Matthew 14:13-21
The compassionate King receives the needy crowd and provides abundant bread in the wilderness.
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
14 Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
15 When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.”
16 But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to me.”
19 He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
20 They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.
21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.
The compassionate King receives the needy crowd and provides abundant bread in the wilderness.
Matthew records Jesus responding to the news of John’s death by withdrawing, then showing compassion to the crowds, healing their sick, and miraculously feeding more than five thousand people from five loaves and two fish.
Jesus travels by boat to a solitary place, but crowds from surrounding towns follow on foot.
The Death of John, the Compassion of Jesus, and the Son of God over Bread, Sea, and Fear
Jesus is the compassionate Son of God whose kingdom authority surpasses corrupt earthly power, feeds the needy, rules the sea, rescues weak faith, receives worship, and heals all who come to him.