29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Section Overview
After a foray deep into Gentile territory, Jesus returns to Galilee, probably the eastern, predominantly Gentile side (cf. comment on Matt. 15:29–31). There he performs public healings, as he had done in Israel. The ministry lasts for days, and the crowds begin to run out of food. Unwilling to send them away hungry, Jesus multiplies a small amount of bread and fish to feed four thousand. Compassion motivates Jesus. The miracles demonstrate his power, hint at his deity, and produce praise to God (v. 31).
Critics sometimes assert that there was only one miraculous feeding and that the Evangelists, aware of slightly differing accounts, erroneously thought there were two events. Antisupernaturalists will call both accounts fabrications. Others propose that Matthew has invented the second miracle for theological reasons. But the credibility of the Gospels would be irreparably damaged if the writers created fictions. They would be justly discredited if they published stories of stupendous public miracles that no one could recall.
Section Outline
VI. Training the Disciples among Crowds and Leaders (14:1–20:34) . . .
G. Jesus Heals Many, Culminating in a Feeding of Four Thousand (15:29–39)
The passage comprises two parts. First, Jesus returns to Galilee, welcomes great crowds, and heals people suffering from an array of illnesses (15:29–31). The lists of the sick and of the healed is the same—lame, blind, crippled, mute—although the order differs. The general report of healing leads directly to a specific event, feeding four thousand people: the crowds stay with Jesus until they run out of food. The narrative is straightforward and closely parallels the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus has compassion for the hungry, and there is no food available (vv. 32–33). He finds meager resources and multiplies them (vv. 34–36). Everyone is satisfied—and there are leftovers (v. 37)! Matthew specifies the number fed, and Jesus moves on (vv. 38–39).
Response
This passage chiefly presents the power and compassion of Jesus. In a world full of suffering and danger, it is wise to remember that Jesus is our loving Lord, whose compassion leads to action. Here he meets the physical need for food, lest his crowds collapse on their journey. Jesus also feels compassion for spiritual needs among both Gentiles and Israelites. Consider his lament, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . .”—how he longed to gather his people under his wings (23:37). He finally did so in his death, resurrection, and sending of his Spirit. For Jesus, compassion leads to action, as it should for everyone. But first one must feel empathy when seeing the wounded. Jesus sees people in their need and brokenness. He looks with mercy rather than with judgment. Empathy follows, as it should for his disciples. Compassion can show itself in immediate, individual acts or in well-planned, communal endeavors.
Compassion is a cousin of the forbearance Jesus demonstrates when he ignores his disciples’ blunder (15:33–34). How disappointing that they asked where they might find food in the wilderness! But Jesus lets it go, showing his patience and grace. As always, Jesus’ character informs and inspires godly aspirations.