Let the Manichaeans be put to shame, who say that bread and all created things are the product of an evil god, and therefore, if someone offers them bread, they do not take it from his hands but order him to throw it from afar, while they themselves stand and curse the one who offered it: "May he who sowed you (bread) himself be scattered! May he who ground you himself be ground in body!" and other such things. Let them be put to shame, then, when they hear that Christ, the Son of the Good God, multiplied the loaves. For if they were an evil creation, the Good One would not have multiplied evil, not to mention that He Himself would not have eaten bread.
Perhaps someone will ask: "Is this miracle of the loaves one and the same as the miracle described in the Gospel of Matthew?" (Matt. 14:15–21) It is one and the same. If there the disciples approach and remind Him about the crowd, that He should dismiss them, while here Jesus Himself asks how to feed the crowd, one should not be surprised at this. For probably both things happened: first the disciples reminded the Lord about dismissing the crowd, and then the Lord asked Philip how to feed them.
Jn. 6:10. Jesus said: Have them recline.
He commands them to recline at once, as though the table were already prepared. The disciples did not believe before, yet now they readily arrange the people to recline.
Jn. 6:10. There was much grass in that place.
There was "grass," indicating it was springtime. "For it was," he says, "Passover"; and it was celebrated in the first month of spring.
Jn. 6:10. So about five thousand men sat down.
The Evangelist counts only the men. He follows in this the lawful custom. For Moses also numbered the people from twenty years old and upward, but did not mention a single woman (Num. 26). By this, Scripture shows that everything manly and youthful is valued and worthy of being counted by God.
Jn. 6:11. Jesus, having taken the loaves and given thanks, distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those reclining, and likewise the fish, as much as each one wanted.
Having taken the loaves, He gives thanks. By this He shows that before partaking of food one ought to give thanks to God. And since the crowd was there, He gives thanks in the presence of the crowd also so that all might know that He came by the will of God, that He is not an opponent of God, but refers all things to the Father. When He works signs in private, He does nothing of the sort, even though He performs a greater miracle. But when He works wonders before the face of many, then He lifts His eyes to God. And that He does this not out of weakness, but with the intention we have stated, is evident from the fact that He performs greater miracles with sovereign authority and absolute power.
According to some, He gives thanks in order to hide from the prince of this world until the time of His suffering, so that the latter would not regard Him as God by this action, but would be deceived and deluded, and thus would be put to death by the cross.
Jn. 6:12. And when they were filled, He said to His disciples: Gather up the remaining fragments, that nothing be lost.
The Lord allows a surplus to remain from the loaves not to make a display of Himself, no, but so that the feeding of the men would not be taken as an illusion, and all would see clearly that they were truly satisfied, so much so that a great deal was left over. For the same reason He also commands that the fragments be gathered, so that seeing them, they would better remember the miracle that was performed.
Jn. 6:13. And they gathered, and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves, left over from those who had eaten.
One must marvel not only at the fact that there was a remainder, but also at the number of the remainder. He arranged it so that the baskets of leftovers were neither more nor less, but equal to the number of the disciples, so that all would carry them, and Judas would not be left without a share, but would have in this miracle as well an indication that his Teacher is God, and from this would have derived benefit; although, because of his malice, this turned into greater condemnation for him, since he betrayed the One Who made so much remain that even he had a basket.
Not without purpose did He command the apostles to carry the baskets, but so that they, as future teachers of the universe, would always remember the miracle. For the people did not expect to receive any important benefit, and immediately forgot about the miracle — so foolish they were! But the disciples were to receive a benefit, and not merely an incidental one.
From this incident we learn not to lose heart in the straits of poverty, not to shrink from hospitality and the giving of alms, but to believe that even if we have but one loaf, He who from five loaves produced such an abundance of leftovers will multiply it.
In the allegorical sense: when the Lord departed from Jerusalem, according to what is said by the prophets, "I have forsaken My house; I have left My heritage" (Jer. 12:7), then He goes away to Galilee of the Gentiles and receives the Gentiles, and much people follows Him. He ascends "the mountain," either onto the cross, in order to draw all to Himself, or into heaven, to the honor and glory befitting God. For since we, after His ascension into heaven, glorify Him as God and not as a mere man, it is said that He went up onto the mountain. By the mountain is signified the lofty thought concerning Him.
He gives us, who are subject to the five senses, five rational loaves, for to each sense He gives a fitting loaf or teaching, as Paul also says: "in the church I would rather speak five words" (1 Cor. 14:19), that is, words serving to correct the five senses. Yet we cannot eat all these five words, but a remainder is left over. For none of us can contain the entire mystical teaching. That which is incomprehensible and indigestible for us, who are dull, the apostles contain in their righteous souls, as if in certain baskets. Baskets are made from palm branches, and the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree (Ps. 91:13).
Jn. 6:14. Then the people, having seen the miracle that Jesus performed, said: This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.
Look how the people love their belly. While Jesus performed countless and most astonishing miracles, they were not amazed. But because of food they say, "This is that Prophet." They no longer accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath, they no longer seek revenge for violating the law, but because of the loaves they consider Him so great that they not only call Him a prophet, but also deem Him worthy of kingship.
Jn. 6:15. When Jesus perceived that they intended to come and seize Him by surprise and make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain alone.
But He withdraws, teaching us to despise worldly honors. He withdraws to the mountain alone, not taking any of the disciples with Him, in order to test their love, depending on whether they would endure His absence.
Jn. 6:16. And when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea
Jn. 6:17. And entering into the boat, they went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.