And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
The question about how many loaves were on hand was asked before the feeding of the crowd in Decapolis. The multitude had continued with Him three days with nothing to eat, having followed to hear His ministry of truth and forgotten the wants of nature. When asked what food was at hand, the disciples had nothing but seven loaves and a few little fishes to feed so many. He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, took the loaves and fishes, gave thanks, broke them into small pieces, and gave them through His disciples to the multitude until all ate and were filled.
Seven baskets of fragments were then gathered so that nothing would be lost from feeding four thousand men besides women and children, while twelve baskets were gathered in the other feeding. Although the disciples had already seen Him feed a multitude at Bethsaida, they did not trust His power to provide, a response also affected by prejudice against the Gentile crowd. Like a pitying father He was mindful of the wants of others and had compassion lest they faint in the way, and though often hungry Himself He was awake to their necessities. He remembered fainting Himself after His long fast in the wilderness of temptation until angels ministered to Him, and without hesitation He worked a miracle to feed the thousands who had followed Him to hear His gracious words.
What He did with so little proves His power and calls for more faith in Him. His work of healing the sick and meeting the needs of the hungry multitude teaches His people today to have a part in the same work by ministering to the wants of the needy and doing healing work in connection with health institutions. The feeding gives His methods for food work to be studied and followed by operating economically and making simple, inexpensive preparations to greater advantage rather than manufacturing foods requiring a large investment, and by keeping out selfish private interests that would block progress in the right way.
The miracle was used to impart spiritual truths vital to salvation, but it did not teach that no effort should be put forth to provide the necessities of life. His miraculous provision does not abolish ordinary means of sustaining life and institutions for the suffering, just as His healing of the sick in answer to prayer does not abolish such institutions, for God will not always work miracles to keep people alive.
The question about how many loaves were on hand was asked before the feeding of the crowd in Decapolis. The multitude had continued with Him three days with nothing to eat, having followed to hear His ministry of truth and forgotten the wants of nature. When asked what food was at hand, the disciples had nothing but seven loaves and a few little fishes to feed so many. He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, took the loaves and fishes, gave thanks, broke them into small pieces, and gave them through His disciples to the multitude until all ate and were filled.
Seven baskets of fragments were then gathered so that nothing would be lost from feeding four thousand men besides women and children, while twelve baskets were gathered in the other feeding. Although the disciples had already seen Him feed a multitude at Bethsaida, they did not trust His power to provide, a response also affected by prejudice against the Gentile crowd. Like a pitying father He was mindful of the wants of others and had compassion lest they faint in the way, and though often hungry Himself He was awake to their necessities. He remembered fainting Himself after His long fast in the wilderness of temptation until angels ministered to Him, and without hesitation He worked a miracle to feed the thousands who had followed Him to hear His gracious words.
What He did with so little proves His power and calls for more faith in Him. His work of healing the sick and meeting the needs of the hungry multitude teaches His people today to have a part in the same work by ministering to the wants of the needy and doing healing work in connection with health institutions. The feeding gives His methods for food work to be studied and followed by operating economically and making simple, inexpensive preparations to greater advantage rather than manufacturing foods requiring a large investment, and by keeping out selfish private interests that would block progress in the right way.
The miracle was used to impart spiritual truths vital to salvation, but it did not teach that no effort should be put forth to provide the necessities of life. His miraculous provision does not abolish ordinary means of sustaining life and institutions for the suffering, just as His healing of the sick in answer to prayer does not abolish such institutions, for God will not always work miracles to keep people alive.