Matthew 15:33
And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
The question is that of the disciples asking where enough bread could be found in the wilderness, in a lonely place, to fill so great a hungry multitude. It came after thousands had stayed with Christ three days with nothing to eat, having forgotten the wants of nature while listening with deepest interest to His ministry of truth and gracious words. They had only a few loaves and fishes, seven loaves and a few little fishes, and doubted He would multiply their small supply, though they had seen Him feed a multitude before. Their response was also shaped by prejudice against the Gentile crowd, after Christ had for a time acted out the narrow and exclusive ideas controlling many followers.
The setting reveals His tender solicitude as a pitying father mindful of human need and of the wants of others even when often hungry Himself. He had compassion, knew the people were hungry and must have something to eat, and would not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way. He understood that faintness from His own long fast in the wilderness of temptation, when He had fainted and angels had ministered to Him. Without hesitation He worked a miracle to feed the thousands who had followed Him to hear the gracious words proceeding from His lips.
He had the multitude sit on a grassy spot, broke the seven loaves and few little fishes into small pieces, and passed the food through His disciples to the four thousand men besides women and children until all ate and were filled. Then He had the fragments gathered that nothing be lost, with seven baskets full remaining in this feeding while twelve were gathered on the other occasion. The miraculous feeding was a means to impart spiritual truths of vital importance to the salvation of souls. His power to furnish food in a miraculous way does not teach that no effort should be put forth to provide the necessities of life.
The feeding of this multitude together with the feeding of the five thousand provides an example of Christ's methods to study in carrying forward food work. It shows what Christ can do, calling for more faith in Him as the One who can do all things, minister, teach, and guide into truth. The verse gives a lesson for His people today to take part in His work of healing the sick multitudes and supplying the wants of the needy. The healing part is to be done in connection with health institutions, which did not exist in the early days of the message but now exist. For miraculous healing of the sick in answer to prayer is no sign those institutions for the benefit of the suffering should be abolished, since the Lord will not always work miracles to keep people alive, the afflicted are to be placed where they can have hygienic living and treatment, and these agencies must not be despised.