Matthew 14:15-21 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away… I. CHRIST'S RETREAT INTO THE DESERT. He sought retirement; multitude intruded, yet Christ was not disappointed or annoyed. II. THE MEN SITTING DOWN TO THE BARLEY LOAVES. 1. There is the want of bread for the congregation in the desert. 2. Jesus asks the disciples what supply they have. 3. Jesus orders the disciples to bring the loaves to Himself. Christ's way of giving us more is to begin with what we have. 4. Jesus next commands the multitude to sit down in order. The multitude needed great faith. We cannot first eat and then believe; must believe and eat. The disciples need faith and courage; sent by Christ on a trying errand — "Give ye them to eat. The foolishness of preaching becomes the power of God. III. THE BREAD BLESSED END MULTIPLIED. 1. Jesus gave thanks to God for the bread in the face of all the multitude. 2. Jesus blesses the bread before he breaks and gives to the people; and His blessing breathed upon it fills the bread with an infinite fulness. Christ is the Bread of Life to the sinner dying for want; sweet to the soul in the desert. 3. Jesus breaks the bread and multiplies in the using; He breaks and distributes to the apostles, and they break and distribute to the people; and probably the people break and distribute to each other. Christ breathes upon and blesses the Word. IV. THE FRAGMENTS REMAINING. 1. After the feast is finished there are many fragments over. 2. Jesus and His disciples live upon these fragments. The fragments are more than the entire supply for the feast. The more we feed on Christ, the more always is there of Christ to feed on; He increases to us. (A. M. Stuart.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. |
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