"You give them something to eat."

Matthew 14:16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

This statement by Jesus has always intrigued me. What did he mean when he said this? (this is in reference to the feeding of the 5000).

I have my thoughts but I wanted to hear your thoughts.

I have also been perplexed by Jesus' statement in the storm when the boat was being swamped-- "Ye of little faith." What is he implying they should have done while he was sleeping?

Please share your thoughts.

Well, taken at face value Jesus seemed to be saying "You feed them" and "You should have calmed the storm."

Matthew 14:16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

The similar incidence in John 6 says this - Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” 6 This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.

So Jesus said those lines to test them. He wanted them to accept their inability to feed the people but also tested whether they had a desire to feed them and give whatever was in their hands. I apply these verse often in church context, many times all we have in a church meeting will be few verses to share, but when we give it back to Jesus, he will multiply it to make it as a food to many.

I have also been perplexed by Jesus' statement in the storm when the boat was being swamped-- "Ye of little faith."

Sree- I believe you are likely correct in your statements.

Why do you think Jesus said "You give them something to eat?"

The explanation of it being a test makes sense, but in so doing Jesus had to tell them to do something he knew they could not do (or COULD they?).

Its kind of like if my 5 year old grandson asks me to drive him to get ice cream and I say "You drive yourself to get ice cream." I am not sure how that can be called a test--- teasing yes, but not a test.

Yes Sree is right.
Todd, I think you are over analysing it. Maybe your legal mind? :)

It common to say things like that to draw out a persons hearts and open them up to what you want to show them. In this instance the Lord wanted to teach them how they could feed a multitude if they surrended to Him the little they had so He could bless it and multiply it.

Edit: Regarding the boat in the storm, I recently heard someone preach on this. He brought out an interesting point. There were many other boats out on the lake at the same time. Obviously they were also struggling against the storm as well. If you had to be in a boat that day, then the best one to be in was the one with Jesus, the creator of the wind and waves! However this point seems to have missed the disciples, as it often does us in our storms.

Is there any significance to the fact that both Elijah and Elisha multiplied bread?

That's a good point about the storm and the other boats- I just read that today in Matthew Henry's commentary. I guess i just never got why Jesus rebuked them- their boat was getting ready to sink, they get scared (pretty natural for non-swimmers) and they wake Jesus because they know if anyone can fix it- He can. Then he says they don't have any faith.

If anything it shows His standard is set pretty high!

It is an issue of God being your [g]od. Your true source of life.

The Disciples said they believed that Jesus was the Christ but their actions showed their faith wasn't fully realized because they actually weren't fully sure so they expected things to work out in a natural way.

The issue of God being your god is so [revealing] [it] that comes up several times in the prophets as a sign that the people had come to know and really believe Him. [This is shown as a sign after vet severe judgement or testing.]

[There is the profound issue of God fulfilling His word. The fact that Christ's entire life was the fulfillment of prophecy meant that he couldn't die before giving His life on the cross. The Disciples seemed to be versed and prepared to understand these things. This is a similar issue to people to up take God at His word who upon being brought to nothing must actually rely on Him to supply their daily bread, clothing, housing and so on. We know that some like the Disciples in this situations stop walking in faith and sink. Interestingly, I think there are times where God has not called them to something and He appears to fail. However, these people were already provided for and God had not called them into some situation. I don't understand this completely but it seems to deal with a lack of intimacy and fellowship. It's like God stating that there were prophets that He didn't send but who spoke in His name anyway and brought words of their own imaginations.]

Edited for clarity

Edit 2: added more content

The explanation of it being a test makes sense, but in so doing Jesus had to tell them to do something he knew they could not do (or COULD they?).

Its kind of like if my 5 year old grandson asks me to drive him to get ice cream and I say "You drive yourself to get ice cream." I am not sure how that can be called a test--- teasing yes, but not a test.

Yes Jesus has done that kind of teasing quite a few times! One thing I can think of is,

John 5:5 A man was there who had been [d]ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, "Do you wish to get well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus *said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

Jesus knowing that this man was ill for 39 years, asked him, 'do you wish to get well?'. I find that big teasing!

But looking into the complete context, it appears that Jesus wanted to see if he has come to a desperate point at which he believes there is no more man can help him. There were other ill people in that pool but they all put their trust on their relatives to take them in.

Tod,this is my thoughts:
In Jesus'actions,He was always speaking after The Spiritual.
The totality: "Man shall not live by bread alone,but by ever Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."...Who is The Word,...He who speaketh to us,through The Spirit.).... Who want's us to have Life,.. His Life.

* The keys to the kingdom of God,as Peter was admonished by Jesus,because of Spiritual discernment by Peter, he was given the keys into the kingdom of God,...because of the mindset of The Spirit, and not the flesh, at work in him and in us. ...This is the daily Bread that The Lord wants to give us,..for our Life,..which is His Life working in us,, ( "I am The Bread of Life"),.and always some left over,and for us to give to others,...an unending supply for everyone .

And later ,He tells Peter to, "Feed my sheep"
And ,we know Jesus sent all His Disiples out to feed people this Spiritual
Bread.
If we look at the things that Jesus did in the physical,...it was emphasizing the Spiritual,...

The Bread of Life:.. that is ment to heal the Spiritual ---

*ears,(Spiritual ears,that we may hear Spiritually)
*eyes, (Spiritual eyes,that we may see Spiritually)
*lame/cripple(our walk)
*dead, (Lazarus), (that we may be raised from the dead)
...........and many more
Plus The Bread,of continental feeding that we need.
And notice too,...very important!... It is Jesus that first hands it out,...our source.
True Bread,must first come from Him, (although it may come through
'True Disciples'

I too, am passing this Bread on,

Blessing,
-----------------
elizabeth

Thanks for all the input everyone!

Mt.15:32----
Jesus had 'compassion' on the people,...and on us today too.

Three day, a number of death,....in the 'WILDERNESS'

Note verse 36,... that Jesus took the seven loaves,.....broke them,AND Gave to his disciples,...and the disciples to the people,.. the multitude.

REMARKABLE !

Then,the disciples : when they were come to the other side,... had crossed over-
They had 'FORGOTEN' to take Bread. .. (note:we must eat Bread, every day) or what will we have to 'give out' ?

Then If we do not have the Bread,that comes from God,which God puts the anointing to/ with, ... making it active,... then next verse,Jesus says,
"Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
Must give Jesus'Bread,... The anointed,active Bread, that He causes to rise /alive/active,..and not our own that we may try to put the yeast rising power in.

Thank you bro.Todd, some remarkable scriptures.

Blessings to you,
--------------
elizabeth

We notice that Jesus was IN the boat with them,....was He inactive,..He was asleep. - Doesn't it seem ..sometimes,that He is inactive in the storms that come upon us ?
We must remain in the boat,..and if we know that we are His children,then we know that He knows all about this storm,that we are in.

Moses was shut in w/God,..He knew God,..he heard God'voice, and he 'TRUSTED' God, ( the allknowing One)

"Abrahams Faith"
Abraham knew God, heard the voice of God, obeyed God,.....'TRUSTED' God. no matter how hard,and against he own will,it was,....in this storm.

Continuing thoughts,
---------------
elizabeth

Dear Sister Sherry,

You were talking about 'the work of faith.'
I was just giving this some thought,....and little elaboration.

I see faith,as to HEARING God' voice,believing/knowing it was God'voice,and obeying.

True Faith beget's works:
Faith:
* Hearing
*Believing
*Obeying

.........the faith of Abraham

And faith as it pertains to us-
That is why faith without works is dead.
Faith,..a responce to God

Faithfulness,
---------------
elizabeth

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Edit :
I am sorry,...l wrote much more before I wrote this, and LOST it.

----------
elizabeth

Jesus' example of feeding the 5000 with the 7 loaves of bread,..we see through the eyes of the Spirit-

Jesus' every effort was to point/ or/ encourage us to LIFE, EVERLASTING
LIFE-...."I Am The Bread of LIFE" that a "man can eat of this Bread, and LIVE forever "
As a new born, and on and on, we know that we must eat His Bread always.
Jesus' emphasis was on the Spiritual-

Now,Opposite from the Spiritual Bread:
"Take no thought for your life,..what he shall eat or....

Jn.6:48, Jesus says,..
I"am that bread of life."
49 "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead."
50 "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die."
51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

......We eat Bread with Him in His kingdom,...where an entrance has been made for us ,of entering in through His Precious Blood.

,Jn.6:63,....."the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

Lk.11:28,Jesus says,
28 ¶ But he said, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."

(The true Bread that comes down from heaven,....the Word [s] of God)

Lovingly,
-------------------
elizabeth

Sorry,
I said 'Moses' was shut in w/ God in the boat,....I really meant to say,
'Noah' heard the voice of God, he knew God, and he was shut in the boat w/God.

Of course we know that Moses too,heard the Words/Voice of God.

Please bear w/me-
-----------------
elizabeth