Commentary of the Gospell

August 1, 2022

 

Commitment: Piecemeal or Total?

Humanly speaking, as evening approached, Jesus should have been more eager than the disciples to dismiss the crowd and rest a bit; but his commitment to them is total. Whereas the disciples wanted to “get rid” of the people, dismissing them to go get their food, Jesus insisted on providing food for them. When the disciples complained about the lack of resources to do so, Jesus did not budge in his commitment. He would provide. In these years when nations debate the wisdom of caring for the migrants and the need to protect one’s own people and security, when nations are eager to build walls than bridges, this Gospel must challenge us: Commitment to caring for God’s children, whoever they are, cannot be in piecemeal fashion; it must be total, with its challenges and benefits, joys and pains. In our response, would we imitate the disciples or Jesus?

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF - Claretian Publications Philippines