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We’re going to take a walk through some verses from Matthew 14. The first nine are part of the lectionary verses scheduled for today, the others, just too delightful to stop.
You might notice we’re reading a different version today. I don’t think I’ve ever used the Common English Bible, but today it felt like the one to use. If you want to read it all by itself, go to biblegateway.com.
Let’s begin with prayer.
Father, these two stories are amazing and beautiful and I heard Jesus say “stop here.” So we’re only going so far. Let us see what You really want us to understand in this and let all the comments be guided and sanctioned and directly from Jesus. Thank You so much for these stories. I know there is much to learn here and I can’t learn it without You. So help, it’s Your lesson to lead. To you be the glory, in Jesus name.
Matthew 14:13-21 CEB
Feeding the Five Thousand
Backstory: After John the Baptist’s disciples buried him, they came and told Jesus about his death.
What do you want to do when the death of someone you love happens?
Did you see the subtitle of this chapter?
There are going to be several statements from Jesus in this story. Get a piece of paper and something to write with and write them down.
Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. When the crowds learned this, they followed him on foot from the cities.
Does your heart ache just a bit here? Jesus went to be alone, but he was seen and followed. Oh the love He has for us.
Matthew 14:14 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick.
What does your normal Bible translation call what the NIV and CEB calls compassion? I know not all of you read the NIV. So get your Bible and look at Matthew 14:14, what word is in the place of compassion? Write down, on your paper, Jesus had ______________.
In that compassion Jesus healed those who were sick. I know, He’s God, but still, in our humanity can you imagine what energy that took when all He wanted to do (in His humanity) was be alone?
God knows, it’s infinitely better to be with people in your pain. I hope that wherever you are you are not totally alone people wise. Jesus is with us all, but people are able to be the hands and feet and hugs and company that it’s often hard to realize from Him.
Matthew 14:15 That evening his disciples came and said to him, “This is an isolated place and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
Practical humans. The disciples noticed the time and knew the people would be hungry and need food. They were far from their homes and they were worried.
Matthew 14:16 But Jesus said to them, “There’s no need to send them away. You give them something to eat.”
Can you imagine what they thought? How? We don’t have anything! But the resourcefulness of one of them finds a little boy who does…
Matthew 14:17 They replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves of bread and two fish.”
Matthew 14:18-19 He said, “Bring them here to me.” He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples. Then the disciples gave them to the crowds.
This is glory revealed. Reread it. Stop and write verses 18 & 19 out on paper. I know, it’s not what he said it’s what He did, but there is something here to see. I would write it like this: then underline all the verbs.
Jesus said “Bring them here to me.”
He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
He took the five loaves of bread and two fish
looked up to heaven
blessed them (bread and fish)
broke the loaves apart
gave them to the disciples.
The disciples gave them to the crowds.
One of the things to see is not visible in English. The critical thing for the blessing of God on the food is Thanks. Eucharisteo is the Greek word that is translated ‘blessed’ here. It means ‘to be grateful, feel thankful’ Jesus looked up to heaven and thanked God for the bread and the fish and God worked a miracle through His Son in the blessing…
Matthew 14:20-21 Everyone ate until they were full, and they filled twelve baskets with the leftovers. About five thousand men plus women and children had eaten.
Everyone ate until they were full. Everyone. And there were still twelve baskets of leftovers. I don’t know where the baskets came from, maybe people traveled with baskets like we do with bags but still, somehow they filled twelve of them with leftovers.
Does this story remind you of another one where Jesus blessed the people with not just enough but so much more than that? That story is in John 2. The wedding at Cana.
Right after eating this happens…
Walking on the water
Matthew 14:22 Right then, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowds.
Try to imagine how Jesus dismissed the crowd. Do you think it was with a blessing or a song or a prayer or an order?
Maybe it was with a song from Scripture.
Matthew 14:23 When he sent them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Evening came and he was alone.
Now He got away. Oh how tired, humanly speaking, He must have been. Yet how energized by the healing and the eating and all the miracles that happened we don’t even really get to hear about during this gathering.
Oh that we would turn to God at all times of our day for the encouragement, rest, refreshment and help that He is so willing to offer.
Matthew 14:24 Meanwhile, the boat, fighting a strong headwind, was being battered by the waves and was already far away from land.
Can you imagine this? They’re fighting a strong headwind, probably pretty wet from the crashing waves and their nerves and their emotions were probably heightened and they were likely very afraid. Hours and hours after being sent it was dark and they couldn’t sleep because of the wind and the waves and how hard it was to keep the boat going and not sinking.
Matthew 14:25 Very early in the morning he came to his disciples, walking on the lake.
Yes, He is God. Glory, glory, glory. He can do anything.
Matthew 14:26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” They were so frightened they screamed.
Matthew 14:27 Just then Jesus spoke to them, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.”
Be encouraged, it is Me. Don’t be afraid.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul and let all that is in me bless His holy name.
Let’s pray:
Thank You, dear Jesus, for the words and the imagination and the encouragement and the blessing in this short walk we just took. Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus to live and die for us to bring us into your family. Thank You for sending Your Spirit to excite us in the encouragement You provide. All of the glory is for You. In your holy and precious name. Amen.