Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁴² Now [at another time] a man from Baal-shalisha came and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and fresh ears of grain [in the husk] in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give it to the people [affected by the famine] so that they may eat.” ⁴³ His servant said, “How am I to set [only] this before a hundred [hungry] men?” He said, “Give it to the people so that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” ⁴⁴ So he set it before them, and they ate and left some, in accordance with the word of the Lord.

¹⁴ For this reason [grasping the greatness of this plan by which Jews and Gentiles are joined together in Christ] I bow my knees [in reverence] before the Father [of our Lord Jesus Christ], ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth ^[a]derives its name [God—the first and ultimate Father]. ¹⁶ May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, ¹⁸ be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; ¹⁹ and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

²⁰ Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Five Thousand Fed

6 After this, Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or ^[a]Sea of Tiberias).^{(A) 2} A large crowd was following Him because they had seen the signs (attesting miracles) which He continually performed on those who were sick. ³ And Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down there with His disciples. ⁴ Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was approaching.^{(B) 5} Jesus looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming toward Him, and He said to Philip, “Where will we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ But He said this to test Philip, because He knew what He was about to do. ⁷ Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii (200 days’ wages) worth of bread is not enough for each one to receive even a little.” ⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There is a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?” ¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down [to eat].” Now [the ground] there was [covered with] an abundance of grass, so the men sat down, about ^[b]5,000 in number. ¹¹ Then Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to those who were seated; the same also with the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² When they had eaten enough, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.” ¹³ So they gathered them up, and they filled twelve large baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ When the people saw the sign (attesting miracle) that He had done, they began saying, “This is without a doubt the promised Prophet who is to come into the world!”^(C)

Jesus Walks on the Water

¹⁵ Then Jesus, knowing that they were going to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountainside by Himself.

¹⁶ When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ and they got into a boat and started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had still not come [back] to them. ¹⁸ The sea was getting rough and rising high because a strong wind was blowing. ¹⁹ Then, when they had rowed ^[c]three or four miles [and were near the ^[d]center of the sea], they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat; and they were [terribly] frightened. ²⁰ But Jesus said to them, “It is I (I Am); do not be afraid.”^{(D) 21} Then they were willing to take Him on board the boat, and immediately the boat reached the [shore of the] land to which they were going.