Grace Mission University
Student Name: Soneat Pen (855 86430052) [email protected]
Course Name : Gospels
Name of Instructor Gil Shin 신웅길
The Feeding Of The Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13-21)
I. History
Matthew records a number of parables in chapter 13, and then in chapter 14 he returns
to the description of some of Jesus’ mighty works that portray him not simply King of the Jews
now but Lord of all creations. The 14th chapter begins with a report that Herod (not Herod the
Great who died just after Jesus was born, but one of his sons) had had John beheaded in prison.
This is the first significant sign of the growing opposition to Jesus and John. As a result, Jesus
begins to widen His appeal to include the Gentiles more and more. First, in chapter 14 Jesus
will do mighty deeds in Jewish land; then in chapter 15 He will be in Gentile territory. He will
present himself as Lord of all.
In this passage, Jesus has withdrawn to a desolate place, but the crowds have followed
him. After a day of healing the sick, the disciples come to Jesus and point out that the people
need to be sent on their way so that they can get something to eat. Jesus suggests that the
disciples should feed them. What the disciples are unable to do, Jesus does with five loaves
and two fish.
A. Bread: Blessed, Broken, Given
Multiple feeding stories in the gospels should not surprise us. They echo a common
theme in Israel’s scriptures. As bread and fish feed the hungry crowd in the wilderness, manna
in the wilderness provided daily sustenance for the Israelites. Isaiah speaks of the abundance
of food, drink and rich food for those without money to buy it (55:1-2). The gospel narratives
of Jesus are reminiscent of the accounts of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kg 17:8-16)
and Elisha feeding one hundred (2 Kg 4:42-44). Jesus’ actions over the bread echo customs of
Jewish meals. Christians hear in these actions the elements of the Christian Eucharistic meal.
Jesus’ blessing and breaking bread are the same as those in the gospel accounts of his last meal
with his disciples (see Matthew 26:26; see also I Corinthians 11:23-24; Luke 24:30; Acts
27:35).
Breaking bread together is a communal and sacramental act that echoes through
scriptures and through the centuries. Sharing a meal is a primary means of creating and
maintaining community. When Christians gather to break bread together, we remember and
repeat Jesus’ words and actions. In this sacred meal Christ satisfies our deepest hungers, heals
our brokenness, binds us together as if one body, and strengthens us for service in the world.
The symbols of the sacramental gathering and their multivalent meanings resonate in this
narrative of Jesus feeding the crowds.
In the Wilderness A distinctive feature of Matthew’s story is the way the gospel writer
makes the transition from John the Baptist’s grisly death to feeding the crowds. In all three
synoptic gospels, “the feeding of the five thousand” follows the account of John’s death, but
each gospel narrates the transition differently. While Mark and Luke disconnect these stories,
Matthew seems intentionally to connect them. According to Matthew, Jesus withdraws by
himself into “a deserted place” upon receiving the report of John’s death. The mention of
“wilderness” invites the listener to consider another potent biblical metaphor.
The wilderness is a barren place lonely, deserted, uninhabitable, and desolate literally
and metaphorically. John the Baptist preaches repentance in the wilderness. Jesus was led by
the spirit into the wilderness, immediately following his baptism, to fast and be tested in
preparation for his ministry. Wilderness time can last a long time, forty days or forty years, or
it may be brief. Wilderness is a good place to grieve, pray, repent, and fast. It is a lonely place,
but God is not absent. Because there are no distractions in the wilderness, it can be a place of
spiritual intensity. In this narrative, Jesus’ time in the wilderness is cut short not by his own
choosing, but by the crowds who follow him there.
B. Feeding a Crowd
The narrative of the feeding of the crowds in the wilderness is notably straightforward.
Jesus was moved by compassion for the crowds and healed them. Late in the day, the disciples
assessed the situation (in the wilderness there is nothing for the hungry crowds to eat) and
perhaps they, too, were moved by compassion when they suggested the crowds be sent to
nearby towns where they could buy food. Jesus had another idea: feed them right here with
what we have. Taking the five loaves and two fish the disciples had on hand, Jesus blessed and
broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples. The disciples fed the crowds, numbering five
thousand men, plus women and children. Everyone had enough to eat, and they gathered up
the leftovers. The story does not tell us how the hungry crowd is fed in the wilderness; only
that no one leaves hungry. And so the story invites us to use our imaginations.
I wonder if the “miracle” of the feeding is not so much what Jesus does as what happens
among the crowds in the presence of Jesus. Maybe the crowds experienced the transformative
power of Christ’s presence when he ordered them to make themselves comfortable on the
grass, as if they were honored guests at a meal. And when he blessed the loaves, the crowd
sensed this meal was special. Perhaps as the disciples moved through the crowds distributing
the food, no one feared there wouldn’t be enough, and so they didn’t think of themselves and
their own needs. The men shared with their wives and sisters and mothers, and the children
were fed first. Maybe Jesus’ compassion was contagious in the way they cared for each other.
And Jesus’ healing touch inspired them to gratitude for a simple meal abundant by wilderness
standards. Conceivably the most profound thing Jesus does in the story is to insist that the
disciples imagine possibilities for distributing food for a hungry crowd so that there is enough
for everyone.
In his book Provoking the Gospel of Matthew “This scene in the wilderness is not just
a scene about hunger and nourishment. And it’s not just a scene about providing food for the
hungry. Every mouthful of this scene is rich with layers and layers of traditional flavors.”1 The
images and experiences evoked in this simple feeding story are present-tense. They open us to
the transformative power of Christ in our lives when we break bread together.
II. Literary Reading the scripture
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. 14 When Jesus landed and
saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
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.”
16
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18
“Bring them here to me,” he said. 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. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of
broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand
men, besides women and children.
Text - 14:13
The feeding of the five thousand, verse13-21: Transitional note establishing the setting,
verse13-14. The preaching ministry of the disciples had stirred up Herod Antipas and so Jesus
decides to cool things down. Luke tells us that he withdrew to Bethsaida Julius on the northeast
shore of lake Galilee. Jesus and his disciples obviously went by boat, but the crowds, having
worked out where Jesus was going, travelled around the lake on foot and get there first. Out of
"compassion", Jesus continues his healing ministry among them.
Transitional; indicating a step in the narrative.
"when [Jesus] heard what had happened" – “Jesus” having heard what Herod was up
to. It is best treated as temporal. This statement provides the reason for Jesus' move to "a
solitary place", namely, safely away from Herod Antipas.
[withdrew] from there. Adverb of place.
"by [boat]" - Instrumental, expressing means.
"a solitary place" - [to] a desolate place. The sense is "wilderness" and no doubt the
word is used to cue us to the Exodus symbolism evident in this miracle. Not so much "desert"
as "deserted", "remote".
"but when the crowd heard of this" [the crowds followed] him. Dative of direct object
after the verb "to follow."
"on foot" - on foot, by land. "By land".
"from [the towns]" - Expressing source / origin.
verse14
when [Jesus] landed" - [and] having come out, gone out. Probably "having got out of
the boat", but the general sense of the verb may well support "when Jesus emerged from his
retreat".
"he had compassion" - [he saw a great crowd and] he was filled with tenderness, pity.
"He felt sorry for them", fails to bring out the strength of the word and this because Matthew
is underlining the mercy of Israel's messiah. "He was moved with compassion for them to the
depths of his being", Barclay.
"on [them]" - toward [them and he healed]. Causal, providing the reason for the emotion
expressed by Jesus - Jesus compassion is stirred by the presence of the crowd. Often translated
"had compassion on them".
verse15
Jesus and the disciples discuss the problem of a hungry crowd. By late afternoon the
people are hungry and so the disciples point out to Jesus that it is time to let them go home, or
to go to the nearby villages for food and lodgings. Jesus tells his disciples that the people don't
need to go home, but rather that the disciples should prepare to feed them. Jesus' command,
"you give them something to eat", is not a command for the disciples to perform a miracle, but
rather seeks to have them rely in faith on Jesus' word. The disciples can feed the crowd if they
look to Jesus.
"evening" - late in the day, evening. Genitive subject of the genitive absolute participle
"having become" = "approached". It's obviously not dark, probably coming up to sunset; "late
on in the day".
"as [evening] approached" - having become. A genitive absolute serving to introduce a
temporal clause; "when it was evening".
"send [the crowds] away" - release, dismiss. Although a command, the sense may be
softer, even an enquiry, "shouldn't you send the people away?". The sense is that the people
are not poverty stricken, having the funds to buy their own food.
"so [they can ..... and buy]" - that [having gone out into the villages, they may
buy]. Introducing a purpose clause, "in order that", "so that." The disciples' observation was
sensible enough, although whether the surrounding villages could supply such a crowd is
questionable. Interestingly, an evening meal is more the practice of city folk, than country.
verse16
Jesus suggests that the disciples themselves should sort out the problem.
"[they do not] need" - [they have no] need. Moving the phrase into the positive helps to
bring out the emphatic nature of the following "you". "They can stay. You sort out a meal for
them."
"to go away" - to go away, depart.
"something to eat" "something" is probably better "food / meal"; "give some food to eat
/ a meal to eat to them" = "you give them something to eat yourselves".
verse17
What the disciples have is a meal for a working class laborer. Jn.6:9. It has been suggested
that the "five" and "two" represents the five books of the Pentateuch and the two tablets of the
Law; rather fanciful!
AND. Probably again adversative serving to express the disciples' reaction, although it
serves primarily to indicate a step in the discourse.
"only" - if not = except. Introducing an exceptive clause expressing a contrast by
designating an exception: "We have nothing here except ...", which when put into the positive
is, "we have only ....", as NIV.
"loaves of bread" - [FIVE] BREADS. Accusative direct object of the verb "to have." Usually
taken to be barley flat breads.
"fish" - [and two] fish. Accusative direct object of the verb "to have." Usually taken to be
pickled / salted fish. Due to only light salting this fish was not something modern taste.
verse18
"them" - [but he said bring] them. "Jesus asked his disciples to bring the food to him",
"here" - Local adverb.
verse19
b) Jesus performs the miracle of the loaves and fishes, of which there is an abundance,
v18-20. Matthew continues to condense his account of the feeding, omitting many of the
details recorded in the other gospels. None-the-less, he makes all the important points: Jesus
performs the miracle, not the disciples; The crowd is very large - counting adult males only,
there are 5,000 present, so the total could be around 10,000; The crowd is fully satisfied with
food in abundance. There is no significance in Jesus offering a thanksgiving to God for the
food, since this was normal Jewish practice. There is certainly significance in the satisfaction
of the crowd and the remaining twelve baskets of broken portions of bread and fish ready for
distribution. The miracle reminds us that as God provided for the twelve tribes of Israel during
their wilderness journey, so he will provide for the messianic banquet, both now and in the last
day.
"he directed". As with "having taken" and "having looked up", attendant circumstance
participle expressing action accompanying / attendant on the main verb "he blessed"; "He
ordered".
"to sit down" - [the crowd] to recline at the table to eat, to lie down = sit down. "he
ordered that the people should sit down." The accusative subject of the infinitive is "the
crowds."
"taking" - having taken, received [the five loaves and two fish]. Attendant circumstance
participle, but possibly with a temporal sense; "and then he took the five loaves ...." He
received the food from the disciples for the purpose of blessing. "He held the food in his
hands."
"looking up [to heaven]" - HAVING RECEIVED SIGHT = LOOKED UP [TO THE HEAVEN].
Again, attendant circumstance, see above. Although "receiving sight" is the meaning
elsewhere in Matthew, the word obviously has the sense here of looking upward to the sky
above.
"gave thanks" - he blessed, gave thanks, praised. The object is unstated, so either "the
food", or "God". The fact that he "looked up to heaven indicates that the blessing is an act of
praise to God the provider rather than a consecration of the food itself". So, similar to our
"grace" before a meal. It is a form of thanking God for his bountiful provision.
"broke" - [and] having broken them [he gave to the disciples the loaves]. "then he broke
the bread and gave them to the disciples." In the NT this word is always used of breaking bread,
a symbolic action indicating the commencement of a meal by the head of the table. Jesus
possibly shared out the fish this way as well, but it is not stated. "After breaking the loaves, he
handed them to the disciples.
"[and the disciples gave them] to the people" - [and the disciples distributed them] to
the crowds.
verse20
"were satisfied" - and everyone ate and] they were filled. Here, completely satisfied,
"they had eaten more than enough."
"the disciples picked up" - [and] they carried up, picked up, took up [the leftovers of the
fragments].
“twelve [basketfuls]" - twelve [full baskets]. "Twelve full wicker baskets" stands in
apposition to "the fragmented leftovers." "The number twelve is probably symbolic: food for
all Israel".
"of broken pieces" - [the leftovers, excess] of the fragments, pieces, crumbs. Here it
probably does not mean crusts and half eaten food that is left over, but rather the undistributed
bread and fish, so "the broken portions that remained over", rather than "the scraps that
remained over."
"that were left over" - the thing left over, excess, remaining over = the leftovers. The
participle serves as a substantive. There was more than enough food such that there was excess
food left over.
verse21
The tradition identifies the number fed, verse21.
"the number of those who ate" - the ones eating [were men].
"about [five thousand]" - about / like [five thousand]. Here establishing an
approximation, "about". "Approximately 5,000"; it was a big crowd.
"men" - Reflecting the era, only the men are counted, as only the men mattered (in their
opinion!).
"besides" - apart from, without [women and children]. Expressing dissociation.
III. The central understanding and significant points
A. The Compassion of Jesus (verse. 13-14)
Jesus had gone through some intense stuff, and He knew that He would be going through
some more intense stuff soon in the future, so He just wanted to be alone.
However, due to His popularity, people wouldn’t leave Him alone. Even in a remote place
that He had gone to by boat, people found Him. When He arrived on shore there were crowds
of people waiting for Him.
I imagine that if that were me in the boat I would have just got back in the boat and found
another spot, but not Jesus. The Messiah has unmatched compassion for people!
Rather than be alone and tend to His own hurt, Jesus addressed the hurt of the people. He
had compassion on them and He healed their sick.
There is no compassion like the compassion of Jesus the Messiah! If you have hurt, He
has healing. If you have sorrow, He has satisfaction. If you have challenges, He has
compassion.
We see Jesus’ compassion further demonstrated for the crowds, beyond His healing of
their sick.
Look at verses 15-16.
15 When evening came, the disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted,
and it is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food
for themselves.”
16 “They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.”
We have here this account of the disciples wanting to send the crowds away. They did
not want to turn them away because they were being mean. They wanted to turn them away
because they knew that they were probably hungry and they needed to eat.
However, Jesus, because of His great compassion for the crowds, didn’t want to send the
crowds away. He wanted them to have the best of both worlds: staying with Him and having
something to eat.
His compassion is deep and wide. The Messiah is full of compassion!
B. The Provision of Jesus
Let’s look at the passage again.
Look at verses 16 and following.
16 “They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.”
17 “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to him.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 Then he commanded the crowds to sit down on
the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them.
He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
20 Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of leftover pieces.
21 Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Moved by compassion, Jesus instructed the disciples to give the crowds something to eat.
Can you imagine what the disciples must have been thinking? They must have looked
around and thought, “Can’t you see Jesus that we don’t have nearly enough food for these
people?”
All they had were five loaves of bread and two fish. That’s not enough for a huge crowd.
These words changed everything: Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.” If you want to see
something changed miraculously, bring it to Jesus!
Jesus had everyone sit down and He miraculously multiplied the bread and fish so that
everyone was able to eat and be satisfied.
By the way, this miracle is very important in the Word of God. In fact, this is the only
miracle of Jesus recorded in all four Gospels.
There’s no indication about the particulars of how Jesus multiplied the meal. We don’t
even know that the crowds knew that Jesus was multiplying the food. However, we do know
for sure that this was a miracle.
The disciples knew that this was a miracle, for sure. In fact, they even participated in this
miracle, bringing the original meal to Jesus and then distributing the food to the massive
crowd.
IV. Applying
The provision of Jesus is not just an okay meal. What Jesus gives is satisfying. Notice
again, the first few words of verse 20: “Everyone ate and was satisfied.”
Have you found your satisfaction in Jesus?
He can bless us so that He satisfies us more than anything else in all the world.
He can satisfy us more than the trip to the bank on payday. He can satisfy us more than a
glass of ice-cold tea on a summer day. He can satisfy you more than a kiss on your wedding
day. He can satisfy you more than all the riches in the world, more than the pronouncement of
good health from the doctor, more than the news that you’re having a child or grandchild, even
more than the buy-one-get-one-free sales. He is compassionate, He is miraculous, He is a
provider, and He is all satisfying.
He is Messiah and He can do more in your life than you can ever imagine.
Ask God for more of the miraculous in your life.
Do you believe that God can still do miracles?
Ask Him to do miracles in your life.
Ask Him to give you the miraculous with abundance so that there is leftover!
Ask God to allow you to see when He is working the miraculous.
God can bless you in miraculous ways, according to His will. Ask Him to do so.
Ask God to help you find your satisfaction in Him.
If Jesus doesn’t satisfy you, you will not be able to live the life that God wants you to
live. We must desire and long for Him more than anything else in this world.
He is all-satisfying, and we must see that. When you find your satisfaction in Jesus above
all else you have already experienced the greatest miracle. Ask God to change your heart so
that He satisfies.
We are called to follow after Jesus.
Trust in the Messiah. Obey His ways. Faithfully follow the Father through Jesus Christ.
Find your satisfaction in Him.
The only thing you need for this story to become your story is to want Jesus. When you
come to Christ with empty hands of faith, he turns to you in compassion and fills them to the
brim.
