The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

August 2, 2026 – Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Matthew 14:13-21

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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Today we are once again escorted to a hillside gathering where lots of people had come to hear the words of Jesus. And we are also told that after Jesus spoke perhaps a little longer than they were used to, they were hungry. This event, often called “the multiplication of the loaves” is one of the few times that an event involving Jesus is recorded in all four gospels. It must have been considered a very important event in the life of Jesus.

 As I gather my thoughts for each Nazareth Page, I typically read each gospel a few times and sit quietly with them wondering what’s important for us to think about all these years later in the Sunday gospel. While my reflections are saved somewhere in my laptop, I never reread past ones. I want my words to sound and feel fresh. No leftovers.

 Here’s what struck me today like a bolt of lightning. It was what Matthew mentioned right after Jesus blessed and broke the bread and gave it to his disciples to pass around to the hungry masses. His exact words being “… who in turn gave them to the crowds.” In other word, feeding the hungry throng (or any other act of helping others) is usually not a matter of resources, but rather one of actually helping others, or of distribution. Jesus needed a distribution system for this miracle of his to be successful.  

Let me expand on this. God has magnificently and miraculously created the universe, including the sun and its planets and has also supplied the means insuring their survival and growth.  After human life came along, a way had to be found to provide the so-called “basics” of food, clothing and shelter to reach the multitudes. And most important was the need for food.

 Today survival experts note that there’s enough food in the world to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry. The problem of hunger is a real challenge for preserving life is all its manifestations is often one of adequate distribution of food to those most in need. The “haves” sharing their abundance with the “have nots.”

 Of course, this is not a new challenge. It’s been around since the time of Adam and Eve – whenever that was. Currently the world population is estimated to be 8.3 billion. And the hungry are everywhere. Many of us have more than enough food for ourselves near and far. So we are invited to distribute (that word again!) what we can to help to feed the hungry. We are encouraged by this gospel to give generously from our abundance.

David M. Thomas, PhD