Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of Jesus (apart from his resurrection) that finds a place in each of the four Gospels; clearly it was a story that appealed to the Evangelists.
We should notice that this incident introduces a section in which Matthew brings out the disciples’ shortcomings and their failure to understand what Jesus was doing and to believe in him (vv. 15, 26, 30; 15:16, 23, 33; 16:5, 22; 17:4, 16). It is often said that Matthew glosses over the failures of the disciples, so this series of statements should be borne in mind.
The miracle has been understood as a “miracle” that took place in people’s attitudes. When the small boy gave his lunch to Jesus, this reasoning runs, he shamed those many who were keeping the food they had brought with them well hidden lest they have to share it. Now they brought it out and shared, and behold! there was enough for all and plenty over. Another suggestion is that we should understand a token meal, something like Holy Communion (indeed, Gundry speaks of Jesus as “the host at this ‘Lord’s Supper,’ ” p. 293). But neither suggestion does justice to what the Evangelists say. Any fair exegesis of the Gospels leads us to see a striking miracle wherein the incarnate Son of God multiplied a small amount of food so that there was abundance for the crowds. “It is impossible to reduce the event to ordinary human dimensions. It stands as witness to the fact that God can and does supply human need in the way he sees best” (Melinsky).30
He saw large numbers of people, and he had compassion on them; Jesus was deeply moved at the plight of the afflicted and the poor. So on this occasion he healed their sick. Matthew does not qualify this in any way, but leaves the impression that Jesus healed all who were unwell in that crowd. Mark tells us that Jesus taught the people “many things,” and Luke that he spoke about “the kingdom of God,” but Matthew concentrates on the healing.
All four Evangelists tell us that what was over amounted to twelve baskets full. It would seem that each of the p 380 apostles had a basket and filled it (the baskets were full). So there was an abundant meal, but also there was no waste.
But are such nature miracles to be automatically excluded as impossibilities? If, as the Bible claims, God works in history and uniquely and supremely in Jesus Christ, may not such events have actually happened? If we do not allow the transcendent within history, the Bible suddenly becomes a very different collection of writings, a book of parables concerning human existence rather than the account of salvation worked out in the historical process.
The primary symbolism is that of messianic provision, which both points to the reality of present fulfillment and foreshadows the blessings of the eschaton
This provision takes place in the wilderness, just as manna was provided in the wilderness
It is a kind of messianic banquet in which the people recline at table (cf. 8:11). Jesus is the messianic provider, the Christ
The hungry are filled now as they will also be filled in the future. The miracle typifies the full and complete blessing of humanity in the meeting of human need and the experience of ultimate well-being, universal shalom.
“The juxtaposition of Herod’s [preceding] banquet and Jesus’ banquet [here] is powerful. At Herod’s banquet there is pride and arrogance, scheming, and even murder. It takes place at a royal court. At Jesus’ banquet there is healing, truth, and sharing. It takes place in a ‘deserted’ place—an erēmos like the wilderness in which ancient Israel was fed with manna.”
They are clearly upset. They do not preface their command (!) to Jesus with the usually respectful “Lord.” They simply tell Jesus, almost literally, the time of day, where he is, and so what he should do: “Send these crowds home so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves!” Do the disciples give Jesus orders like this anywhere else in the Gospels? They seem to feel that Jesus is so absorbed with people’s supernatural needs that he does not notice their natural ones, or perhaps that he does not notice the disciples’ own fatigue.
“We don’t have anything here to give them, except five loaves of bread and two fish!” Again there is no polite address—“Lord”—and no softening of their earlier harshness with even a respectful, “But how, Master?” Instead, a slightly mocking “we have exactly five loaves and two fish” for your strange assignment.
In this chapter so far, the problem in Nazareth was rationalism; the problem in the palace was sensualism; the problem now in the desert is “realism.” None of these three optics is necessarily evil. But is it ever rational, sensitive, or realistic to count Jesus out?
The church learns this from the story: “Bring them here to me” means to give Jesus everything we have, in practical obedience, however insignificant that everything may seem to be. “Doing what we can with what we have” is a wonderfully flexible instrument. Under Jesus’ blessing it can bring help of the most creative kind.
Beyond this crucial social point, the Feeding can also be encouraging to individual disciples. We often feel that we have an insufficient “five and two” with which to address our personal “five thousand.” We are easily discouraged by “realities” that tell us we cannot cope. But the Christian faith is nothing if it is not a supernaturalism, if it can count only to seven, if it does not believe that Jesus is risen and can do things.
“Twice in deserted places Jesus expect[ed] the disciples to be cognizant of the fact that the authority with which he had endowed them (10:1) is at their disposal to feed [hungry people].… However, the disciples simply stand overwhelmed, so that Jesus himself must demonstrate to them that he has not placed demands upon them incapable of fulfillment” (Story, 112). Disciples may act bravely on Jesus’ expectation that they can be of big help to people.
“They spoke against God, saying, ‘Can God spread a table in the wilderness?… Can he also give bread … for his people?’ ” (Ps 78:17–20, pointed out by Chrysostom, 49:2:305). In the Matthean Feeding, the disciples are examples of all disciples faced with overwhelming need and underwhelming resources. Yet surprisingly—amazing grace!—they are also the mediators of Jesus’ provision to the people
Bonnard, 217–19 (emphasis added), gives a helpful overview of the seven main interpretations of the Feeding of the Five Thousand:
In addition to Bonnard’s seven interpretations I suggest an eighth, the christocentric: to help a needy world, Jesus uses what the church has in its hands and gives to him to multiply for the service of the world.
TABGHA A location on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, about two miles west of Capernaum. The setting of several scenes of Jesus’ ministry. Identified in many early Christian traditions as the place where Jesus fed the five thousand (e.g., Matt 14:13–21). Also known as the Heptapegon.
Significance
The Arabic name Tabgha comes from the Greek name for the site, Heptapegon, which alludes to the seven warm springs in the area. Tabgha is associated with three biblical events:
1. Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand
2. One of Jesus’ resurrection appearances (John 21:1–24)
3. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1–7:29)
Josephus likely refers to this site when he talks about “a most fertile fountain”