Luke 9:11, commentary and pictures

Jesus had withdrawn by boat with His disciples to a desert place for rest, but the people saw Him go and hastened after Him by land and by water until He landed among a pressing multitude. Though robbed of rest He did not turn them away but welcomed them with pity as shepherdless sheep, giving the whole day to speaking to them of the kingdom of God and to healing all the sick and afflicted brought to Him. Toward evening the tired and hungry crowd remained far from home, and from only five barley loaves and two small fishes He gave thanks, broke the food and had the disciples distribute it until all of about five thousand men besides women and children were satisfied and twelve baskets of fragments were gathered. The provision reveals Him as the world's Redeemer whose power is not limited by small supply, the same power that multiplies seed in the ground and daily feeds millions from earth's harvests. Speaking of the kingdom and healing need are therefore not to be separated but blended together as the work given to His people, who are to meet spiritual and physical need together in trust that He will multiply small means to meet great need.

Christ's Welcoming Compassionate Ministry

Jesus had crossed by boat with His disciples beyond the sea from Capernaum into a desert place to rest awhile, but the people saw Him depart and gathered from city to city to follow Him. Some hastened over land to the landing place while others followed over the water in boats, so that when He landed He was in the midst of a pressing multitude.

Though interrupted and robbed of rest, He was not impatient but received and welcomed them with love and pity rather than turning them away. Seeing a greater necessity than His own rest as the multitude kept coming, He left His retreat for a convenient grassy eminence a little apart where He could be seen and heard by all. There He gave immediate attention to their needs and ministered to them throughout the day before sending them home to rest. The crowd had come without invitation and remained far from home, and rather than send them away He cared for them and relied on His Father to provide for them.

He was moved with compassion because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, neglected by priests and rulers, and they received from Him the healing waters of life. When He saw the sick and maimed waiting for Him His heart was moved, and He would not leave to rest rather than disappoint them. Through the entire day He spoke to them of the kingdom of God, teaching them the way of salvation. His teaching sank into their hearts and dispelled confusion and uncertainty, with patient, calm care continuing despite frequent interruptions and His own weariness. He healed all the sick and afflicted who were brought to Him that needed healing, including those with fever, deafness, blindness, paralysis, lameness, and mental illness, and His healing and care comforted them. His healings and other miracles, including freeing people tormented by demons and providing bread for the hungry multitude by divine power, expressed His love for humanity as part of His mission. His teaching, healing, care, and feeding completed the people's growing conviction that He was the Messiah and Deliverer.

Feeding the Hungry Multitude

The multitude had come without invitation and remained long listening far from home until evening drew on, growing tired and hungry and weary and faint, yet in compassion He would not send them away unfed but looked to His Father and by divine power provided bread for them. He had the vast assembly seated in required order on a grassy plot apart, as many as five thousand men besides women and children. They had followed on foot from place to place into retired places, and one account presents them as having been with Him three days until their own food was used up.

From a slender store of five barley loaves and two small fishes, scarcely sufficient for twenty persons, He gave thanks and broke the bread in small pieces and handed it to His disciples to serve the people. The food did not diminish but kept increasing as often as the disciples returned to Him for a fresh supply until all had been satisfied, and the disciples themselves ate from the provision He supplied. Everyone ate enough, and He then commanded that the fragments be gathered so nothing would be lost or wasted, and twelve baskets of fragments remained.

The feeding reveals Him as the world's Redeemer possessing omnipotent power and beneficence whose provision is not limited by a small supply, and the same power stands behind His command to feed them. The same One who multiplied the loaves multiplies the seed cast into the ground and works a daily miracle constantly feeding millions from earth's harvest fields. As the lowly One greater than Moses He showed the glory of the Coming One who guided Israel in the wilderness with bread and water and who could spread a table in the wilderness for more than a million, as when by God's touch a small portion fed one hundred men in Old Testament times.

Pattern for Christian Ministry

Speaking of the kingdom of God and healing those who need healing belong together and are not to be separated, for preaching, teaching, and healing are blended together in one work. This blended work of preaching the Word and healing is the work given to His people in fulfillment of the Scriptures. The verse also calls each person himself to respond by taking up his cross and following Christ, losing his life to the gospel in order to save it. Jesus met spiritual and physical need together, speaking of the kingdom and healing while also feeding the hungry multitude beside the sea. The same power that fed the multitude stands behind His command to give them to eat, so the command is a promise that He will multiply small means to meet great need. His workers are therefore bidden to give bread to the hungry, satisfy the afflicted soul, cover the naked, bring the poor into the house, and preach the gospel to every creature. They must not let heart sink and faith fail when need is great and means in hand are small, nor hesitate and hold back all they have for fear of spending and being spent for others, but give in trust that He will make it enough.

Those who work with Christ receive from Him what they can give to people in need, for as the disciples distributed the bread they had received the gift increased. This teaches followers to share what they receive with those in need. It also teaches them to consider those who lack the truth and to help carry it to people everywhere. The feeding teaches trust in Christ and dependence on God in difficulty, for Christ depended on His heavenly Father to provide what was needed. When available resources seem meager, what seems insufficient can through Christ become abundant enough to satisfy and to share, as five loaves and two small fish fed five thousand men besides women and children until all were satisfied and twelve baskets of fragments remained. He can bless and multiply a scanty provision until it is enough to meet great needs and carry forward His work, and the miracle is an object lesson that God can do great things for His people today when they act in faith. His care in providing for the crowd is also presented as a basis for seeking His help for practical wisdom and skill.

When available means are used faithfully, God can bless them to feed people who are spiritually hungry with the bread of life. Resources placed in the disciples' hands could be multiplied to meet the crowd's needs, and this is the model for trusting God to provide means to feed people spiritually. The same event shows the pattern for food work, that it be done by the Lord's methods and that selfish interests that would hinder the work be avoided. The remaining food and the closing command to gather the fragments that nothing be lost teach an economy to be woven into experience. What is provided is to be used carefully and nothing wasted, so that wants and necessities are supplied and needy and suffering ones are helped through self-denial and sacrifice for others.

His receiving the multitude, speaking to them of the kingdom of God, and healing those needing healing was designed to teach compassion and interest for fellow men seeking to know the way of salvation. Interested efforts must therefore be made so those anxious to hear the Word of life have opportunity, and when they are weary and hungry they must not be neglected. All that is possible must be done so none is sent away faint, weary, and discouraged. It is Christian duty to study the best ways of helping people, to make the way to Christ never wearisome and objectionable, and to remove everything that would obstruct the path. He cared for their bodies as their sanctuary, helper, and great leading Physician, giving them in Himself what the sick now seek in sanitariums. His followers are therefore to be softened and subdued and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, to study how to work the very works He worked, and to dedicate themselves to God so He will give His Holy Spirit to supply those in necessity.

Men are called to cooperate with Him in the care of the grain and the preparation of the loaf, for the same One who multiplied the loaves multiplies the seed cast into the ground, working a daily miracle by which millions are constantly fed from earth's harvest fields. Because of this cooperation they lose sight of the divine agency, ascribing the working of His power to natural causes or to human instrumentality. Too often they pervert His gifts to selfish uses and make them a curse instead of a blessing. God seeks to change this and desires dull senses to be quickened to discern His merciful kindness, so that His gifts may be the blessing He intended. All of Christ's works manifested in the present day by message or in any way of helpfulness are to be kept as a credit.