Matthew 14:13-21
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13When 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. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15As 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."
16Jesus 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. 19And 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. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus feeding of the five thousand is in every gospel...It is, also, in Mark's chapter six, in Luke's chapter nine, in John's chapter six...There were other feeding miracles in the Bible, including Moses (the manna in Exodus 16:1-36), Elijah (feeds the widow at Zarephath and her family, with only a little oil and a handful of flour 1 Kings 17:7-16), and Elisha (feeds a widow with only a little oil, 2 Kings 4:1-7)...Elisha does another feeding miracle in 2 Kings 4:38-44...There Elisha feeds one hundred men during a famine...Men gathered wild vines and put other plants in a stew that were poisonous that Elisha by a miracle from God puts flour in the stew and allowed the stew to be fine and be eaten...
Jesus' miracle was in originally in a solitary, remote place in a wilderness...A miracle in the wildness, is the perfect setting for the Perfect One...The crowd is following Him wherever He goes...Many people want to see what this Man is going to do next...There they were in the wilderness...There He has compassion on the people and healed their sick...
As it got late in the day the disciples come to Him and tell Him they are in a remote place with no food...You (Jesus) need to send the crowds away so they can go to the villages where they can buy food and eat...Jesus tells the Twelve, do not send them away, give them something to eat...The Twelve tell Him that they have only five loaves of bread and two fish (for the five thousand men, besides the women and children that are there)...
Jesus asks them to bring the five loaves and two fish to Him...God often answers prays, with things and something we already have (we need to look around our lives and think about this after our prayers and remember this...For example, if we are sick God has give us doctors to look to for healing)...Here, Jesus takes the food they have and looks up to heaven and prays...He gives thanks and breaks the loaves... Then He gives the broken bread and fish to the Twelve...The Twelve give the food to the multitude...All eat and were satisfied...The Twelve pick up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that are left...We should pray continuously...Jesus, it seems was always in prayer and praying...
This is a great miracle...Jesus feeds the five thousand with only a little bread...This symbolizes in each of the gospels that He is our Bread of Life...This bread like the manna, came down from heaven...This group is a party of Christians, partying...Imagine the feeling, being with the One, who was and is to come, alone in the wilderness, in need of nothing...He provides...
The five thousand men and the women and children had followed Him to this remote place...He is followed for many reasons...He has done healing miracles, and will continue to heal...He can make water blush into wine...He can divinely walk on water...He can calm fierce storms...He can even bring back life, and resurrect people, which He does in all four gospels..
Each of the people would have their own reason for following Him to the solitary place...Each one of us have a reason for reading, studying, and following Him...
God through His Son performs miracles...The miracles that are performed are done at a time of need for an individual or group...The need is not always understood and some people and places did not get miracles or few miracles...In Jesus' hometown, among relatives and in His own house, He performed only a few miracles (Mark 6:4-6)...God does not do miracles for just fun or just to do a miracle...His miracles are done for reasons...He does not do miracles to entertain us...
When following the Father and Son want us to believe...Jesus refused to give the Pharisees a sign from heaven...He asks them why this generation even ask for a miraculous sign...He tells them truthfully no sign will be given to it...Then He left them (the Pharisees)...We must not be like the Pharisees...We must have the eyes to see it...Jesus is the miracle...The Pharisees never saw this, nor did they believe in what He had just done...