Reading Plan:  

Matthew 14:13-33 

Feeding the Hungry 

Author: Brandy Stewart 

I get so excited when I read what feels like a well-known passage of scripture and notice something new! Of course, it’s not new; it’s always been there. It’s just the first time this passage has stuck out to me, so I wanted to share it with you.  

I was reading the portion about Jesus feeding the five thousand when I was struck by the words in verses 15-16. Jesus and the disciples had been with the crowds of people all day. Here’s the part I’ve never paid attention to before now. In verse 15, the disciples come to Jesus to let Him know that they are in a remote and desolate place. It’s time to pack it up and go home. Maybe they were thinking about their safety. Maybe they just realized they were far from the place they would be sleeping that night. Either way, I really identify with their words here. Hey, we’re tired. We’re in a strange place, and we’ve been with people all day. Please, can we go home?  

The disciples didn’t just stop there though. They then proceed to ask Jesus if He can send the crowds away and let them go get their own food! Haven’t we done enough, Jesus? Have you ever felt that way? I’ve been working all day, and I’m tired. I’m peopled out. Let these people figure it out on their own! 

I don’t think I’ll ever forget what comes next now that I’ve paid attention to verse 16. The NIV says, “Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” I read a lot of emphasis on the word YOU. At this moment, Jesus didn’t care how long of a day they’d had. He cared that His people were fed physically so that they would be able to be fed spiritually.  

This made me think back a couple of weeks ago to Love Your Neighbor. Our campus was headed out to several apartment complexes to share pizza and play games with families so that we could then have an opportunity to talk to them about Jesus and invite them to church. I see so many examples of that night at Love Your Neighbor in this passage. I was feeling all the same things the disciples felt about the crowd of people. I had worked all day. I was headed to what felt like some remote locations. Lining up food for multiple apartment complexes was no joke, and I found myself thinking, “Can’t these people find their own food?” Jesus wasn’t physically there to talk to me that night, but I definitely felt Him at multiple points along the way. It’s amazing what a little bit of food can do to open people up for conversation. When we offer people a chance to be fed physically, they’re usually a lot more open to spiritual conversations. Instead of turning people away when we feel like we have nothing left to give, we can look for opportunities to feed people. Jesus is at work in those moments.  

Reflection: 

• When have you seen Jesus at work in an impossible situation? Write that down and share it with a friend this week.
• Make time to serve others this week. If this opens up an opportunity to talk about Jesus, be bold and share the gospel. 

Family Application: Jesus Feeds 5,000 People 

Author: Jana Whittington 

• Today we will be reading from Matthew 14:13-33. Jesus was teaching, and there was a big group of people who had come to listen to what He had to say. Soon it was time to eat. The disciples went to Jesus and said, "This is a remote place, and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus answered, "That isn’t necessary - you feed them." 
• There were more than 5,000 people there, and for everyone to have even a tiny bite of food would cost more than they had. The disciples found only one boy with two fish and five loaves of bread - definitely not enough to feed a crowd of this size! Jesus took the food and looked up to heaven; He gave thanks and broke the loaves. They started passing out the food and somehow that little lunch from one boy did not run out! In fact, not only did it feed all the men, women, and children, but they had food left over! 
• This miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 can only be explained by God’s power. One thing I find exciting is how God wants to use us, His people! The disciples went to Jesus to fix a problem. His response in verse 16 was for the disciples to fix it. Jesus was inviting them to be a part of the miracle. Our relationship with God is similar, we might not feel like what we bring to the table is enough, but God sees something bigger. When we give Him whatever we have, He can put it to work and do amazing things, even more than we can imagine! 
• Prayer: God, thank You for always providing what we need. Please help us to trust You. Use me to do amazing things for Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.