Party of Five—Thousand
Matthew 14:13-21 records one of Jesus’ greatest miracles, feeding thousands with a few loaves and fish. The passage begins, ‘When Jesus heard this …” that John the Baptist was dead. King Herod murdered him
to reward a stripper for dancing. So, Jesus went to a deserted place to spend time alone, but the multitude followed. In that setting, let’s consider three points. First, the miracle is an example of Jesus’ compassion—“He saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them.” (v. 14) Jesus had been teaching the crowd all day, and they were hungry. Yet, before He fed the people, Jesus “healed their sick.” What were the disciples focused on? It’s getting late. It’s a long drive home. Everybody’s hungry. Let’s call it a day. Jesus responded, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” (v. 16) He knew there was not enough food to feed the people; He wanted the disciples to acknowledge it. Second, the miracle is an undeniable proof of Jesus’ divinity—“They all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.” (v. 20) Satisfying the hunger of more than five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, would be impossible unless the food was multiplied supernaturally. And that is exactly what Jesus did, and by doing it gave undeniable proof that He is God. He called that into being which did not before exist. He provided visible, tangible, material food for nearly ten thousand people out of a supply which by itself would not have fed fifty. Third, the miracle is a powerful symbol of Jesus’ salvation. This hungry multitude in a deserted place pictures all of mankind. They were like perishing sinners, starving—helpless, hopeless, and on their way to hell. The loaves and fish were inadequate to meet the necessities of the people, but by God’s miracle were made sufficient for the need of the people.
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.