Feeding 4000
-
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.
-
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Introduction
At first reading of our Gospel Text today, you may wonder if the feeding of the 5000 and 4000 are the same miracle. But no, both miracles are recorded separately by both Matt and Mark. On both occasions, there was a great crowd on the slopes near the Sea of Galilee, one Spring, one summer, one south, one North. In both miracles, Jesus makes plenty of food from a few bread baps and a few fish. So what do we learn from it?
1. The Spreading of the Gospel.
2. The Compassion of Jesus.
3. Amazement of the People.
These are the things I hope to highlight today.
The Spreading of the Gospel.
Feeding 4k is a huge statement about the spreading of the Gospel to non-Jews. There are striking diffs b/n the 5k and the 4k. Notice in 4k narrative the people have been there for three days, not one. 5k was in Spring, 4k was in summer. There were seven loaves, not five. After the feeding, they pick up 7 baskets of leftovers (12 in the 5k).
Significantly, the 4k takes place in Gentile territory, North Shore Sea of Galilee, in the Decapolis (Mk 7:31). The audience is bound to be Gentiles. plus the 4k uses a different word for “baskets.” Finally when Jesus is discussing the feeding with the disciples, Mk 8:19 he refers to it happening twice: once with the Jews, now with the gentiles. I’m confident that feeding 4000 was an accurate record of a second miracle of Jesus and vitally this miracles was a blessing for many gentiles and it is evidence of the spreading of the Gospel to all peoples. After teasing the Syrophoenician woman that she could have crumbs from the master's table. A few days later, he is serving up ~ 600 loaves to a Gentile crowd. He wasn’t just offering crumbs, he was grafting them into the kingdom. When I get to heaven, I want to meet some of those Gentiles and say what was it like being there at that time. When he took a few baps and gave thanks, did you heart miss a beat? Did you realise Jesus was bringing you into the kingdom? So vast is his grace and mercy. For us here today, we are in Jesus, grafted into the chosen Jewish people, Rom 11:17These were the earliest of wild olive shoots grafted in ….to share in the nourishing sap from the olive root.’ ‘For all who receive him, who call upon his name, he gives the right to become the children of God’ (John 1:12).
The Compassion of Jesus.
Matthew 15:32 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me 3 days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry”, or they may collapse on the way. Three 3 days and had nothing to eat. It appears JC was fasting too. Such is the desire in the crowd, to be with JC, affection for JC. They put themselves through it to be with JC. They esteemed the word of JC more than food. JC’s response, ‘I have compassion on them.’ ‘I will not send them away.’ Such tender care, and his compassion gets his power working.
NB, he expresses his compassion to the disciples, probably to encourage empathy. They were negative, ‘Where can we find so much bread.’ They had seen 5000 fed, still they doubt. These disciples had travelled with JC for 3 years, they could say with the Psalmist, ‘the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The green pastures and still waters they had experienced as they ministered with him. But they lacked empathy with the needs of the people who flocked to receive goodness and mercy from LJC.
Through the compassion of Jesus, they got a foretaste of JC the bread of heaven and not just for the Jews. Gentiles would also share in this living bread. Matt 15: The miracle of their food. ‘They ate and were SATISFIED (v37).’ There is mercy and grace sufficient for you in JC.
Amazement of the People
Mk 7:37 People were overwhelmed with amazement, “He has done everything well,” they said.
Matt 15:31 Amazement ‘at God of Israel.’ Notice their amazement (v31) is not about the feeding but the mercy, compassion and healings to the Gentiles. ‘Overwhelmed with amazement,’ at the kindness of Jesus, tending every need. From amazement to praise & worship. Amazement at God’s wonder-working miracles must be a matter of praise and his mercies a matter of our rejoicing and thanksgiving. Matt 15:31 ‘They praised the God of Israel’ The mouths of Gentile believers praised the God of Israel ‘All that is within us bless his Holy name’ (Ps 103:1,2). God must be acknowledged with praise and thanks in the mercies we see in others and to ourselves.
How amazed are you this morning, in the presence of our Risen Lord Jesus? Remembering this miracle, today at our HC (v35). They saw how little they had, yet in faith they sat down, as we sit down. How amazed will you be as we share HC? He Gave Thanks and Blessed it and He gave to the disciples and they gave to the people. This is our amazing Lord, present with the 4000 and present with us today. How amazed are we this morning?
V37 There was plenty all 4000 ate & 7 baskets full were left over. Such is our generous God
NB. It was not Jesus, but his disciples who distributed the food. That’s how he uses us, he gives to us, and we give and serve and love and pray for others.
Christmas is a time of giving. What are we giving, what are we sharing? Perhaps we could think this Christmas of giving more than sweets and knick-knacks for the recipients. How can we be sharing the message of his birth, his compassion in giving food to the hungry. I know we do a lot here in feeding and serving others. Can we also give Gifts that point to the good news of Jesus and all that he means to us. That’s a challenge!
How amazed are you that we are drawn into the family of the Living God. Are you amazed at his tenderness and compassion for you, today. He loves you so much.
O Come Let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Cover Photo Jason Swain Photography https://jasonswain.co.uk/
