You Give Them Something to Eat | The Book of Matthew" The King and His Kingdom | Matthew 14:13-21 | Pastor J. M. Lee
Pastor J.M. Lee
The Book of Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 36:53
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Good morning, Mission Church!
If we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, my name is John, and I have the joy of serving as the pastor here. Whether this is your first time or you’ve been with us for a while— welcome! We’re really glad you’re here with us this morning.
At Mission Church — we talk a lot about our core values — loving Jesus, living like Jesus, and leading others to Jesus. And — that’s not just a slogan — it’s what we’re aiming to live out together as a church. In fact — everything we do as a community should flow from and be driven by our pursuit of loving Jesus, living like Jesus, and leading others to Jesus.
Now — go ahead and grab your Bible and open it to Matthew 14.
We’ve been walking through this Gospel in a series called “The King and His Kingdom.” Up to this point, we’ve seen Jesus proclaim the good news of the kingdom, perform miracles, and teach in parables—but we’ve also seen increasing opposition and misunderstanding.
Chapter 14 marks a shift in Christ’s life and ministry. You see — after the death of John the Baptist, Jesus begins to withdraw from the public eye — and — not out of fear — but to invest more deeply in His disciples. And this morning’s passage is the beginning of that shift.
And — what starts as a quiet retreat quickly turns into a miraculous moment — a moment that not only reveals that the compassionate heart of Jesus towards sinners — but also invites His disciples — and us — into the mission of joining Him in reaching the lost.
So now, if you’re able, I invite you to stand for the reading of God’s Word.
13 When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 15 When evening came, the disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 “They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.” 17 “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to him. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 Then he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of leftover pieces. 21 Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
This is the Word of the Lord
Pray
Most of us want to care. The truth is — I think that we all want to be the kind of people who notice the needs around us — who show up, who step in, who love like Jesus. But — let’s be honest — life has a way of wearing that desire down — doesn’t it?
You wake up already tired. You’re juggling family, work, anxiety, and a dozen other quiet burdens. And then you see the needs of the world around you — and you see the needs of the people right in front of you — the grief of a friend, the pain in your kids, the distance in your spouse, or someone in your life who is far from God.
And part of you thinks: “I don’t know if I can handle that right now.”
And — it’s not that we don’t believe in the mission. It’s not that we don’t love Jesus. It’s just that compassion can start to feel heavy. Sometimes the needs of those around us can feel overwhelming and we start to wonder if we really have anything to give.
But — let’s be real — sometimes it’s not that we’re overwhelmed — rather we’re just reluctant — because stepping into the mess means discomfort. And other times… if we’re honest — we feel indifferent — and— not because we don’t care, but because we’ve been carrying so much of our own weight for so long that we have grown callous to the physical and spiritual needs of those around us.
And so — we pull back. Not out of rebellion, but out of exhaustion. Not because we’ve stopped believing in Jesus—but because we’ve stopped expecting Him to use us. And that’s where this story in Matthew 14 meets us. It meets us right in the tension between compassion and capacity—between seeing the need and feeling like we have nothing to offer.
It presses a question to our hearts:
How can I live on mission with Christlike compassion when I feel overwhelmed by people’s needs, reluctant to step in, or even indifferent to their hunger for God?
And here’s what we’ll see clearly in this passage. We will see that — the answer isn’t found in digging deeper or trying harder. Rather — the answer is found in trusting Jesus — the one who meets us in our weariness, steps into our inadequacy, and multiplies what we’re willing to bring.
Dear friends — it is because Jesus is the compassionate and powerful Son of God, that you and I can step into the needs of those around us with faith — knowing that He will supply what we lack and works through what we offer.
We are going to see this truth clearly through the three beautiful, convicting, and hope-giving movements in our story.
When We’re Empty, Jesus Moves Toward Us. (vv. 13–14)
13 When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone.
Remember — Jesus just received heart-wrenching news that John the Baptist—His cousin, His prophetic forerunner, the voice crying in the wilderness—had been brutally executed at Herods banquet of death. And this wasn’t just a headline — it was personal.
And so — Jesus withdrew. And verse 13 tells why: to be alone. To grieve. To pray. To rest.
Yes it’s true — Jesus is fully divine — he is 100% God — but He is also 100% human. And in His humanity, Jesus was tired. He was emotionally spent. Physically weary. And overcome by grief and so — He wanted quiet. He wanted solitude. And so He hops in a boat and crosses the Sea of Galilee in search of quiet. But the quiet doesn’t last. Look at what happens next.
13 When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns.
Now, geographically, this scene comes to life. The Sea of Galilee is only about 14 miles long and 7 miles wide— and — it’s shaped like an inverted teardrop, nestled in a valley. And so — from almost any hillside, you can watch boats cross the water and even guess where they’re headed.
So — when Jesus pushed off in the boat, the crowd tracked Him. They ran the shoreline, anticipating where He would land. Luke’s gospel tells us it was near Bethsaida— a small village up in the quiet hills. And John’s gospel tells us that Jesus spent some time alone with His disciples before the crowds finally caught up.
Imagine the moment.
You’ve carved out space to breathe — to grieve.
You need quiet.
But as your boat nears the shore, you see them.
A sea of people. Hurting. Loud. Desperate.
All looking to you for strength.
Now — I don’t know about you — but — if it were me — I might have pulled the boat around. Dropped anchor in the middle of the lake. Or slipped deeper into the hills. "I can’t do this today.” But — thank God that Jesus is not like us!
What does Jesus do?
14 When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
Underline or take note of this phrase: “had compassion on them.”
This word compassion is loaded. Understand — Matthew is not saying that Jesus felt a little sad for the crowd. In fact — the Greek word used here — literally means to be moved in the guts, to feel something so deeply it twists your insides. In other words — His heart wasn’t just stirred — it ached. It broke.
And what moved Him?
Well — Mark tells us the crowd looked like sheep without a shepherd — lost, vulnerable, wandering. These weren’t people who had it all together. They were disoriented and broken. And yet — Jesus moved toward them.
No hesitation.
No frustration.
No rolling of the eyes.
No defensiveness.
No protecting His personal space.
Yes, Jesus was tired. Yes, He was grieving. Yes, He was seeking rest. But His rest could wait. His compassion could not.
And don’t miss this — not only did Jesus move toward the crowd, but He also healed their sick.
And Matthew uses a specific word here — arrhōstos — which means “the strengthless ones.” And this speaks to who made up the crowd that day. These were people who couldn’t get to Jesus in their own strength. Family and friends likely carried them for miles — clinging to hope that maybe, just maybe, Jesus might do for them what they’d heard He did for others. Heal a leper. Open blind eyes. Restore withered limbs. Even raise the dead.
And what does Jesus do?
Well — He sees them. He feels for them. And He heals them.
Even in His grief. Even in His exhaustion. Even as He is interrupted — He still stepped in. Why!? Because that’s who He is. Brothers and sisters this is the heart of your savior.
Dear friend — understand that’s not just how Jesus felt about the strengthless crowd. This is how He feels about you
In your weariness, when the pressures of life crowd in and you’re desperate for rest — He sees you.
In your weakness, when your strength is gone and you can barely keep going — He moves toward you.
In your reluctance, when you want to help but you feel so small and inadequate — He meets you with compassion, not condemnation.
In your indifference, when your heart feels numb and you wonder if you’re too far gone — He doesn’t turn away.
Listen to me— you are not a burden to Jesus. You are the reason He came.
Please don’t miss the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ toward sinners. He is the Lord who is compassionate and gracious. He slow to anger and He is abounding in faithful love and truth. He does not deal with us according to our sins or reward us according to our iniquities. Not only that but — He even loads us — His enemies with benefits as His goodness and His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. You see — in all of his dealings with us He has showed himself to be One that delights in mercy.
In other words — He doesn’t ask you to be stronger. No! He invites you to bring your weakness to Him — because that’s where mission begins.
As Eugene Peterson wrote:
“Jesus doesn’t tell us to get stronger or try harder — He tells us to come. The work He gives is to believe, to trust, and to follow Him. And it turns out — that’s enough.” - Eugene Peterson (paraphrased from The Jesus Way)
Dear friend — when you’re empty — Jesus doesn’t back away from you. He steps in. He’s not waiting for you to come alive. He comes to you so that you might live.
Because — that’s where His compassion begins. And — that’s where your mission begins. Not with your sufficiency — but with His. And that’s why — even when we’re tempted to pull back… Jesus doesn’t let us go. Rather — He calls us in — not because we’re ready — but because He is.
2. When We Pull Back, Jesus CallsUs In .(vv. 15–17)
The day is almost done, and the sun is beginning its descent. At this point, the crowd has been with Jesus for hours — and the disciples, well, they’re tired. They’re emotionally and physically spent. And it’s becoming overwhelmingly clear that this moment is way bigger than them.
So they do what most of us would do in that situation — they go to Jesus with a practical suggestion. One that, at first glance, feels thoughtful. Reasonable. Even compassionate.
Look at verse 15. The disciples approached Jesus and said….
15 … “This place is deserted, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
Now understand — the disciples aren’t being rude. They’re not being indifferent. They’re being realistic. Think about it — this situation was a logistical nightmare. It’s a remote location. The day is slipping away. And there are thousands of people — with was no food in sight.
In their own way — with the ability and knowledge they have — the disciples are trying to take care of the people. But — don’t miss the fact that — they’re doing it in a way that doesn’t require faith — and ultimately, doesn’t require them to take responsibility.
“Jesus, You’ve taught them. You’ve healed them. That’s enough, right? So … send them on their way so they can take care of themselves.”
When Jesus hears their faithless suggestion, disguised as practical wisdom, He doesn’t agree — and He sees right through it.
Because He knows what they’re really saying, “This is too much. We can’t do anything about it. So — let’s just send the problem away.”
And Jesus — I love this — He doesn’t let them off the hook. And you know what?!?! He doesn’t let us off the hook either. He doesn’t shrug and say, “Yeah, you’re right — this is too much.. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” No !! He looks at them, and in verse 16, He says:
16 “They don’t need to go away,” … “You give them something to eat.”
What!?
I imagine the disciples turning to each other like, “Uh….Did He just say what I think He said? Feed them? Us? With what?” Maybe one of them muttered under his breath, “Jesus has lost it. There’s no way.”
They’re stunned.
They’re overwhelmed.
And they’re absolutely convinced that what Jesus is asking is impossible.
So, what do they do?
Well — they respond the same way we often do when we’re staring at something beyond us — we start counting what we don’t have… look at verse 17
17 “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to him.
"Jesus, we’ve done the math. There are, like, twenty thousand people here! And we’ve checked our resources — we have five loaves and two fish... this isn’t just not going to work. This is impossible!”
The disciples want to step away. This moment is getting uncomfortable. It’s overwhelming. Their instinct is to withdraw—send the crowd away, and avoid the weight of responsibility.
The logic is simple. It makes sense, “We don’t have enough. This situation is impossible.” And this is where there functional unbelief shows . Think about it:
They’re standing in front of the Son of God— The One who spoke creation into being. The One who healed lepers, calmed storms, raised the dead. The One who has equipped them and commissioned them to see His Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. And yet—they functionally forget who Jesus is and what He can do.
They believe in Him — but not for this.
That’s what functional unbelief is.
It’s not theological atheism—it’s practical atheism.
It’s when we affirm the right things about God, but respond to life as if He’s not present, not powerful, or not willing.
And Jesus isn’t exposing this to shame them. He’s inviting them to move from spectators of grace to participants in it. And so He says, “You Give them something to eat.”
And this test — is not a test to see how much they know but to see how much they trust Him. John’s gospel confirms this. Consider John 6:6.
6 He asked this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.
Now — understand — Jesus isn’t trying to frustrate His disciples. Rather — He’s exposing the gap between what they say they believe about Him…and what they actually believe about Jesus.
This is what I call discipleship by disruption. It’s the way Jesus forms His followers—not just through teaching and example, but through interruption. He trains His disciples not merely in the classroom of comfort, but in the chaos of need. Not just by handing them answers, but by placing them in situations that expose their limits—so they’ll learn to depend on His sufficiency.
You see — Jesus isn't interested in their applause. He’s after their trust. And — He wants to move them—
from observers to participants, from consumers of grace to instruments of grace, from self-reliance to Kingdom dependence.
Now — why does this matter? And — How does this apply to us?
Well — because we’re not all that different from the disciples. We say we believe Jesus is powerful. We affirm that He’s wise, sovereign, and compassionate. We sing it. We declare it. We teach it to others.
But when those moments of disruption come — those seasons when we’re tired, overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure — what we say we believe doesn’t always show up in how we live.
When we someone who needs spiritual care but we’re exhausted.
When we sense a prompting to speak the gospel but feel uncomfortable or inadequate.
When we see someone in deep physical need and we quietly say to ourselves, “ I just don’t have what it takes..”
And friends — that’s called functional unbelief. It’s not denying Jesus with our lips. It’s denying His sufficiency with our instincts. It’s not theological atheism — it’s practical atheism.
We confess that Jesus is Lord — but we act and live like we are on our own. We say that God provides — but we hoard our time, our energy, and our witness because — deep down — we don’t really trust Him to multiply what we offer. So we play it safe. We limit what we attempt in ministry. We shrink back from mission — not out of rebellion, but out of scarcity.
Let’s be honest:
Most biblically minded Christians know they are called to evangelize the lost.
We know we’re called to live on mission.
But many of us simply… don’t.
And — it’s not because we don’t believe that the Great Commission is true — it’s because we functionally believe that we don’t have enough within us to pull it off. We think — I don’t have enough energy. Enough wisdom. Enough boldness. And it’s in that mindset — where the mission becomes something for “someone else.” The mission is for someone else who is more trained. Someone who is more spiritual. Someone who is more equipped or more outgoing and extroverted,
But Jesus never said, “When you feel ready, go.” He said:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses…
Dear friends —if we truly believed that — if we believed that the power of the Holy Spirit lives within us — not just to comfort us, but to commission us — Then every one of us who professes faith in Jesus would be living on mission. And these seats would be full — and not because of a program, but because of God’s people trusting in God’s promise and as a result — are living out what they say they believe.
Because here’s the truth:
Jesus doesn’t need your abundance — He asks for your availability. And when you bring Him what little you have, He multiplies it. Why? Because He is the one who supplies the power.
Think about it — when the disciples failed to see and believe, Jesus didn’t scold them. He didn’t bypass them. He didn’t give up on them. No — He invited them to bring what little they had. And then He did what only He could do.
That is the grace of discipleship.
Jesus exposes our unbelief —not to shame us, but to free us from self-reliance, and to teach us that His power is made perfect in our weakness.
He tests us — not to fail us, but to deepen our dependence.
So hear this — brothers and sisters: You don’t have to be enough. You don’t have to be perfect. You’re simply invited to bring what you have — and to trust that in His hands, it will be more than enough. And — this leads us to the final truth in this story —
3. When We Offer Little, Jesus Does Much. (vv. 18–21)
Now — remember — the disciples —they were confused and distraught— and they just confessed to Jesus, “We only have five loaves and two fish.” That’s all we’ve got. And Jesus — well — Jesus doesn’t argue with them. He doesn’t say, “No, you have more than you think.” He simply says:
18 “Bring them here to me,”
Again — this isn’t a rebuke. Jesus is not lecturing them — rather — He is inviting them. He’s telling them, “Bring Me what you have.” Sure — it may not seem like much — but friend Jesus — isn’t asking for your abundance — He is asking for your surrender. Think about it ! He’s not telling his disciples , “go figure it out.” He is saying, “Bring me what you do have— and trust Me with the rest.”
And — what happens next is beautiful. look at verse 19
19 Then he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Jesus tells the crowd to sit down — more literally — he tells them to recline — which was the posture of guests at a banquet. It’s like Jesus is saying:
“I’ve got you. You’re not a bother. You’re not a burden. You’re invited to the table.”
That’s what Jesus is saying — not just to the disciples, not just to the crowd — but to you and me. We’re invited to recline at our Father’s table and watch Him work! How amazing is that!!
And then, look what happens next.
19 … He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
Now — here’s what’s wild: we’re not told exactly when the miracle happens. There’s no flash. No spark. No thunder from heaven. No sudden piles of bread falling form the sky. It — just— happens. Quietly. Faithfully. Abundantly.
Mark’s Gospel gives us a clue. The verb tense he uses implies that Jesus just kept on giving. Over and over. As the disciples walked among the crowd, they kept returning to Jesus empty-handed — and every time, He gave them more. He kept filling up their baskets. Kept providing. Kept multiplying.
And — friends — that’s how it works with Jesus. You bring Him what you have — and He does more with it than you could ever ask or imagine. Consider what the Apostle Paul writes in
20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—
And Matthew says that everyone there.. . all 15 - 20 thousand people —
20 Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of leftover pieces. 21 Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Everyone one of them ate. All of them. Men. Women. Children. Rich. Poor. Cynical. Hungry. All of them. There wasn’t one person in the crowd that day that left with an empty belly.
And the word Matthew uses to describe it — he says they were all— satisfied — and this word — well — it’s a strong word. It’s not the polite “I’m good” that you say as a dinner guest trying to be nice even though you’re still hungry. It’s the word used for fattening livestock — for feeding animals until they’re full to the brim. If you think about it — this word is a bit rude.
But it perfectly speaks to the fact that Jesus didn’t barely meet the need. These people didn’t just scrape by. No! He lavishly and abundantly met the need. No one left hungry. No one left wondering if there would be enough. And then — just so the disciples didn’t miss the point — there were twelve baskets of leftovers. One for each of them.
I wonder what it was like for them — the disciples — to stand there, each one holding a basket overflowing with food. Thinking about how — just moments earlier — they were anxious… panicked even.
“Jesus, we don’t have enough.”
“We’ve done the math.”
“This doesn’t add up.”
“This is impossible.”
And now? Well — now they’re holding more than they started with.
What they once thought was a problem too big to solve… Had become a miracle too great to explain.
I imagine Jesus looking at them — eyes kind, smile wide — like a father delighting in his children.
And — Not because they figured it out.
Not because they were brilliant.
But because they were faithful — they brought what little they had.
And that’s what Jesus does. He honors faith — even mustard-seed faith. He multiplies what’s surrendered to Him. And just so we don’t miss the point:
You can’t out-give Him.
You can’t outrun His supply.
And you can’t come to Him empty and leave the same
So — what does this mean for us? Well —it means this:
Jesus never asks you to give what you don’t have. Instead he says, “Bring me your story. Your scars. Your voice. Your time. Your prayers. And — your obedience — even when it feels small, tired, or ordinary.”
Brothers and sisters — Jesus knows that you don’t have what it takes. And so — He doest expect you to have it all figured out. He just wants you to trust Him. And get this. He has placed you in the job that you have, the neighborhood that you live in, and the people who are around you. And He just calls you to be faithful to the mission.
He’s not impressed by polish. He’s not waiting for perfection. He’s after faithful surrender.
Let’s be honest — most of us feel inadequate! I know I do! And what do we do — well — we disqualify ourselves before we even start. We think, “I’m not bold enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not trained enough. I’m too young. I’m too old. I’m too weak. I’m too uncomfortable.”
But church — this passage reminds us — what you have to bring to the table is not the point — it’s never been the point. You might only have five loaves and two fish — And Jesus says, “that’s enough”—so — bring to Him. What are you waiting for!?!?
Don’t miss the fact that God chose to feed the crowd that day through the hands of ordinary disciples — and today — He has chosen to feed the spiritually hungry with the bread of life through you.
So — if you've ever thought to yourself, “I don’t have much. It’s not enough. I can’t make a difference.”
Let this passage speak to your soul — and be encouraged to bring it anyway. And rest in the truth that — the Kingdom of God has always moved forward on mustard seeds, widow’s mites, and one boy’s barley lunch.
You see —the power isn’t in the offering — the power is in whose hands it’s placed in. And if you are a Christian then you are called. You are a disciple — you are not just a recipient of grace. Dear friend — You are to be a distributor of grace. In other words —Matthew 14 — if you haven’t gotten it yet — this text isn’t just about bread. It is about mission.
Jesus is telling you this morning, “Mission Church, YOU give them something to eat.”
And Christ’s words to us this morning — they’re not just a command — they’re a commissioning. You see —the crowds around us are still hungry — spiritually, emotionally, and eternally. And Christ is still multiplying the bread of the gospel— through the hands of those who will bring what little they have.
So — here’s the call —
If you feel empty — bring Him your emptiness.
If you feel weak — bring Him your weakness.
If you feel small — bring Him your smallness.
And then watch what He does.
Let your life be placed in His hands.
Your witness.
Your time.
Your gifts.
Your love for the lost.
Your willingness to go where He sends and speak when He prompts.
Because this is where the Kingdom breaks in:
Not when we feel strong — but when we trust Him in our weakness.
Not when we hold tight — but when we open our hands.
Spurgeon once said:
“Let the vision rise perpetually before your eyes… See the world’s hunger, and bring your loaves. Let Christ multiply them.”
Church — this world doesn’t need more clever church marketing. It needs the courageous faith of ordinary disciples like you. It needs Spirit-empowered disciples who say, “I don’t have much — but Jesus can use it.”
So bring what you have.
Open your hands.
Offer your life.
And believe this:
When we offer little — Jesus does much.
And the world gets fed.
Lets Pray
