Nothing sincere and honest is too little for God to magnify. Imagine the space for Noah and the ark, only the few 'good' are taken in. It is no easy task for Noah to choose and decide within seven days. The same theme of God's magnanimous providence can be traced in Mark's Gospel as the disciples travelled across the lake in the boat. Was it their intention not to bring the extra food with them? They only had one loaf with them. Jesus cautioned them: Watch out— beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod. Now, as Jews, they know that yeast was a corrupting agent because it caused fermentation. That was why, at the Pasch, they ate unleavened, incorrupt bread. St Paul tells the Corinthians: Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough, as you are really unleavened (1 Cor 5:7).

Surely, Jesus is telling us now, as He told His disciples, to guard ourselves from two kinds of corruption - that of the Pharisees, which is based on narrow-minded and intolerant legalism, and that of Herod, which is based on amoral and hedonistic pleasure-seeking.

Jesus calls us to expand our generous mind. Five loaves for 5,000 with 12 baskets over, seven loaves for 4,000 with seven baskets over, should they be worried about lacking when Jesus is with them? We understand our maths and surely we will not fail to trust God's providence.