Matthew 14:15-21

Matthew 14:15-21 NIV

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 
“Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

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According to Jack Pastor, author of Land and Economy in Ancient Palestine, the average sized family was 4.3-4.75 members. That means the crowd that Jesus fed could have been as many as 23,750! There's no way of knowing how many men had their entire families with them. It's not likely that all of them did. And we can't know that every woman and child there were attached to a man in the crowd. So guessing the size of the crowd is filled with all kinds of problems. Besides the size of the crowd, the figure 5000, likely had some sort of symbolic meaning for Matthew and his readers.

Biblestudytools.com reports that the number 5 is symbolic of God's grace. There are five books of Moses. There are five books in the collection of the psalms. Humankind has five fingers on each hand with which to serve God. 5000 is the product of 5 x 10 x 10 x 10. The number 10 is the sum of 7 and 3. The number 3 has to do with God. There are three persons in the trinity. The first three days of creation God was separating light from dark, earth from sky, water from land, which is indicative of holiness, to be set apart for God alone. The number 7 has to do with completion. The universe was created in 6 days and God declared a Sabbath on the seventh day. A week is not complete without a day of rest and communion with God and His people. 7 + 3 = 10. The number 10 has to do with the complete work of God, or all the fullness of God. 1000 is three sets of ten, meaning a godly complete work of God. (We're beginning to belabor the point!) Therefore the number 5000 is saying that God's grace, which is at work among His people, is overly abundant, totally sufficient, and fully satisfying. It's a complete meal that the crowd enjoyed with Jesus and His disciples, for they were feasting on God's grace.

The scene also points to the bread from heaven, manna which the Lord gave His children every day while they wandered the wilderness for forty years. God is with them on the journey. And God has sent a great prophet... no more than that, the Messiah, God's Son. The miraculous bread came by grace and was filled with grace, a satisfying meal.

The disciples were afraid there wasn't enough to feed everyone. They urged Jesus to send them home. But Jesus told his disciples, "You give them something to eat". With what shall we feed them? With the grace of our God. This is the mission of the church, to bring to the crowd, to the world, God's all sufficient grace through a saving relationship with Christ Jesus.

When we fear a lack of resources to carry out the mission of Christ, which is to save the world with the transforming, lifegiving love of God, we must remember that with God all things are possible. We must remember that God's grace is enough and totally sufficient. We must remember that the Lord provides. If your life is aligned with God's purpose, you can rely on grace to win the day every time.

Romans 8:28 NIV

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

One more point has to be mentioned. If you know the sacrament of Holy Communion or The Lord's Supper, then you cannot miss the symbolic reference to this holy meal which Christ gave to His church.

Matthew 14:19-20

...looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples...

This same language is used in the Christian liturgy of the Eucharist.

On the night in which He gave Himself up for us,
He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you."

Holy Communion is the chief means of God's grace given to the church. It was the custom that every time believers gathered, they celebrated this meal and did so in remembrance of Jesus and His sacrificial death. For His death is the sign to all of God's unfailing love and mercy, abundant for all.

Now let's compare this meal with Jesus and the crowd to Herod's birthday party. For in this comparison we see two very different kingdoms and two very different kings. Herod represents the kingdom of this world which is perverted by Satan. Jesus represents the kingdom of heaven which is empowered by God.

Herod threw a party for himself and invited the rich and powerful to attend. Jesus invited a multitude of the poor, common people to sit down with Him and His disciples for a satisfying meal. Herod's wealth undoubtedly comes from taxing the people such that he can live in luxury and throw expensive parties. Jesus was a man of the people. He came from meager circumstances and He lifted the burdens of the people wherever He went. Herod takes. Jesus gives. Herod's party glorified sensuality with the young dancing girl, the fine food, drink, and music. Jesus' meal glorified God. Herod's party ended in death. Jesus' meal gave life to the multitude. Herod made decisions out of fear and insecurity. Jesus made decisions out of faith in God to provide.

There's much more that could be said, but clearly the kingdom of heaven has plenty for all comers. The kingdom of this world keeps the good stuff in the hands of the rich and powerful, creating poverty for the rest. Never mind the two fish (Jewish and Gentile disciples) or the twelve baskets of leftovers (Israel). It all points to the fact that if you have Christ, you have more than enough.