Matthew 15:34
In this passage Jesus feeds the crowd of 4000 men plus women and children, my guess around 9500 people. One chapter before (Matthew 14:13-21) Jesus fed a crowd of 5000 men plus women and children, my guess 11000 people, with two fish and five loaves. That is close to 21 thousand fed people with 12 loaves and a few small fishes, not bad, not bad at all. Oh yeah, and they were all satisfied!!!
It is interesting that the disciples asked the question “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to fill such a crowd?” (v.33). My first thought was, are you kidding me, are you really asking that question? Didn’t you just experience Jesus feed a larger crowd days before? I wonder if they were actually worried or if they were simply asking in excitement of seeing Jesus provide once again? Then we read in chapter 16:5-7 “We didn’t bring any bread.” Why were they still concern about it? I’m not sure of their intention, I see myself in them, but we can definitely learn from this experience about God and ourselves the following:
1. God is a compassionate God.
a. “As He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd, felt compassion for them, and heal their sick” (Mat. 14:14).
b. “I have compassion on the crowds, because they’ve already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry; otherwise they might collapse on the way” (Mat. 15:32).
c. We serve a God that understands our pains and needs.
2. God is faithful.
a. Where He leads, He provides.
b. He draws the crowds to hear the good news, and to heal them. He provided not only for their spiritual needs, but also their physical needs as well. “What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?...If you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ASK Him” (Mat. 7:9,11).
c. This is a great example of why Jesus encourage us to “not worry saying, What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? Or What shall we wear?...your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:31-32).
3. God is a gracious God.
a. He asks us to give from what we do have and not from what we don’t have. Plus, what we have He provides and multiplies.
b. He asks “how many loaves do you have” (v.34) and says “Bring them here to Me” (Mat. 14:18).
c. That last passage indicates action on our behalf. God can’t use what we don’t freely give back to Him. Also, we are to “bring” to Him, to present ourselves at the altar of the sovereign God and enjoy His presence.
d. The act of bringing to Him goes far beyond the bringing part, but it’s mainly about the being in His presence. We are called to abide IN Him.
4. God is our provider—Jehovah-Jired
a. “Everyone ate and was filled” (Mat. 14:20)
b. “They all ate and were filled” (Mat. 15:37)
c. His food, His provision satisfies. There is a lot of trash out there that doesn’t fill you up, but God’s provision will always satisfy your hunger.
d. The living water that never runs out, and always satisfies (John 4:1-42)
5. Location matters:
a. Consider the location and situation of the people. Both passages expressed they were in the wilderness, “a desolate and dry place. But God teaches us that it is at those places that He specially provides. He shows us that He is the provider, therefore being in the wilderness, the dessert, is not an issue when we walk with Him.
b. Our faith is not to be based on our circumstances, but on our provider.
c. “The presence of Christ and his gospel makes a desert place not only tolerable, but desirable; it makes the wilderness an Eden, Isa. 51:3; 41:19, 20” (Matthew Henry Commentary).
"AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED/SATISFIED" V.20
