"13 Now when JESUS heard this, HE withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by HIMSELF. But when the crowds heard it, they followed HIM on foot from the towns.
14 When HE went ashore HE saw a great crowd, and HE had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to HIM and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves."
16 "BUT JESUS SAID", "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."
17 They said to HIM, "We have only five loaves here and two fish."
18 And HE said, "Bring them here to ME."
19 Then HE ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, HE looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then HE broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children."
JESUS had a way of performing miraculous deeds with seemingly no fanfare. HE always seemed to nonchalant the miraculous, but keep in mind HE was there "in the beginning" (John 1:1) when the world was simply SPOKEN into existence! According to scripture GOD simple "spoke" and it came to be, HE commanded and it stood firm (Psalms 33:9)! HIS eyes saw from a Heavenly perspective while human eyes see from an earthly perspective.
The disciples eyesight only saw "a desolate place" (v. 15) with no hope of feeding the estimated 5,000 men, not counting the women and children (v. 21)! But JESUS' Heavenly eyesight said "Bring them here to ME"! Scripture doesn't record anything about the masses crying out in hunger. There wasn't a big ceremony to celebrate to feeding of the multitudes. As a matter of fact, when the meal was over JESUS "dismissed" the crowds and "went up on the mountain by HIMSELF to pray (Matthew 14:23)! Spending time with THE FATHER was something JESUS valued, apparently much more than I do!
The fact that JESUS fed the masses was a miraculous feat! The fact that HE "healed their sick" (v. 14) added to HIS mystique. Later on in Matthew 14 JESUS would walk across water to HIS disciples during a storm and tell them "do not be afraid"! JESUS wasn't limited by what other humans are limited to. JESUS was/is GOD in the flesh and HE had "compassion" on everyone present, believers and unbelievers! HIS miracles were not just for "church folks" but for ALL who were hungry. HE didn't instruct HIS disciples to only feed the righteous, but to "give THEM something to eat"!
JESUS fed 5,000 men, plus women and children, with the contents of what John 6:9 describes as the lunch sack of a boy. HE was not limited by a seemingly insurmountable task! When we are faced with a difficult situation what is our first response? Do we try to solve the problem on our own by sending the crowds "into the villages"? "BUT JESUS SAID" can solve many problems we face in our lives! When we face "the impossible" we need to remember "BUT JESUS SAID" in Matthew 19:26 "With man this is impossible, but with GOD all things are possible."
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