Gospel

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Jesus said,
They need not go away;
you give them
something to eat.
They said to Him,
We have only
five loaves here,
and two fish.
And He said,
Bring them here
to Me.
[Matthew 14:16-18]
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"Lord, I gotta' ask
You, somethin'."

"Yes, child?"

(hesitant silence)
"It's something I
wondered about,
ever since I read
this Part."

"Go on, child."

"Well......I just don't
want to be offensive,
to anybody."

"To Me,
My precious?"

"Yeah, but You
KNOW me, Lord!
You know I'm
gonna ask a lot
of stupid
QUESTIONS!"

"They're not stupid
to Me, child."

"Well, 'Ya know,
since I'm Jewish,
I don't want to
seem, You know:
irreverent,
or anything."

[SOLEMN NOD.]

"But, this Part
always seems to
be LACKING a lotta'
important DETAILS!"

"What is that, Mein kinder."

"Well.......
What did they DO
with the FISH?"

"What do you mean, child."

"Well: What did they
DO WITH IT?"

[SMILE.]
"Ah. I see."

"I don't UNDERSTAND?
So......You mean,
they just SAT in the
grass, and
ATE raw FISH?"

[LAUGH!]

"ECH!
I mean......just the whole FISH?
ECH!
What did they DO with it?"

"They ate it, child."

"Yeah, but.......what did
they do with the BREAD?"

"They ate that, too."

(squint)
(far off look)
(more squinting)
"So......they just stuffed
the whole, slimy wet
fish inside the BREAD?
ECH!
With the EYES, and ALL?"

[CHUCKLE.]

"Does a fish have 2 eyes,
Lord? I can't remember."

"Think, Mein kinder!"

"Eh......I'm not sure.
Hey!
Come ON!
I'm from the CITY!
What do I KNOW?"

[PATIENT NOD.]

"So.....what HAPPENED?
Did everybody COOK them?
How come it doesn't
SAY that?"

"Because, child,
I said so."

"Yeah, but......
Lord, 'Ya know;
You should've
thought about that.
I mean, didn't You
know that,
centuries later,
there was gonna' be
some Jewish girl,
from Northwest Philly,
who was brought up
on Mrs. Paul's Fishsticks,
and who wouldn't be
able to figure this
Part OUT?"

"It is a Mystery, My child."

"I don't know, Lord.
(serious frown)
(pause)
I just think You
should've given this
Part, more thought."

"Who AM I, child?"

"The One Who gave
fish two EYES?
And, me......a BRAIN?"

[NOD.]
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Then, He ordered
the crowds to sit down
on the grass;
and taking the five loaves,
and the two fish
He looked up to heaven,
and blessed.....
And those who ate
were about five thousand men,
besides women and children.
[Matthew 14:19-21]

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