15 “Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.” (Matthew 14:15–21 (ESV)
The miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand is one of the few miracles, besides Jesus’ resurrection, that is recorded in all four Gospels (Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). It parallels the Lord’s providential provision of Manna in the wilderness for Israel.
When evening came, Jesus’ disciples came to Him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Matthew recorded that there 5,000 men besides women and children in the crowd. There is the distinct possibility that the size of the crowd exceeded 20,000 people.
Contributing to the situation was there was no available food, except for what might be bought in the neighboring villages. Apparently, the disciples were not interested in taking care of such a large group of people. 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”
“Bread and fish were basic staples of the Palestinian diet; meat was more expensive and rarely eaten except at feasts. Teachers were not normally responsible for feeding their disciples from their own means,” explains commentator Craig Keener.
“Ancient students often paid their teachers (though other teachers were self-supporting); it was honorable to invite teachers to dinner and to show them the utmost hospitality. But here Jesus, the teacher, assumes the role of host or provider. (Although disciples often viewed teachers as father figures, teachers rarely had the resources to provide for disciples out of their own means.) The ancient emphasis on hospitality included providing food as well as shelter for guests.”
Jesus directed the people to sit down on the grass. The sat down in groups by hundreds and by fifties (Mark 6:40; Luke 9:14). Jesus then look up to heaven and said a blessing or gave thanks for the food. Jesus than began breaking the loaves, gave the broken pieces to the disciples, and the disciples began giving them to the people. Jesus also divided the fish and among them all also (Mark 6:42).
The people ate and were satisfied (χορτάζω; chartazo). The people ate until they were full. The twelve disciples, perhaps with baskets they each normally carried with them, collected the remaining bread and fish (Mark 6:42).
The disciples only saw the impossibility of the situation. Jesus understood the opportunity to reveal Himself as God and to provide an object lesson that He alone was the Bread of Life (John 6:35-66). He alone is the only One who can fully satisfy the longing in peoples’ souls.
“This miracle provided a starting point for Jesus’ famous Bread of Life Discourse,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul. “Jesus’ willingness to provide for the needs of a crowd consisting of those who were not His dedicated disciples proves how much we can trust Him to provide for us.”
“If he took care of those who were led to him only by a sudden impulse, how would he desert us, if we seek him with a firm and steady purpose,” asks John Calvin.
Miracles were not merely to resolve a particular and problematic situation. Jesus viewed them as opportunities to reveal to people that He was, and is, the One, True God; Emmanuel.
Soli deo Gloria!
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