And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
This gathering took place on Jesus' return to Decapolis, a Gentile region, where people from the surrounding region flocked to Him. Their coming was the fruit of the witness of the healed men, so that even evil was overruled for good. The crowd stayed with Him for three days, listening to His teaching and hearing the message of salvation, until they became hungry.
About four thousand men, besides women and children, ate and He sent them away. Counted in the inclusive sense, about four thousand people ate and He sent them away. This feeding of the four thousand was a separate miracle from the feeding of the five thousand. The food shared was small in amount, seven loaves and two fish.
He had the crowd sit on the grass, broke the loaves and fish into pieces, and had the disciples distribute them until everyone had enough. The miracle shows His tender care in being mindful of their hunger and miraculously feeding them so they would not faint on the way, and the crowd was refreshed and left with glad and grateful hearts. The gathered fragments show the abundance of His provision and that nothing should be wasted, and the miracle calls people to have faith in Him. The feeding also gives His methods for food work: make simple, inexpensive preparations that do not require a large investment, carry the work forward in an economical manner, and allow no selfish private interests that would block right progress.
This gathering took place on Jesus' return to Decapolis, a Gentile region, where people from the surrounding region flocked to Him. Their coming was the fruit of the witness of the healed men, so that even evil was overruled for good. The crowd stayed with Him for three days, listening to His teaching and hearing the message of salvation, until they became hungry.
About four thousand men, besides women and children, ate and He sent them away. Counted in the inclusive sense, about four thousand people ate and He sent them away. This feeding of the four thousand was a separate miracle from the feeding of the five thousand. The food shared was small in amount, seven loaves and two fish.
He had the crowd sit on the grass, broke the loaves and fish into pieces, and had the disciples distribute them until everyone had enough. The miracle shows His tender care in being mindful of their hunger and miraculously feeding them so they would not faint on the way, and the crowd was refreshed and left with glad and grateful hearts. The gathered fragments show the abundance of His provision and that nothing should be wasted, and the miracle calls people to have faith in Him. The feeding also gives His methods for food work: make simple, inexpensive preparations that do not require a large investment, carry the work forward in an economical manner, and allow no selfish private interests that would block right progress.