Chapter VI.
Second, the Son of God manifests Himself as preserver.
1. After these things Jesus went across the sea etc. In the preceding chapter the Lord showed Himself as healer; in this part He shows Himself as preserver. And because He is the preserver of bodies and of spirits, and through visible things one arrives at invisible things: first He shows Himself as preserver of bodies; second, of spirits, at the passage: The next day the crowd.
First He manifests Himself as preserver of bodies.
He shows Himself therefore as preserver of bodies by wondrously refreshing them bodily: which wondrous refreshment is described with respect to three things: first, with respect to the antecedents; second, with respect to the concomitants, at the passage: Jesus therefore says: Make etc.; third, with respect to the consequents, at the passage: But those men, when they had seen etc.
The antecedents, however, which were the cause or occasion of performing the miracle, are four: first,
the arriving multitude; second, the suitability of place and time; third, the lack of money for buying food; fourth, the insufficiency of food for refreshing the multitude.
2. (Verse 1). The first occasion therefore of performing the miracle was the arriving multitude, which followed Christ beyond His homeland to see His miracles. On account of which He says: After these things Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias: it is called the Sea of Galilee from the region, of Tiberias from the city.
3. (Verse 2). And a great multitude followed Him: and the reason for this is added: Because they saw the signs which He did upon those who were infirm. On account of these signs to be seen they followed Christ, because, as is said in First Corinthians 1, "The Jews seek signs"; and when they see signs, they magnify God: Luke 5: "They were filled with fear and ecstasy, saying: We have seen wondrous things today." On account of these signs the Jews are attracted and also confirmed; Exodus 14: "Stand and see the great works of the Lord, which He is about to do."
4. (Verse 3). He went therefore to the mountain. Here is noted the second occasion, namely the suitability of place and time. The place was suitable for performing a miracle, because it was deserted, in which there was a lack of refreshment: therefore He says: Jesus therefore went to the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. The place which John calls a mountain on account of its height, Matthew calls a desert on account of its solitude; Matthew 14: "Jesus withdrew by boat to a deserted place apart." And this place was suitable for performing miracles, because there was no food there: whence it is said in Matthew 14 that the disciples said to the Lord: "The place is deserted: dismiss the crowds, so that going into the villages they may buy themselves food."
There was also a suitability of time, because it was the Passover: whence He says:
5. (Vers. 4.). Now the Passover, the feast day of the Jews, was near: on this feast the Lord had performed miracles, and he now had to renew them, because he had to make a new Passover. It should be noted, as Chrysostom says, that "from the Passover of John's imprisonment until this one, one year had passed, although the Evangelist narrates little about this," because others had narrated it.
6. (Vers. 5.). When therefore Jesus had lifted up his eyes etc. Here is noted the third occasion, namely the lack of money to buy food with which so great a multitude might be fed; and to make this lack manifest, the Lord asks Philip about the price. Therefore he says: When therefore Jesus had lifted up his eyes, through the kindness of mercy, because, as it is said in the Psalm, "the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, and upon those who hope in his mercy." And had seen that a very great multitude was coming to him, on account of devotion; whence it is said in Matthew fourteen, that "the crowds followed him on foot from the cities." He says to Philip, through the circumspection of providence: First Peter, last chapter: "He himself has care for you." Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? for the refreshment of their bodies, as if to say: Do we have a sufficient sum to buy? Nor did he himself need silver: Isaiah fifty-five: "Come, buy without silver." He did not ask this because he doubted, but to test Philip; whence he says:
7. (Vers. 6.). But this he said testing him, not doubting; for he himself knew what he was about to do. Therefore he said this to test him, and by testing to show that the money was lacking. Therefore the response of Philip follows.
8. (Vers. 7.). Philip answered him: Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that each one might receive a little something: and thus a great sum was necessary, and they themselves were poor and did not have even a small amount; for they had left all things, according to what Peter said in Matthew nineteen: "Behold, we have left all things and followed you," etc.; and Acts three: "Silver and gold I have not."
9. (Vers. 8.). One of his disciples says to him etc. Here is noted the fourth occasion, namely the insufficiency of food for the feeding of so great a multitude. For since there were five thousand, they had only five loaves; and this is noted in Andrew's response. Therefore he says: One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, says to him, namely to the Lord, who was asking Philip about the feeding of the crowds:
10. (Vers. 9.). There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish: so many loaves, he says, we have, but they are not sufficient; therefore he says: But what are these among so many? In this is noted the remarkable poverty of the Lord and the disciples, that they had few loaves and of poor quality; whence they also frequently suffered hunger with the Lord: Matthew twelve: "Jesus went through the grain fields; and his disciples, being hungry, began to pluck ears of grain and to eat."
11. Morally. The five loaves, which the boy has, are the five refreshments of the affections, which have their origin from five considerations of the intellect: from the consideration of one's own sin, the bread of compunction, concerning which in the Psalm: You will feed us with the bread of tears, etc. This is the bread of which Judges 7 says: There appeared to me something like a cake of barley bread baked under ashes.
From the consideration of the passion of Christ, the bread of affliction: Deuteronomy 16: For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread of affliction, because in fear you went out of Egypt, that you may remember the day of your departure from Egypt, etc.; Lamentations 3: Remember my poverty and my transgression, the wormwood and the gall.
From the consideration of the failings of the brethren, the bread of compassion: Ecclesiastes 11: Cast your bread upon the passing waters, namely, of tribulation. Without this, no one ought to be placed in authority: Isaiah 4: I am not a healer, and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing: do not make me a ruler of the people.
From the consideration of eternal punishment, the bread of trembling: Tobit 2: He ate bread with mourning and trembling, remembering that word which the Lord spoke through Amos the prophet: Your feast days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning.
From the consideration of the delay of the reward, the bread of devotion, which is found in the perfect: the Psalm: My tears have been my bread day and night, while it is said to me daily: Where is your God?
Questions.
12. Question I. Here arises a question concerning the apparent contradiction in the text:
1. Because it is said in Matthew 14 that the disciples approached the Lord and told him to dismiss the crowds; and it is likewise said in the same chapter of Matthew that the Lord replied to the disciples: They have no need to go away; yet here it is said that he sought from Philip counsel about feeding them.