Matthew 15:32-38

FEEDING THE MULTITUDES AGAIN

Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-9. “During these days [i.e., His sojourn in Decapolis], the multitude being very great, and not having what they may eat, Jesus, calling to Him His disciples, says to them, I sympathize with the multitude, because already three days transpire to Me, and they have nothing which they may eat. If I shall send them away to their home fasting, they will faint by the way; for some of them have come from afar. And His disciples responded to Him, Whence will any one be able to feed so many with bread, here, in a destitute place? And He asked them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven. And He proclaimed to the multitude to sit down upon the ground; and taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, He broke them, and gave them to His disciples, that they may distribute them; and they dispensed them to the multitude. They also had a few small fishes; blessing, He commanded that they should also distribute these.” Matthew 15:37 : “And they all ate and were filled; and they took up the remainder of the fragments, seven baskets full. And those eating were four thousand men, besides women and children.” The Jews especially, as well as the Orientals generally, in that day and at the present, are in the habit of going, by whole families, on foot, taking a few donkeys or camels to carry burdens. We hear much said about feeding the five thousand and the four thousand, only giving the estimate at about one-half, as Matthew certifies that, in the one instance, there were “five thousand men, besides women and children;” and in the other, “four thousand men, besides women and children;” thus giving the estimate at ten thousand in one case, and eight thousand in the other, at the minimum; as in all probability the women and children far outnumbered the men, which is the case in our campmeetings and other religious gatherings, and would be even more so in Israel, where, from time immemorial, it was customary for whole families to go to their great religious convocations, leaving the home without a keeper, as God had assured them that He would protect their domestic interests during their absence to attend the periodical national solemnities. On this occasion, from the seven loaves and a few small fishes, after feeding the eight thousand, they gathered up seven baskets full of fragments, evidently those great baskets, in which they now carry merchantable produce to market, holding several bushels; i.e., the fragments amounting to about one hundred times the original quantity. So, if you would be a millionaire in the kingdom of God, start now, run with all of your might, and do your best to give away all you have, resting assured God will multiply you a hundred-fold. If you can only rake up a few loaves and fishes, and pitch a holiness camp-meeting, you will have plenty to feed the thronging multitudes, and fragments enough, if gathered up and utilized, to inaugurate at least ten new camps next year.