: our small offerings, when placed in Jesus’ hands, can yield astonishing results. Generosity, multiplied by God’s grace, can transform lives.

The four verbs that describe Jesus’ actions — He takes, blesses, breaks, and gives the bread — reappear at the Last Supper, connecting this miracle to the Eucharist. This is why I love calling this story the Eucharist on the grass. Others have called it the hospitality of God, as it reflects the divine invitation to partake in His banquet.

Interestingly, just a few verses earlier, Mark recounts another banquet: Herod’s birthday celebration, a gathering of Galilee’s elite. That banquet ended with the death of John the Baptist. In stark contrast, Jesus’ banquet on the grass brings life.

The disciples, who initially hesitated at Jesus’ command to feed the crowd, ended up collecting twelve baskets of leftovers — one for each disciple. The number twelve evokes the twelve tribes of Israel, scattered like sheep without a shepherd but now gathered through the Eucharist. It’s also worth noting that a group of 5,000 men could form a military unit capable of rebellion. However, Jesus made it clear that His mission was not to overthrow worldly governments but to challenge the one who falsely claims authority over all kingdoms.

Let me end with a beautiful promise from Isaiah: “The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. No longer will your Teacher hide Himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher” (Isaiah 30:20). Come to the Eucharist and experience this truth for yourself.