Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.(Mark 6:41)
Jesus ‘broke’ the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. It is a very simple action if we see it externally. Jesus probably held the loaves as he was getting ready to break them. If Jesus was not a left-handed he must have taken hold of it with his left hand and broke it with his right hand. Now the loaves handed over from Jesus’ hand to the hand of the disciples and they were again handed over to the hands of the people. It is a simple act of transfer of food from one hand to other hands one after another and it eventually solves the problem of hunger of the people and this further leads them to the stream of salvation.
The hand of people is a decisive instrument to actualize God’s salvation on earth. We arrange something to eat on the earth by this hand. The hand to cook something to eat in the kitchen is the power of salvation. We make a car with hand and do the farming with it. See the hand of a surgeon. Their hands save people’s life. Look at the hands of pianist and artists. And look at the hand of a poet who holds pen and writes a poem. Look at the hand of a pastor who prepares a sermon by tapping at the computer keyboard. The hand of man is the hand of God.
There is a scene in “The Creator”, the painting of Michelangelo that God breathed life into Adam. It is the scene that Adam who was not bestowed a soul, formed out of dust was positioned below and God who was breathing soul to him was positioned above facing each other. The center of this picture is the work of hands. God was breathing not the way of the laying on of hands but the way of breathing. Michelangelo, a scientist and artist who works by hand might feel God’s inspiration in his hand first before head. Yes. The hand of man is none other than God’s hand.
20100417
Five loaves and two fish (27)
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.(Mark 6:41)
I would like to meditate John 1:14 that I quoted yesterday. According to John, incarnated Jesus’ glory is the glory of the only son of God. What does it mean? Is it Jesus’ glory? Jesus lived on earth with the same limitations and condition like each of us. Most of the time the Bible depicts somebody with messianic and supernatural power according to the belief of the early Christian community but we have to consider the fact of the historical background. He ate, excreted, caught cold, felt lonely and was even joyful at times like us. Then what is the glory that was revealed to him?
John’s gospel described it as the glory that revealed to the only son of God. It doesn’t mean that God bear a son like man. It is a sort of religious metaphor to point out the one who has the same true nature with God, though he is not God himself. It means that the glory of the only son is exactly the glory of God himself. According to this logic, Jesus’ glory is no other than God’s glory.
At last, we came back to the term of ‘glory’ again. Glory is a theological term which is applicable to the creator only. We cannot describe it in detail. The creature cannot recognize the creator directly but glorify him alone. We can put in this way; the power of creation is, that is to say, glory. According to John verse 1:3, logos is the very power of creation.
We can say that Jesus’ ‘Five loaves and two fish’ points out the power of the creator. He broke himself and gave it to us as he broke ‘Five loaves and two fish’. Only the creator can give us life.
I would like to meditate John 1:14 that I quoted yesterday. According to John, incarnated Jesus’ glory is the glory of the only son of God. What does it mean? Is it Jesus’ glory? Jesus lived on earth with the same limitations and condition like each of us. Most of the time the Bible depicts somebody with messianic and supernatural power according to the belief of the early Christian community but we have to consider the fact of the historical background. He ate, excreted, caught cold, felt lonely and was even joyful at times like us. Then what is the glory that was revealed to him?
John’s gospel described it as the glory that revealed to the only son of God. It doesn’t mean that God bear a son like man. It is a sort of religious metaphor to point out the one who has the same true nature with God, though he is not God himself. It means that the glory of the only son is exactly the glory of God himself. According to this logic, Jesus’ glory is no other than God’s glory.
At last, we came back to the term of ‘glory’ again. Glory is a theological term which is applicable to the creator only. We cannot describe it in detail. The creature cannot recognize the creator directly but glorify him alone. We can put in this way; the power of creation is, that is to say, glory. According to John verse 1:3, logos is the very power of creation.
We can say that Jesus’ ‘Five loaves and two fish’ points out the power of the creator. He broke himself and gave it to us as he broke ‘Five loaves and two fish’. Only the creator can give us life.
20100414
Five loaves and two fish (26)
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.(Mark 6:41)
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Here ‘the word’ is a translation of the Greek ‘Logos’ which means language or reason. The philosophical term of the Greek has been accepted as a divine meaning.
In early Christianity era, Neo-Platonism of the Hellenistic philosophy blossomed and Plato took an active part in it. There was dualism in the center of this idea. They thought soul and flesh are of different entities. Soul is sacred while flesh is ugly. Soul is eternal but flesh is temporal. Soul of human is also eternal. So they thought the soul of human that is believed to be the essence of eternal life was not created. On the contrary, according to Christian faith the soul of human was created by God.
In addition, the early Christian fathers were deeply influenced by Greek philosophy, especially the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle and they did not give up the tradition of the Old Testaments. The most glaring example is the concept of incarnation. Augustine said that the Plato’s philosophy is most similar to Christian faith except incarnation. The belief on the theory of incarnation of the theological concept is the point of distinction between Plato’s philosophy and Christian faith.
The concept of incarnation that underscores the transformation of the body from the invisible and eternal God to a visible and temporal human body is not compatible with Plato’s philosophy. Yes. Not even a moment the body in Christian belief was neglected. The body requires “Five loaves and two fish”. Jesus was in humanly body which was broken and gave it to us. This is certainly a clear indication of the gift of salvation that Christians believe and talk about.
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Here ‘the word’ is a translation of the Greek ‘Logos’ which means language or reason. The philosophical term of the Greek has been accepted as a divine meaning.
In early Christianity era, Neo-Platonism of the Hellenistic philosophy blossomed and Plato took an active part in it. There was dualism in the center of this idea. They thought soul and flesh are of different entities. Soul is sacred while flesh is ugly. Soul is eternal but flesh is temporal. Soul of human is also eternal. So they thought the soul of human that is believed to be the essence of eternal life was not created. On the contrary, according to Christian faith the soul of human was created by God.
In addition, the early Christian fathers were deeply influenced by Greek philosophy, especially the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle and they did not give up the tradition of the Old Testaments. The most glaring example is the concept of incarnation. Augustine said that the Plato’s philosophy is most similar to Christian faith except incarnation. The belief on the theory of incarnation of the theological concept is the point of distinction between Plato’s philosophy and Christian faith.
The concept of incarnation that underscores the transformation of the body from the invisible and eternal God to a visible and temporal human body is not compatible with Plato’s philosophy. Yes. Not even a moment the body in Christian belief was neglected. The body requires “Five loaves and two fish”. Jesus was in humanly body which was broken and gave it to us. This is certainly a clear indication of the gift of salvation that Christians believe and talk about.
Five loaves and two fish (25)
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. (Mark 6:41)
I mentioned in the preceding meditation that we should not miss two levels of report and interpretation. As we see in this point of view, the expression of breaking the bread and giving it to his disciples is the interpretation of the Bible author in keeping with the conduct of Holy Communion service. As time goes by the religious tradition in which the “Five loaves and two fish” are involved with are handed down through many people of the world. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."(Mark 14:22) It indicates that the “Five loaves and two fish” and Eucharist raised fusion of horizons with the verbs “broke and gave”.
We often hear that Jesus gave himself up for us all but we do not feel it in our real lives. We think of it as a messianic role in which Jesus had to be crucified to take up my sin. It is not wrong but Christian faith cannot be explained in this manner. The word ‘Jesus broke his body’ is connected with a profound situation.
It is the incarnation. The Word became flesh. The invisible God became the visible one. Jesus is a visible God. He is God with the same body like ours. Here is the tension of Christian faith. Body has its limitations. But God is an unlimited being. It is a contradiction that infinite God has a finite body. Christianity began from this shrouded contradiction. To say in Barth’s way, ‘an impossible possibility’ has happened to Jesus. The confines of God and Men are found in the person of Jesus. At his point, Jesus is the only true God and true Man. He is the true “Five loaves and two fish”.
I mentioned in the preceding meditation that we should not miss two levels of report and interpretation. As we see in this point of view, the expression of breaking the bread and giving it to his disciples is the interpretation of the Bible author in keeping with the conduct of Holy Communion service. As time goes by the religious tradition in which the “Five loaves and two fish” are involved with are handed down through many people of the world. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."(Mark 14:22) It indicates that the “Five loaves and two fish” and Eucharist raised fusion of horizons with the verbs “broke and gave”.
We often hear that Jesus gave himself up for us all but we do not feel it in our real lives. We think of it as a messianic role in which Jesus had to be crucified to take up my sin. It is not wrong but Christian faith cannot be explained in this manner. The word ‘Jesus broke his body’ is connected with a profound situation.
It is the incarnation. The Word became flesh. The invisible God became the visible one. Jesus is a visible God. He is God with the same body like ours. Here is the tension of Christian faith. Body has its limitations. But God is an unlimited being. It is a contradiction that infinite God has a finite body. Christianity began from this shrouded contradiction. To say in Barth’s way, ‘an impossible possibility’ has happened to Jesus. The confines of God and Men are found in the person of Jesus. At his point, Jesus is the only true God and true Man. He is the true “Five loaves and two fish”.
20100409
Five loaves and two fish (24)
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.(Mark 6:41)
Breaking the loaves Jesus gave them to the disciples to be distributed to the crowd gathered there. He also divided the two fish among them all. Here are the five loaves. The account of the five loaves and two fish does not explain in detail to show whether Jesus gave the loaves and fish without dividing into halves or three parts. We do not also know whether the disciples distributed the bread and fish to the crowd without dividing them into small pieces. The pieces of bread might not be very big ones. According to the tradition of John’s gospel, this bread and fishes were brought by a child. Why John’s gospel did particularly mentioned about a child that the synoptic never mentions about? It signifies the fact that “Five loaves and two fish” might not be a big food material, as they are prepared for a meal or two of a child. Though the child brought it to the disciples instructed by his father, “Five loaves and two fish” is nothing but a meal of a family. The size of bread might not be bigger than a big dumpling. It is not easy to divide in a small piece for serving the public.
The author of the Bible does not report a certain historical incident in a demonstrative manner. It reports some incredible incidents that had happened to Jesus through memory, tradition and also some theological interpretation. Report and interpretation are the two pillars of the Bible. The Bible is a report one side and interpretation on the other. Report has more factual information while interpretation provides information on events. Despite this apparent differences report and interpretation serve the same purpose. These are complementary to each other. At this point, the story of “Five loaves and two fish” also is a fact on the one hand and an event on the other.
Breaking the loaves Jesus gave them to the disciples to be distributed to the crowd gathered there. He also divided the two fish among them all. Here are the five loaves. The account of the five loaves and two fish does not explain in detail to show whether Jesus gave the loaves and fish without dividing into halves or three parts. We do not also know whether the disciples distributed the bread and fish to the crowd without dividing them into small pieces. The pieces of bread might not be very big ones. According to the tradition of John’s gospel, this bread and fishes were brought by a child. Why John’s gospel did particularly mentioned about a child that the synoptic never mentions about? It signifies the fact that “Five loaves and two fish” might not be a big food material, as they are prepared for a meal or two of a child. Though the child brought it to the disciples instructed by his father, “Five loaves and two fish” is nothing but a meal of a family. The size of bread might not be bigger than a big dumpling. It is not easy to divide in a small piece for serving the public.
The author of the Bible does not report a certain historical incident in a demonstrative manner. It reports some incredible incidents that had happened to Jesus through memory, tradition and also some theological interpretation. Report and interpretation are the two pillars of the Bible. The Bible is a report one side and interpretation on the other. Report has more factual information while interpretation provides information on events. Despite this apparent differences report and interpretation serve the same purpose. These are complementary to each other. At this point, the story of “Five loaves and two fish” also is a fact on the one hand and an event on the other.
20100408
Five loaves and two fish (23)
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.(Mark 6:41)
If Jesus’ resurrection is our real meal as mentioned in the foregoing meditation, then some would say that our daily meal does not have any spiritual connection? No. It is not. The meal we take every day is also an integral part of God’s grace and the meal of life has the same meaning. The only difficulty is that we do not know how to merge the relationship between a real meal and resurrection more precisely. It is our cognitive limitation that we have to bear and also our religious homework to solve.
The best alternative way we can chose now is to accept a meal as a reality of resurrection life. It can be a practice to eat a meal in holiness. We might experience mystery and holiness of life from a bowl of meal. It is, that is to say, identification itself with a meal. We experience a mystery that a meal becomes me and I become a meal. Is it really possible? Generally we think a meal as an instrument to maintain life and so it is not easy to experience such personal identification with it. However, if we open our mind, it can be possible.
A few days ago I had a chance to eat a lunch at my office. When I opened my lunch box there were four side dishes, fried anchovy, cubed radish kimchi, scrambled eggs and boiled vegetable. First I took rice and chewed then it soon taste sweet. I again took a fried anchovy and chewed it well. At that moment, I felt rice and anchovy and I became one. It was a ruptured experience. Is not it an experience to eat a holy meal?
If Jesus’ resurrection is our real meal as mentioned in the foregoing meditation, then some would say that our daily meal does not have any spiritual connection? No. It is not. The meal we take every day is also an integral part of God’s grace and the meal of life has the same meaning. The only difficulty is that we do not know how to merge the relationship between a real meal and resurrection more precisely. It is our cognitive limitation that we have to bear and also our religious homework to solve.
The best alternative way we can chose now is to accept a meal as a reality of resurrection life. It can be a practice to eat a meal in holiness. We might experience mystery and holiness of life from a bowl of meal. It is, that is to say, identification itself with a meal. We experience a mystery that a meal becomes me and I become a meal. Is it really possible? Generally we think a meal as an instrument to maintain life and so it is not easy to experience such personal identification with it. However, if we open our mind, it can be possible.
A few days ago I had a chance to eat a lunch at my office. When I opened my lunch box there were four side dishes, fried anchovy, cubed radish kimchi, scrambled eggs and boiled vegetable. First I took rice and chewed then it soon taste sweet. I again took a fried anchovy and chewed it well. At that moment, I felt rice and anchovy and I became one. It was a ruptured experience. Is not it an experience to eat a holy meal?
20100406
Five loaves and two fish (22)
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.(Mark 6:41)
According to John’s gospel, Jesus is the meal of life. Jesus is quoted as saying, “I am the bread of life. Hew who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) However, it does not guarantee that we will not be hungry and thirsty despite our belief in Jesus. There are many extremely poor people even among Christians.
The key point here is what life signifies when we say Jesus is the meal of life. Early Christians were hungry and lonely in this world like us today. Such problems are not solved immediately though we believe in Jesus. They experience entirely different level of life from Jesus. The core of this difference is the resurrection. Jesus who has risen from the dead was an eternal and real foundation of life.
Life given by God in this world has no eternity in itself. Man has to die sooner or later though he continues to eat. Man cannot get real satisfaction anywhere in this temporal world. Of course, he may be able to attain peace and satisfaction to some certain extent as he acquires knowledge and get sufficient income to sustain his livelihood, but this satisfaction has its limitation and is not eternal. The temporal short-lived comfort and satisfaction is comparable to the enjoyment of a chronic drug addict whose life style cannot be called the right stream of life.
Now we cannot explain in detail exactly what the eternal life was that the early Christians experienced after their conviction of Jesus’ resurrection. Since the reality of our act on earth will be revealed at the end of the world, we have to patiently wait that particular day. Hence, Christian faith involves patient waiting. Our present life is not an end in itself but a gift from God to prepare for the next life.
.
According to John’s gospel, Jesus is the meal of life. Jesus is quoted as saying, “I am the bread of life. Hew who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) However, it does not guarantee that we will not be hungry and thirsty despite our belief in Jesus. There are many extremely poor people even among Christians.
The key point here is what life signifies when we say Jesus is the meal of life. Early Christians were hungry and lonely in this world like us today. Such problems are not solved immediately though we believe in Jesus. They experience entirely different level of life from Jesus. The core of this difference is the resurrection. Jesus who has risen from the dead was an eternal and real foundation of life.
Life given by God in this world has no eternity in itself. Man has to die sooner or later though he continues to eat. Man cannot get real satisfaction anywhere in this temporal world. Of course, he may be able to attain peace and satisfaction to some certain extent as he acquires knowledge and get sufficient income to sustain his livelihood, but this satisfaction has its limitation and is not eternal. The temporal short-lived comfort and satisfaction is comparable to the enjoyment of a chronic drug addict whose life style cannot be called the right stream of life.
Now we cannot explain in detail exactly what the eternal life was that the early Christians experienced after their conviction of Jesus’ resurrection. Since the reality of our act on earth will be revealed at the end of the world, we have to patiently wait that particular day. Hence, Christian faith involves patient waiting. Our present life is not an end in itself but a gift from God to prepare for the next life.
.
Five loaves and two fish (21)
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.(Mark 6:41)
What does it mean by eating a meal in holiness? It does not mean to maintain regular prayer before eating nor to categorize some food items as eatable and none eatables as followed by the Israel people in the Old Testament. Some Christians strictly insist on keeping wine and cigarette out of their religious life. They may be pursuing holy life in their own way.
Early Christianity called the believers as ‘saints’ who are a group of holy people. The word ‘holy’ is ‘hagios’(ἅγιος) in Greek, meaning to keep something different from other things. As Christians are distinct from worldly people, there might be some necessity of keeping some food items under categorization as sacred and unsacred. However, according to Jesus’ teaching, many unsacred things come out from inside a man though no unsacred enters into his body through mouth.
The word Christian does not imply that they lead a holy life in all their way of life. It does not also imply that they maintain morality more carefully than any others do. Those who are sincere and exert themselves to maintain moral integrity could do so regardless of their belief in Jesus. The sacred life of Christians comes rather from outside than inside which means the righteousness of Jesus Christ is that shines. Our religious existence is judged only by Jesus Christ.
At this juncture, the question of eating a meal in holiness should also be the outcome of our relationship with Jesus Christ alone. How can we be connected with Jesus in eating?
What does it mean by eating a meal in holiness? It does not mean to maintain regular prayer before eating nor to categorize some food items as eatable and none eatables as followed by the Israel people in the Old Testament. Some Christians strictly insist on keeping wine and cigarette out of their religious life. They may be pursuing holy life in their own way.
Early Christianity called the believers as ‘saints’ who are a group of holy people. The word ‘holy’ is ‘hagios’(ἅγιος) in Greek, meaning to keep something different from other things. As Christians are distinct from worldly people, there might be some necessity of keeping some food items under categorization as sacred and unsacred. However, according to Jesus’ teaching, many unsacred things come out from inside a man though no unsacred enters into his body through mouth.
The word Christian does not imply that they lead a holy life in all their way of life. It does not also imply that they maintain morality more carefully than any others do. Those who are sincere and exert themselves to maintain moral integrity could do so regardless of their belief in Jesus. The sacred life of Christians comes rather from outside than inside which means the righteousness of Jesus Christ is that shines. Our religious existence is judged only by Jesus Christ.
At this juncture, the question of eating a meal in holiness should also be the outcome of our relationship with Jesus Christ alone. How can we be connected with Jesus in eating?
20100402
Five loaves and two fish (20)
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.(Mark 6:41)
“To eat and drink” is the core activity of the Passover supper, which was Jesus’ last supper and which we occasionally observe. The administration of the Last Supper entails a unique activity performed in the most religious and urgent manner in the holiest time and occasion.
If we deeply think about the activity of eating and drinking, it is a mysterious phenomenon. Bread and wine enter in to our stomach through our mouth and gullet. A stomach naturally does the secretion of gastric juice and decomposes food through an action of compression and relaxation. The decomposed food is then gets assimilated to human body through the small intestine and the large intestine. The last step is the excretion. The digestive system of man is a little different from that of the animals but the general mechanism of food intake and excretion of waste for the sustenance of life is the same.
We should not miss the point that there is universal requirement of eating and drinking of something. It is something that occurs universally to all living beings. Here the meaning of universality has the direct implication with God’s nature of holiness. The things that we eat and drink are also a medium of connectivity between the Holy God and us.
The religious symbol of sharing of the Eucharist is the conspicuous expression of our connectivity with the Lord Jesus Christ. We the Christians experience the oneness of the body of Christ by sharing small pieces of bread and wine which represent blood and flesh of Jesus. Rather than prayer and praise or hearing the word of God, participation in the Eucharist gives deeper sense of spirituality. Those who have participated in it should treat our daily bread holy like the body of Christ. We have to continually maintain the practice of having a meal in a holy manner.
“To eat and drink” is the core activity of the Passover supper, which was Jesus’ last supper and which we occasionally observe. The administration of the Last Supper entails a unique activity performed in the most religious and urgent manner in the holiest time and occasion.
If we deeply think about the activity of eating and drinking, it is a mysterious phenomenon. Bread and wine enter in to our stomach through our mouth and gullet. A stomach naturally does the secretion of gastric juice and decomposes food through an action of compression and relaxation. The decomposed food is then gets assimilated to human body through the small intestine and the large intestine. The last step is the excretion. The digestive system of man is a little different from that of the animals but the general mechanism of food intake and excretion of waste for the sustenance of life is the same.
We should not miss the point that there is universal requirement of eating and drinking of something. It is something that occurs universally to all living beings. Here the meaning of universality has the direct implication with God’s nature of holiness. The things that we eat and drink are also a medium of connectivity between the Holy God and us.
The religious symbol of sharing of the Eucharist is the conspicuous expression of our connectivity with the Lord Jesus Christ. We the Christians experience the oneness of the body of Christ by sharing small pieces of bread and wine which represent blood and flesh of Jesus. Rather than prayer and praise or hearing the word of God, participation in the Eucharist gives deeper sense of spirituality. Those who have participated in it should treat our daily bread holy like the body of Christ. We have to continually maintain the practice of having a meal in a holy manner.
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