A: 18th Sun of OrdTime (2 Aug 2020) - PECKING ORDER (Mt 14:13-21)

In 1943, Abraham Maslow published his psychological theory of human motivation that is popularized today under the heading “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.” Succinctly, it presents a list of human needs—better illustrated in the image of a pyramid—with the following (ascending) order: 1) “Physiological Needs (food, water, warmth, rest),” 2) “Safety Needs (security, safety),” 3) “Belongingness and Love Needs (intimate relationships, friendships),” 4) “Esteem Needs (prestige, feeling of accomplishment),” 5) “Self-Actualization (achieving one’s full potential, including creative activities).” Maslow categorized the first two in the list as “Basic Needs,” the second two as “Psychological Needs,” while the third and last as “Self-Fulfillment Needs.” His fundamental philosophy is that before one can properly meet his/her higher needs (viz., psychological and self-fulfillment needs), his/her physiological needs must be considerably attended first. Otherwise, one becomes poorly motivated to transcend toward higher human values. He named this notion “metamotivation” which encourages individuals to help one another in meeting these basic human needs in order to forge a better society.

Jesus, in our gospel, was aware of this dynamic that the physiological needs must be first responded to before he can continue his mission of evangelization. Despite the disciples’ suggestion to send the crowds away (Mt 14:15), Jesus vetoed their proposal saying,“They need not go away; you give them something to eat” (v. 16). This decision was seemingly absurd considering that there were no stores open at the late hours of the day, nor enough money to buy food, nor sufficient manpower to go down the mountain to look for provisions for 5,000 men. Lest do the disciples and crowds know that Jesus could perform a miracle that could overwhelmingly satisfy everybody’s hunger, with a surplus of 12 baskets of leftover (v. 20).

The crux of the matter is that despite knowing that the most important thing is the proclamation of the gospel, Jesus set aside his grand plan to respond to the main concern of the moment, i.e., the physical nourishment of the crowd. Indeed, he was very much aware that one cannot preach into an empty stomach. While it is not impossible to suppress one’s hunger in favor of spiritually savoring God’s words, Jesus recognized that pushing toward this path drastically is not effective in motivating people to accept God’s kingdom… they are famished, drowsy, exhausted, and vagrant. Though 2,000 years prior to the emergence of Maslow’s theory of motivation, Jesus already put to heart the moral imperative of responding to people’s pressing needs even if it derails the achievement of his ultimate goal of unveiling the good news.

Sadly, in the midst of the worldwide pandemic, the basic physiological need for nurturance is often swept under the rag. Rather, the focus of most government measures is on the safety and security of society. We have nothing against the strict rules on social distancing, on quarantine, on staying at home, and on wearing face masks. But before these restrictions are implemented, local administrations should be cognizant that citizens have their here-and-now needs for food, water, shelter, and survival. The irony is these things are purposely ignored.

Along these lines, we may need to confront our societal leaders today with the following questions: How can they require social distancing when the poor’s shelters are makeshift shanties? How can they demand frequent washing of hands when the poor do not have access to running water? How can they ask everybody to cover their mouths with masks when nothing has ever gone into the poor’s mouths for a day or two? How can they deny travel and mobility when the poor do not own refrigerators to store food for long? How can they tell laborers to work at home when the poor’s source of sustenance is dug from the open streets? How can they compel all to stay healthy when the poor do not have enough money to buy nutritious food nor the capacity for hospitalization when they get sick? And the list goes on… I just pray that we are all on the same page with Jesus on the true pecking order of human needs.

- Rex Fortes, CM