Go Beyond the Miracle and Get the Lesson
The first treasure we see in the multiplying of food is location
Jesus fed the Children of Abraham, 5000 and Gentiles, 4000 the Children of Adam
The Greek word for Compassion means to feel sympathy, to pity
To have compassion is to be “moved”
What moved Jesus with compassion?
I think we could answer that question with many answers
But one answer puts us in the position to receive His compassion
That answer is Faith
Both Jews (Children of Abraham) and Gentiles (Children of Adam)
The 5000 Jewish men and 4000 Gentile men, plus women and children
Believed in Jesus
They followed Him because they believed
Their faith moved Jesus with compassion
And He fed them with loaves, fishes and spiritual food
Greater than the miracle of the multiplying of the loaves and fishes
Is the miracle that Jesus would have compassion on Jews and Gentiles
Compassion upon men, women and children
Matthew
Go Beyond the Miracle and Get the Lesson
Why record two miracles about the same thing?
Other than Jesus’ own resurrection…
The feeding of the 5000 is the only
other miracle recorded in all four gospels.
(See, Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30–44;
Luke 9:10–19; John 6:1–14)
The feeding of the 4000 is recorded
in Matthew 15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-13.
To understand why the same miracle was
recorded twice, we need to think like a realtor…
Location, Location, Location
The feeding of the 5,000 took place
near Bethsaida, close to the Sea of Galilee.
On hearing of John the Baptist’s death,
the end of the Old Covenant Jewish prophets…
Jesus went to a solitary place.
But when He arrived, this solitary place
was filled with 5000 Jewish men,
plus women and children, all seeking Jesus.
It is important to see…
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd,
He had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 14:14
“Compassion”
Both crowds, the 5000 and 4000,
received Jesus’ compassion.
Jesus’ disciples told Jesus to send
the people away to buy food.
But Jesus said…
"They do not need to go away.
You give them something to eat."
Matthew 14:16
This miracle of feeding the 5000
was never to be a natural lesson
on how to feed the hungry, as important as it is…
This is a spiritual lesson on Jesus’ compassion.
You don’t have to leave Jesus
and go back into the world to buy food.
Isaiah 55:1-2…
"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
The feeding of the 4000 according to Mark…
Again He went out from the region of Tyre,
and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
within the region of Decapolis.
Mark 7:31 NASU
“Within the region of Decapolis”
Jesus and His disciples go within
or in the midst of Decapolis…
This would mean they were surrounded by Gentile cities.
Where the feeding of
the 5000 was feeding Jews…
The feeding of the 4000
was feeding Gentiles.
Before we read the story of the
feeding of the 4000 in Matthew 15…
We read a key story of a Gentile woman.
A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out,
"Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!
My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."
Matthew 15:22
Strangely, Jesus did not answer her…
So she persisted on crying out to Jesus for help.
Jesus made it clear what His first mission was…
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
Matthew 15:24
Jesus talked about food again
and said there is a promise to feed
and take care of the Children of Abraham.
This woman knows that God’s provision
for the Children of Abraham
is more than enough…
There are leftovers and wasted food
that falls off their tables.
The blessing to Abraham was not
just to His descendants.
The blessing to Abraham was so great
that he and his descendants would have
enough to bless all nations.
The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham:
"All nations will be blessed through you."
Galatians 3:8-9
Genesis 12:3; 18:18:22:18…
This woman knew God had more than enough
to provide for the Children of Abraham.
Just the crumbs off the table are more
than enough to meet her great need.
This woman felt like a dog, but Jesus said…
"Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted."
Matthew 15:28
What pleased God about Abraham was…
The same thing this woman had, “Faith”.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God”.
This story leads up to Jesus’ teaching
and healing the Gentile people of that region
and the feeding of the 4000.
But note what Jesus said
before feeding the 4000…
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."
Matthew 15:32
“I have compassion for these people”…
The Gentiles.
The first treasure we see in
the multiplying of food is location.
Jesus fed the Children of Abraham, the 5000
And Gentiles, the 4000, the Children of Adam.
The Greek word for Compassion means…
To feel sympathy, to pity
To have compassion is to be “moved”.
What moved Jesus with compassion?
I think we could answer that
question with many answers.
But one answer puts us in the position
to receive His compassion.
That answer is Faith…
Both Jews (Children of Abraham)
and Gentiles (Children of Adam).
The 5000 Jewish men and 4000 Gentile men,
plus women and children believed in Jesus
They followed Him because they believed.
Their faith moved Jesus with compassion.
And He fed them with loaves,
fishes and spiritual food.
Greater than the miracle of the
multiplying of the loaves and fishes…
Is the miracle that Jesus would have
compassion on Jews and Gentiles.
Compassion upon men, women and children.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 14:13-21 NIV
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 15:32-39 NIV
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, besides women and children.
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