You Give Them Something To Eat! Matthew 14:13-21

 Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 

Jesus withdrew to a solitary place for three reasons: 

1. Though he wasn't afraid of Herod, his time had not yet come.

2. He needed time to grieve the loss of his friend and relative John. 

3. In Mark's version, we see the disciples returned from their short term mission and needed to rest and get some food as well.

Though the religious leaders didn't follow Jesus, the crowds did. 

14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

His compassion was great: “The original word is very expressive; his whole being was stirred to its lowest depth, and therefore he proceeded at once to work miracles of mercy among them.” (Spurgeon)

Though Jesus had sought respite and solitude, the large crowd did not stop coming to him.  Jesus could have tried to avoid them or instruct them to find help elsewhere, but he had compassion on them.  Jesus not only had compassion on them because they were sick, but also as Mark's version says, "they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd." 

Not only were they physically hungry and sick, but they also lacked a shepherd.  The Pharisees and rabbis were too self centered to truly care for their sheep.  Jesus calls them "blind guides".  But Jesus not only was there for them emotionally, but healed and fed them as well. 

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

This is one of the only miracles recorded by all four gospels. "It is hardly possible to imagine four independent writers—independent, even if two of them were derived from a common source—reproducing, in this way, a mere legend." (Ellicott)

"It must be observed, that Christ had not yet shown his power in any such way as that in which he was now about to manifest it. (Benson)

The disciples had seen Jesus supply the endless refill of wine in John 2 at the wedding of Cana, so they should have had some inkling that he could do it with the food.  Philip thinks literally in John's version when he says to Jesus, "It would take a half year of wages to give everyone something to eat. 

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

Jesus both realizes what was about to do and also uses it is as an opportunity to challenge the disciples.  If Jesus had just healed all of their diseases, you would think the disciples might be able to imagine and believe what he could do the same with their hunger. 

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

The disciples looked at what they had and let Jesus know.  We learn from John's gospel that the fish and bread came from a young boy nearby, who had five loaves of barley and two salted fish. 

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 

Jesus invited the hnugry people to come to him.  He invites us to come to him as well.

19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 

Mark and Luke add they sat down in "companies", which would be either sets of 50's or 100's.  Jesus realized that though he would conduct a miracle, they still needed to create a plan to feed the groups with what God would provide.  

Jesus gave thanks to the Father in heaven for what they had, knowing the Father could multiply what they had.  Jesus also uses these word to institute the Lord's Supper later in the gospels.  In Holy Communion, God multiplies the bread to feed all believers wherever they gather with the forgiveness of sin, our ultimate need.  

20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 

This is my favorite part of the parable.  Not only did they all eat and were satisfied, there were even leftovers.  When God provides he meets our needs so abundantly there is even more than we need.  There were twelve basketfuls left, one for each disciple.  The disciples each in their own way would continue to feed God's sheep as their shepherds.  After Jesus had ascended, I am sure they remembered this as a time when even though in the natural they could not meet all the needs of the people around them, as they gave thanks and offered what they had to God, he would provide abundantly.   

21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Now we see what Jesus had to seat them in groups of 50's and 100's.  Each of the gospels record it as 5,000 people, so there is no reason to think it is any other number.  Notice it says "about" 5,000, which leaves room for slight variance, though it does not change the magnitude of the miracles, especially when you add the women and children, which would at least double the number!

What do you think the main principle of the parable is?  Why did Jesus say to the disciples, "you give them something to eat!"  What do you think they learned after this miracle was done?  What do you do when you feel overwhelmed with the needs around you?  Do you focus more on what you can't do, or what you can do?  What you can't give or what you can give?  Why is being thankful for what you already have so important as you think about what you can give to those in need?