And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
This closing count belongs to the ministry near the Sea of Galilee where the lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many others were healed, while a great Gentile multitude remained with Him three days listening with deepest interest to words of truth until they had nothing to eat. They had followed to hear gracious words from His lips and had forgotten the wants of nature in their interest in His ministry. After three days without food their need became the occasion for the feeding counted here.
He commanded the multitude to sit on the ground, on a grassy spot, took seven loaves and two fish, or a few little fishes, gave thanks, broke them into small pieces and gave them out through His disciples until all ate and were filled. He then had the fragments gathered so nothing was lost, leaving seven large baskets of broken food. Afterward He sent the people away refreshed, glad and grateful.
Those who ate were four thousand men beside women and children. This was a feeding distinct in time from His feeding of five thousand, and its seven baskets full are distinct from the twelve baskets gathered at the other feeding. The seven here and the twelve there mark two separate miracles.
The miracle shows tender solicitude like a pitying father mindful of physical wants. Though often hungry Himself He was awake to the necessities of others, was concerned that those who had listened three days would go hungry and faint on the way home, and would not send them away fasting. Remembering how He Himself had fainted after His long fast in the wilderness of temptation until angels ministered to Him, He without hesitation wrought a miracle to feed them.
He fed the hungry multitude by miracle in order to impart spiritual truths vital to the salvation of their souls. His power so to furnish food does not teach that people need make no effort to provide the necessities of life, and does not end human responsibility to work for a living. Just as His healing of the sick in answer to prayer does not abolish institutions for the suffering, since God will not always work miracles to keep people alive, the sick are to have the benefit of hygienic living and treatment.
The feeding together with the healing of the sick is a lesson for His people today that they are to share in ministering to the wants of the needy and healing the sick, with the healing work to be done in connection with health institutions. It gives the Lord's methods to be studied in carrying forward food work, to labor economically with simple, inexpensive preparations made to greater advantage without large investment, and to keep out selfish private interests that would block progress in the right way. It means that Christ can do all things for His people in ministering to them, teaching them, guiding them into truth and helping them in wrestling and trials, calling for more faith in Him.
This closing count belongs to the ministry near the Sea of Galilee where the lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many others were healed, while a great Gentile multitude remained with Him three days listening with deepest interest to words of truth until they had nothing to eat. They had followed to hear gracious words from His lips and had forgotten the wants of nature in their interest in His ministry. After three days without food their need became the occasion for the feeding counted here.
He commanded the multitude to sit on the ground, on a grassy spot, took seven loaves and two fish, or a few little fishes, gave thanks, broke them into small pieces and gave them out through His disciples until all ate and were filled. He then had the fragments gathered so nothing was lost, leaving seven large baskets of broken food. Afterward He sent the people away refreshed, glad and grateful.
Those who ate were four thousand men beside women and children. This was a feeding distinct in time from His feeding of five thousand, and its seven baskets full are distinct from the twelve baskets gathered at the other feeding. The seven here and the twelve there mark two separate miracles.
The miracle shows tender solicitude like a pitying father mindful of physical wants. Though often hungry Himself He was awake to the necessities of others, was concerned that those who had listened three days would go hungry and faint on the way home, and would not send them away fasting. Remembering how He Himself had fainted after His long fast in the wilderness of temptation until angels ministered to Him, He without hesitation wrought a miracle to feed them.
He fed the hungry multitude by miracle in order to impart spiritual truths vital to the salvation of their souls. His power so to furnish food does not teach that people need make no effort to provide the necessities of life, and does not end human responsibility to work for a living. Just as His healing of the sick in answer to prayer does not abolish institutions for the suffering, since God will not always work miracles to keep people alive, the sick are to have the benefit of hygienic living and treatment.
The feeding together with the healing of the sick is a lesson for His people today that they are to share in ministering to the wants of the needy and healing the sick, with the healing work to be done in connection with health institutions. It gives the Lord's methods to be studied in carrying forward food work, to labor economically with simple, inexpensive preparations made to greater advantage without large investment, and to keep out selfish private interests that would block progress in the right way. It means that Christ can do all things for His people in ministering to them, teaching them, guiding them into truth and helping them in wrestling and trials, calling for more faith in Him.