The emperor’s new loaves: Scarcity and abundance in John 6:1–15 and 21:1–14

Abstract

John 6 and 21 demonstrate moments of both scarcity and abundance. Jesus provides a sign in John 6:1–15, miraculously feeding thousands of followers with five loaves and two fish. In John 21:1–14, Jesus’s simple command to his disciples results in a remarkable catch of fish. Both of these Johannine stories take place along the Sea of Galilee “of Tiberias.” These uniquely Johannine notes about the location foreground the Roman imperial context and political implications in these passages. In spite of rampant food insecurity and scarcity in the empire, Roman ideology insisted that the emperor’s reign brought blessings and abundance to all. In these two scenes on the lake, the Fourth Gospel contests Roman imperial claims of a golden age of prosperity and abundance while setting forth alternative claims about true abundance and life made available through Jesus and his Father.