February 24, 2025 | Be God's Family
Why Did Jesus Do it Again?
Scripture: Matthew 15:29-39(NIV)
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
Devotional
Wait–didn’t Jesus just feed 5000? Why is this story about another 4000 included? Isn’t it a bit redundant? On first reading, it just seems like the first story of the 5000 told all over again. So what is the reason that Matthew & Mark felt the need to add this story, too? It takes a bit of research, but the answers reveal a profound truth about Jesus’ mission.
There are small clues in each story that may not be apparent to a modern reader who is unfamiliar with the cultural signifiers of Jesus’ time. The close sequence of these events in the scripture also suggests a short timeline between the 5000 and the 4000, but details in these stories and the surrounding passages reveal that about 6 months separate the two events, while Jesus was traveling north with his disciples. The feeding of the 5000 occurs in early spring, and the feeding of the 4000 in late summer.
The baskets used to collect the leftovers in each story are also different. In the story of the 5000, the baskets are called “Kophinol.” This term refers to a smaller, flask-like basket that Jews carried with them so that they would not have to eat unclean food. In the story of the 4000, the baskets are called “suphrides,” which are hamper-like baskets that could be big enough to carry a man. Suphrides were used more by the Gentiles.
Another important distinction is that the feeding of the 5000 takes place in Galilee, a highly Jewish area. In the first event, Jesus is speaking to a group of Jews who are familiar with God and the Old Testament. The feeding of the 4000 takes place in Decapolis, an area that consisted of 10 free Greek cities. In Decapolis, Jesus ministers to a more diverse group of Jews and Gentiles–perhaps even more Gentiles than Jews.
Why is all this important? Because through these two miracles we see that Jesus is including all people in his ministry. It wasn’t just the Jews he came to save but everyone! This was part of the good news: Christ came for all of us. Matthew and Mark include both miracles to show Jesus at work in different communities and make this message clear. Jesus feeds and strengthens all for the journey ahead.
How does this make you feel? How is Jesus feeding you on your journey of life? Are you listening?
Poem
No Limits
Psalm 145
No limits, no bound’ries
No scarcity known
All welcomed, all fam’ly
Gathered in home
Thanksgiving, pure laughter
As table is spread
No limits, no bound’ries
In Christ, all are fed
