Read Matthew 14:13-21 NIV
Jesus feeds the 5000
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 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.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 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. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
I love how Jesus is described as having compassion on the people at the beginning of this passage. It was that compassion and love that drove the rest of his actions. He goes on to heal the people in the group, teach them, and then satisfy their hunger with fish and bread. Jesus showed his love in this passage by meeting the physical needs of the crowd…and then in the middle he met some of their spiritual needs as well!
What can you learn from Jesus’ example in this passage? What can you take away from this account that can or maybe should, shape the way you love others?
