Metropolitan of Strumica Nahum: Giving even when there is not enough for ourself – the basis for a miracle from God
~+~
The multiplication of the loaves and the fishes (Matthew 14: 14–22) is a seemingly evangelical event about which nothing special can be said except to glorify the God-Man Jesus Christ and His miracle done for us and our salvation. But is that all? However, let’s try to find the deeper meaning …
It is important in our lives to have the will for a good deed – in (for) the glory of God and out of love for our neighbour, the rest is God’s work. The apostles see the need of the people to eat, they want to help, but they are aware that they are powerless to help and they turn to the Lord – ready to obey His word.
We see that the Apostles give up even their own food, which is not enough for them. This is the key moment – giving even when there is not enough for ourselves, that is, self-sacrificial love. Giving even when there is not – then the miracle of God happens; then everyone gets what they need and they are even left with (they receive) more than they gave.
A perfect hierarchical order is in function. The disciples notice the need of the people for food and turn to Christ, ready to obey – this is important, even though they use and offer their own logic to solve the problem. Christ commands the people to sit down – because order and organization are important; the people listen to Him. Christ works the miracle and He satisfies the needs of the people through His disciples.
We notice a perfect liturgical order in this miracle and a perfect icon of the Holy Liturgy, as well as of the Holy Church. The same words are used today in the Holy Liturgy in the canon of the Eucharist (Thanksgiving). “And when He took the bread … He had given thanks, and blessed, and sanctified, and broken it, and He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles …”
And let us keep in mind, in this picture there is no temple, no special vessels (plates), no special robes, there is no drawing (reliance on) of authority from without. There is no excessive concern whether a crumb has fallen to the ground – because the whole world is a temple and everything is sacred; there is only love for the neighbour, there is undoubted faith, there is obedience to the point of devotion, and there is a blessing of God. Simply, there is a God and there are people in a free and loving, personal-catholic community with Him and with each other – there is everything. There is a Church.
Above all, true healing from the illnesses of the soul, and if it is for salvation – the body as well, brings us only, our participation in the Liturgy of the Church and the communion with Its Holy Mysteries.
The same thing happens with those who are spiritually poor, who try to interpret the Gospel: they see the need of the people, they see that they are powerless to help them, they turn to the Lord, and in the hope that they will be helped, they begin unskilfully to write down the first words of the interpretation. And then, suddenly everything becomes easy – the thoughts become ordered, line up one after the other, the text appears in its initial (early) version, so that they themselves are in wonder with what is happening. They realize that they have nothing which is theirs, other than the will to do good and the obedience to God, and to the work given to them by Him – not even that.
The same is relevant for other crisis situations regarding the Church, which arise over time. Do not worry, the good Shepherd Christ, in His time, will tell us, through the Church – through Its Episcopes (because without the Episcope there is no Church – and, as we know, the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church), what we should do in situations of crises, by word or deed; and no one else. That is the order in the Church.
Now, there are also those who do not respect this Church and Godly order and cause doubt and disorder in the Church. Well, It is not the first time, nor the last. May they be healthy and alive! Freedom – above all! Yes, freedom is more important than death, but not the kind of freedom that separates us from the Church.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Metropolitan of Strumica Nahum
(14.08.2021 15:51)
