Tuesday after Epiphany
Beloved, let's love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love. By this God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son. He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness. He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.
In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him and said, "This place is deserted, and it is late in the day. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat."
But he answered them, "You give them something to eat."
They asked him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"
He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go see."
When they knew, they said, "Five, and two fish."
He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass. They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish. Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
What strikes me most about this scene is how Jesus transforms a moment of overwhelming need into an invitation for his disciples to participate in God's abundance. When faced with five thousand hungry people, the disciples see scarcity—not enough food, not enough money, not enough resources. But Jesus asks a different question: "What do you have?"
This echoes beautifully with John's reminder that "God is love"—not that God has love or shows love, but that love itself is God's very essence. The multiplication of loaves reveals this divine love in action, meeting human need with tender compassion. Notice how Jesus doesn't just feed the crowd; he organizes them into communities, sitting together on the green grass in groups of fifties and hundreds. Even in addressing physical hunger, he's creating connection and belonging.
What I find beautiful here is how God's love always begins with what we actually have, not what we lack. The disciples offered five loaves and two fish—probably someone's modest lunch. In our own lives, we often feel like our resources, our time, our abilities are woefully inadequate for the needs around us. Yet Jesus takes our small offerings and works through them in ways we never could have imagined.
The twelve baskets of leftovers aren't just proof of the miracle—they're a sign that God's generosity always exceeds our expectations. When we offer what little we have with open hearts, whether it's listening to a struggling friend, helping a neighbor, or simply showing up when we'd rather stay home, we become part of how divine love multiplies in our world.
What small thing do you have to offer today that might seem insignificant? How might God be inviting you to see abundance where you've been focused on scarcity?