Monday in the Fourth Week of Lent

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. (John 6:8-11)


Two thoughts:


First thought: The boy had five loaves of bread, about the size of a modern pita, not the size of a loaf of Wonder Bread, and there were five thousand people there. Offering his five loaves to Jesus to share with the people was a silly thing to do. There was no way it would be enough, no way it would be anywhere near enough. A more sophisticated, more rational, more grown-up person would have known better than to have made the offer. But this naive child doesn't think the matter through; he gives what he has to give, even though it's nowhere near enough; and Jesus, also not limited by conventional rationality, takes it, and blesses it, and makes it enough.


Second thought: The boy had five barley loaves. Barley bread was poor people's bread. It was what you baked when you couldn't get wheat. It was ordinary -- it was less than ordinary. A more sophisticated, more rational, more grown-up person would have known better than to have offered barley bread to someone as important as Jesus, someone who had the public recognition and growing reputation that Jesus had. It's embarrassing. But this naive child doesn't know enough to be embarrassed by the poverty of his gift; he gives what he has to give, even though it's not good enough; and Jesus takes it, and blesses it, and makes it good enough.


Lent is a time for repentance, a time to be aware that we are not all we could be, a time to be mindful of the faults and failings and frailties that hinder and undercut our better aspirations. But we cultivate that mindfulness in Lent not to feel bad about ourselves or beat our breasts for our inadequacy: we cultivate that mindfulness in Lent so that we can open up our inadequacies to the possibility of blessing. Like five barley loaves, too little and too poor, we bring ourselves to Jesus; and Jesus takes us, and blesses us, and makes us more than we could be on our own, makes us enough to do the work of love.


What barley loaves will you offer Jesus for the sake of love today?