Jesus Feeds the Multitude

(Gospel of John 6:1 - 6:15)

Afterwards, Jesus crossed to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  A large crowd continued to follow him because they had witnessed the miracles he had performed in healing the sick.  Jesus climbed a hill and sat there with his disciples about him.  (It was nearly time for the observance of the Jewish Passover.)  When he noticed a huge crowd of people coming up the hill, he turned to Philip and asked him, "Where can we buy food for all these people?"  He asked this of Philip only to see how he would respond, for Jesus had already decided what he was going to do.

Philip answered, "Why 200 denarii, 6 month's wages, wouldn't be enough to give all these people any more than a bite!"

Another disciple, Andrew, the brother of Simon-Peter, spoke up, "There's a boy here who has 5 small loaves of barley bread and 2 small fish -- but how far will they go to feed so many?"

Jesus announced, "Tell everyone to sit down."  There was plenty of grass on the slopes and all the people, who numbered 5000, sat down upon it.  Jesus took the loaves of bread and, after saying grace, passed them out among the people who sat there.  Then, he likewise distributed the fish, giving every person as much as he wanted.  When everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, "Pick up the leftovers so that nothing will be wasted." 

When the leftover pieces of bread were gathered up by the disciples, they filled 12 baskets -- just the scraps left by those who eaten the 5 barley loaves!

When the people realized the miracle that had just been accomplished, they began to talk among themselves,  "Surely this the Prophet who was to come into the world."   Jesus, though, saw that they were going to mob him and acclaim him their king, so he retreated to the hills to be by himself.

Notes
1.  Jesus has gained such a reputation that he has thousands of people following him.  They do so not to hear his preaching, his message, but to witness the miracles he is performing.  There would also probably be a number of the sick who came to him to be healed.  Jesus does not use the opportunity, an audience of 5000 seated on a grassy hillside, to preach.  Instead, he decides to feed them and show off with a flashy miracle.

2.  Feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes is one of several Gospel miracles that cannot be explained or explained away.  If it did indeed occur, some supernatural agency must have been involved.  Jesus did not likely have a cache of bread and fish hidden in the hills so that, with sleight of hand, he could refill the baskets as he distributed provisions to the masses.

3.  The crowd recognizes Jesus as a prophet or, perhaps, the Prophet, but they want to make him their king.  Jesus takes off to the hills to get away from them.  It is strange the people do not wish to hear what Jesus has to say.  Nor do they treat him with what one would expect to be the obligatory reverence due a prophet.