miracles – On The Path

84 – Feeding the Five Thousand; Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:4-13

Matthew 14:15 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.

Mark 6:35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 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 his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Luke 9:12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

John 6:4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Footnotes

Mark

a. Mark 6:37 Greek take two hundred denarii

John

a. John 6:7 Greek take two hundred denarii

Commentary

To get a feel for the setting of this miracle, we not only have to look at the descriptions of the hilly wilderness, but also at the timeline. John’s gospel account of this event begins by telling his audience that the time of the Passover feast was drawing near. “This is one of the circumstances of explanation thrown in by John which show that he wrote for those who were unacquainted with Jewish customs” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-4.htm). Although some scholars believe it is just a note to mark the time, some believe it is an important detail because the uninformed reader may have disbelieved that such a large crowd could gather in that area. However, because of the pilgrimage of Jews to Jerusalem, people would have been present in the wilderness areas, and a crowd could have assembled quickly.

To further explore the timeline, we can also look at what was happening in Jesus’s life and ministry at this moment in time. Jesus is under extreme pressure at this point. He has just been informed that John the Baptist was killed, and He knows His life is in danger. Furthermore, He is mourning the loss of his cousin, a great messenger of God, and He has retreated to the wilderness to grieve and find refuge from those who would do Him harm. However, even in this desperate state, He still ministers to the people who find Him there, and He performs two of the greatest miracles we have on record (feeding the five thousand and walking on water).

At the end of the last study, we recapped the scene where Jesus had retreated with the disciples so they could rest. He and the disciples had not eaten because of the frenzy of the crowds, and they specifically chose a remote area where it would be unlikely they would encounter anyone. This also meant that it would be unlikely that they would encounter a food vendor, and they still hadn’t eaten (at least, not that we know of). The crowds had found them out, and Jesus had shown them compassion by healing them and teaching them many things. They were all situated on a hillside, listening to Jesus teach, when the disciples (still hungry themselves, as many scholars suggest) approached Jesus to remind Him what time it was and that the people needed to go get something to eat. Since the accounts differ slightly in the details of who initiated the discussion about food, it may be helpful to consider that the disciples may have first approached Jesus about sending the crowd away, and then Jesus turned specifically to Philip, who was from Bethsaida (a nearby city) to ask where to procure food (and also to test him). This test wasn’t to shame Philip or prove him a failure, but it was an educational tool Jesus used. Philip, on many other occasions, displayed great faith. “Philip had said in the first instance to Nathanael, “Come and see.” “Seeing is believing;” and Philip, on the night of the Passion, after much hearing and seeing of Jesus, said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us;”” (Pulpit Commentary, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-6.htm).

When Jesus asks how much bread there is, notice in Mark and Luke that the authors indicate someone in their party has brought the bread and fish. “There is a lad here (possibly a lad who was brought with themselves, or who had attached himself to the twelve) who has five barley loaves, the bread of the poorest classes” (Pulpit Commentary, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-8.htm). Most of the time, this scene is depicted with the disciples running around asking the crowd if they have any food with them, but they may not have had to look as far as that. It would have been quite a task to ask everyone, since there could have been up to 15,000 or more people present. “Besides the five thousand men a large uncounted group of women and children were fed” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1203).

The bread provided by the boy was the Greek word “artos,” which is flat and round like pita. Even though there was such a miniscule quantity, Jesus gave thanks for it before it had ever multiplied. Gratitude is not dependent on the sufficiency of provision but on the heart of the receiver. Remember that the people were not the ones who asked for food; they only wanted to see Jesus and hear Him teach, but He had compassion on them to resolve this unspoken physical need. Further, once there was an abundance of food, Jesus insisted that God’s blessing should not be squandered. Waste due to excess is not part of God’s will when He blesses us. More likely, when we are blessed with “more than we can ask or imagine,” we are meant to use the overflow to bless someone else. “The twelve baskets collected were like little travel bags and probably provided sustenance for the disciples as they went to the Passover which was approaching” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1277).

Understand what a big deal it is that these four accounts corroborate the same story. This is the only one of Jesus’s ministry miracles recorded in all 4 gospels, so its significance should be obvious. However, the fact that four authors give similar details about the same man’s life and that those accounts have been preserved with such integrity is nothing short of miraculous. Despite what it may seem, the small deviations in the stories actually make them more credible because it shows the authors did not collude. These accounts all independently give credence to their historicity and to the miraculous nature of Jesus’s work. The authors all went to the trouble of describing exactly the materials Jesus was working with, and they explained that the event was very organized (people sitting in groups of about 50 to 100), which made it very easy to calculate the full number of men there. This detail also reduces the chances that a chaotic environment lent itself to confusion or hyperbole in the retelling. The miracle itself is further proven by the fact that the disciples collected leftovers; this means no one could say the crowd restrained themselves due to a scarcity of food, and a record of the specific volume of leftovers increases the believability even more. No one exaggerated how much food was left over because it was measured, and it handily worked out to be the same number of baskets as the number of disciples.

Had you been present, you may have found yourself convinced of Jesus’s deity when you received healing, insightful teaching, and a full meal out of one boy’s lunch. However, despite that this meal initially convinced people of Jesus’s legitimacy (John 6:14), they soon began to doubt Him because He only fed people one meal (this time – there is another account of a large feeding miracle), whereas Moses had fed the Jews for 40 years in the wilderness (John 6:30-31). They returned seeking more bread from Jesus in John 6:22-26. “Incredibly, they had missed the point of the sign: Jesus was not merely a deliveryman, He was the Bread of Life itself (6:32-58)” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1875). How easily we are distracted from our greatest and noblest objectives when we are consumed with temporal desires.

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2024/04/24/mistaken-identification-of-jesus/

References

Matthew 14:15

Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.

Matthew 14:14 When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:16

2 Kings 4:42 Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.

Matthew 14:17

Matthew 16:9 Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

Matthew 14:19

1 Samuel 9:13
As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.”

Matthew 15:36 Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”

Mark 8:7 They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well.

Mark 14:22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.”

Matthew 14:20

2 Kings 4:6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

2 Kings 4:44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

Matthew 15:37 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 16:9 Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

Mark 8:8 The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 14:21

Matthew 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.

Mark 6:35

Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.

Mark 6:34 When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:37

Mark 6:41

Mark 8:19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.

Mark 6:44

Mark 6:45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.

Luke 9:12

Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.

Luke 9:11 But the crowds found out and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and He healed those who needed healing.

Philippians 1:19 because I know that through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, my distress will turn out for my deliverance.

Luke 9:13

Luke 9:16

John 6:4

Deuteronomy 16:1 Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

John 2:13 When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 6:5

Numbers 11:13 Where can I get meat for all these people? For they keep crying out to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’

Mark 6:32 So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

Luke 9:10 Then the apostles returned and reported to Jesus all that they had done. Taking them away privately, He withdrew to a town called Bethsaida.

John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”

John 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 1:46 “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

John 6:6

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you–unless you actually fail the test?

Revelation 2:2 I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.

John 6:7

Matthew 18:28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’

John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”

John 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 1:46
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

John 1:48 “How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

John 6:8

John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

John 2:2 and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

John 6:9

2 Kings 4:43 But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.'”

John 21:9 When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread.

John 21:10 Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

John 21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish.

John 6:11

1 Samuel 9:13 As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.”

Matthew 15:36 Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

John 6:23 However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

John 21:9When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread.

John 21:10 Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

John 21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish.

John 6:12

John 2:2 and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

John 6:13

2 Kings 4:44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.