Matthew 14:13-21 Revised Standard Version
Feeding the Five Thousand
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
This story about miraculously feeding more than 5,000 people is usually told from the viewpoint of the disciples.
Except, it is now 2026 and I wonder what it was like to be a person in the crowd.
I try to imagine being surrounded by thousands of people—men and women of all shapes, sizes, and ages.
You would probably also see young children running around as parents tried to corral them along the shoreline.
Teenagers and young adults just hanging out because this is where the crowd is.
And seniors slowly shuffling to find a place close enough to Jesus so they could sit and hear him speak.
It was probably a very similar example of what our contemporary people have called “organized chaos.”
Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what to do with the hungry followers (see vv. 15-17).
What was it like to see the calm and measured face of Jesus in the midst of such a hectic scene?
How did Jesus know he could feed all those hungry people with just “five loaves of bread and two fish”?
Jesus knew he could feed the starving crowd because he was and is the Son of God, who not only provided the bread and fish but also created the earth and established everything in it, from the waters where the fish lived to the land that provided miraculous manna from heaven, the grain used to bake bread.
Having faith and trust in His connection to His Father, knowing the power of His Father, would give Jesus the opportunity to invite others to know him too.
Physical hunger is very real in our world today.
Nearly 32% of the world’s population does not have access to a healthy diet. actionagainsthunger.org
Global Food Insecurity Statistics
Current Estimates
- Total Number of People Facing Hunger: Approximately 673 million people faced hunger in 2024, which represents about 8.3% of the global population.
- Food Insecurity Levels: Around 2.3 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024, a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels.
Statistics highlight the ongoing global food insecurity crisis, affecting millions, underscoring the need for urgent action to improve access to nutritious food.
World Health Organization (WHO) data.unicef.org
However, as tragic, enraging and horrifying as those numbers truly are, an overlooked, undervalued and very different kind of hunger is even far more common: that hunger is identified as spiritual emptiness and insecurity.
It crosses all socio-economic, cultural boundaries, demographics don’t matter.
It encompasses all known social horizons, extends from the poor to the rich, and from the young to the old – no one is immune, everyone is at high risk.
Of course, precise statistics on spiritual hunger are impossible to determine.
But it’s safe to assume the number of those who are spiritually hungry in this world is significantly higher than 2.5 billion. Where is the bread and fish now?
In today’s narrative from Matthew, Jesus reaches out to people who are both physically and spiritually hungry.
Taking those five loaves and two fish, he looks to heaven and gives thanks.
After breaking the loaves, he gives them to his disciples to distribute to the large crowd of people.
And the miracle happens!
Everyone eats and is satisfied, and there are baskets of leftovers.
How big were those twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over?
The exact size of the twelve baskets is not specified, but they were likely small baskets carried by hand, commonly used by travelers to hold their food.
These baskets were known as “cophinus” in the Jewish tradition.
What were the typical dimensions of small hand-carried baskets in ancient times?
Small hand-carried baskets in ancient times varied in size, but they were often designed to be easily manageable, usually around 12 to 18 inches in diameter.
These dimensions allowed for eminently practical use in gathering and carrying and distributing the remaining leftover items more efficiently.
After they ate and were satisfied, what was left over was picked up.
Twelve baskets of broken pieces, one basket for each apostle, now filled with the faith that Jesus will provide.
Not only provision for the apostles but for each and every person they seek to serve and save in the name of Jesus Christ.
For each fish or half loaf distributed, a full basket was returned.
In the Bible, twelve is a perfect number, a symbol of God’s ultimate power and authority or a number of completion.
Having 12 baskets left over tells us this was no error; this is irrefutable proof of the Holy Spirit’s hand in this miracle.
But why was there left-over food?
Why didn’t Jesus just feed the 5,000 and say “Hooray! We had enough food!”
No – he went above and beyond.
His miracle reached beyond the 5,000 men, women and.
It proved to the disciples through their faith in giving of the 5 loaves and 2 fish, their generosity and faith was returned with a blessing of food in abundance.
When giving in sacrificial faith, heartfelt compassion, the Lord provides.
Now let’s talk about those leftovers that were gathered in broken pieces.
Jesus broke bread, performed the miracle, multiplied the food, fed the people… and the disciples are left picking up the pieces.
I can’t help but compare this to how some of the individuals seeking assistance feel… broken, lost or in pieces, physically and spiritually starving or starved.
Just as no food is left to waste, no food left on our meal plates – no person is left to waste – even a physically, mentally broken person is worth being picked up.
Together, with faith in His provision, as a body of Christ, we can come together and provide. We can use our God given gifts to pick up the broken pieces and put them in our basket – our community – our church – provide spiritual support.
By sharing this miraculous narrative, we as disciples are able to faithfully support the lost, the last and the least as we are taught through the Gospel.
God promised with the coming of the true Shepherd, the wilderness would become a rich pasture where his sheep would be gathered and fed (Ezekiel 34:23-31).
Jesus is the only true Shepherd who miraculously provides for all our needs.
Please accept his invitation if you struggle with hunger in your belly, heart!
Psalm 34:8-10 Amplified Bible
8
O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.
9
O [reverently] fear the Lord, you His saints (believers, holy ones);
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10
The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry,
But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.
He alone can satisfy!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …
Praying ….
Psalm 107:1-9 New King James Version
BOOK FIVE
Psalms 107–150
Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance
107 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His [a]mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3 And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
