Homily for Tuersday of the 6th Wk in Ordinary Time, 13 Feb 2024, Mk 8:14-21
“Nagmamaaang-maangan” is a Tagalog expression that best describes the disposition of the disciples in today’s Gospel. They did not really forget to bring bread with them. But they were pretending as if they had forgotten. I have a feeling that they were beginning to feel heavy about giving away all their services for free and not demanding any payment for any of it.
Remember how Jesus even told them, “Give the people something to eat yourselves.”? He did not even want the people to line up or queue for the food. He instructed them instead to be seated in groups of fifty on the grass so that they could be served by the disciples themselves. Remember, these people had already received all sorts of favors from the Lord—not only did they enjoy the good news being preached to them, they even brought sick family members to be prayed over and these were healed. In addition, Jesus even asked the disciples to bring out whatever provisions they had available to give them a free lunch. I think the disciples were beginning to react to this.
So why did they have only one loaf of bread with them? Because they felt it was unfair. They were probably saying to each other—“look, are we not at least entitled to a free lunch? Why should we even need to bring along some of our own provisions?”
I think Jesus was addressing their attitude when he said, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” He knew that the Pharisees were the type who expected something in return for the services that they were rendering. Jesus calls it a “leaven” that is very infectious. One little bit can affect a whole mass of dough.
And so he asks them one rhetorical question after another—“Do you not get it? Do you not remember? Do you still not understand?” And he reminds them how in all those instances when they shared their provisions, they got more in return than what they actually gave away: like from the five loaves with which they fed five thousand, what they collected were 12 baskets of leftovers!
It’s about generosity breeding generosity. It’s what the miracle was all about; and they still could not get it. They were still in that mode of counting the cost, of giving with a heavy heart. He wanted them to see themselves in the bread that was taken, blessed, broken and shared—how, instead of getting consumed, it multiplied. It’s supposed to be the story of our lives, the whole point in the Paschal Mystery.
