Matthew 15:35-39

Matthew 15:35-39

And after commanding the crowd to sit down upon the earth to eat, He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and after giving thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples.  And the disciples gave them to the crowd.  And all ate and were being satisfied.  And they picked up that which was in abundance of the pieces – seven full baskets.  And the ones who ate were four thousand men in addition to women and children.  And after dismissing the crowds He got into a boat and went into the region of Magadan.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Let’s talk apologetics today.  There are many scholars that want to make the feeding of the 5,000 into the same story as the feeding of the 4,000.  However, in the few verses that make up the story, we have the following differences:

• 5,000 vs. 4,000
• Jews in one story vs. Gentiles in the other
• The context of the 5,000 was preaching vs. the context of the 4,000 was public healing
• 5 loaves/2 fish vs. 7 loaves/few fish
• 12 baskets - kophinos (κόφινος) vs. 7 hampers – spuris (σπυρίς)
• Crowd with Jesus 1 day vs. crowd with Jesus 3 days
• Springtime (sat upon grass) vs. summer (sat upon ground)
• People respond by trying to make Jesus king vs. virtually no greater public response

In just a matter of 8-10 verses we have 8 major differences.  In fact, we have more different in this story than we have the same.  To make these stories the same is to miss God’s hand at work.  Jesus performed multiple signs of God’s power.  Jesus puts the power of God on display to Jews and Gentiles.  Jesus ministered any time of the year.  People respond to Jesus in different ways.  To teach that these stories are the same story and somehow got split into different stories is to miss much of what God has to say through their differences!

How does this comparison remind us to take God’s Word at face value?  Why do we get into trouble when we try to outthink God’s Word?

Second Thought:

I’d like to repeat a thought we uncovered during the feeding of the 5,000.  All the people were fed.  All the people were satisfied.  God’s power does not disappoint.  God’s power is enough for me.  If we rest in God’s hands and truly embrace God’s ways, He is enough.  There is satisfaction found in God unlike any other satisfaction found in the world.

Are you satisfied?  Do you believe God is enough for you?

Third Thought:

I’d like to return to the last bullet point in the first thought.  There is practically no response to Jesus miracle here.  Don’t get me wrong.  4,000 people came out to bring crippled people to Jesus.  They came out to Jesus.  The came to see the healings.  They came to be healed.  They came to be a part of an incredible display of God’s power.  But even after all of these incredible things we don’t see an incredible response.  We don’t see the disciples having to linger to guide these newfound new disciples.  Sometimes we don’t always see the fruit of God’s power up front.  Often even in the moments of God’s crazy power on display people are still timid and need to process what they’ve seen and heard.  Even when the Son of God heals crippled people and feeds a multitude from 7 loaves of bread people need time before responding.

Why do we like to think people should respond immediately?  In your life, how quick are you to respond in the moment?  Why is it best to not only process new events but also give people time to process them?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 16:1-4