The Feeding Of The Four Thousand.

THE FEEDING OF THE FOUR THOUSAND.

Matthew 15:29-37.

Jesus headed towards the Sea of Galilee, and again great multitudes gathered around Him, bringing the “lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others” (Matthew 15:29-30). Jesus healed them all: and the people “marvelled” to see the “mute speaking, maimed made whole, lame walking, and blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew 15:31). This was in fulfilment of prophecy (cf. Isaiah 35:5-6).

We have had occasion before to comment on Jesus’ compassion (cf. Matthew 9:36). Now we see it in relation to the hungry crowd of worshippers who had been willingly following Jesus for three days (Matthew 15:32).

How like us the disciples were, who could only see the size of the problem: “so much bread” needed, “in the wilderness”, “to fill so great a multitude” (Matthew 15:33). But we need to remember how great His faithfulness, whose compassions they fail not (cf. Lamentations 3:22-23)! “Whence should WE have so much bread?” at least shows a willingness to share in the task, so Jesus asks what they do have (Matthew 15:33-34a).

The amount is indeed small among so many, but when we hand it over to Jesus our little becomes much. The people sat on the ground; Jesus gave thanks, broke, and handed to his disciples; the disciples distributed to the multitude. They all ate - 4000 men besides women and children - and were filled: and they took up seven baskets full of fragments (Matthew 15:34-38).

There were twelve baskets full after the feeding of the 5000 (cf. Matthew 14:20), representative of the twelve tribes of Israel. Seven baskets full after the feeding of the 4000, representative of completeness (Matthew 15:37). Our compassionate Lord could now dismiss the crowd, and took ship to Magdala (Matthew 15:39).