From there, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee, and then went up into the hills, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the dumb, the blind, the lame, the crippled, and many with other infirmities. People carried them to the feet of Jesus, and he healed them. All were astonished when they saw the dumb speaking, the lame walking, the crippled healed, and the blind able to see; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “I am filled with compassion for these people; they have already followed me for three days and now have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, or they may faint on the way.” His disciples said to him, “And where shall we find enough bread in this wilderness to feed such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They answered, “Seven, and a few small ?sh.”
Jesus ordered the people to sit on the ground. Then, he took the seven loaves and the small ?sh, and gave thanks to God. He broke them and gave them to his disciples, who distributed them to the people.
They all ate and were satisfied, and the leftover pieces filled seven wicker baskets.
REFLECTION
This is a beautiful episode of healing and feeding. Jesus was not only concerned with their physical infirmities and hunger, He also dealt with their spiritual maladies and want. Thus He is not a social worker dealing with earthly problems, nor a spiritual leader concerned only with the spiritual being of those around Him but the Lord and Savior who comes to bring wholeness and completeness to persons. The disciples didn’t know this yet. They are still at a loss with regard to their Master’s mission. Thus they continuously misunderstand Him. It is only through the Lord’s patient mentoring that the disciples will understand that what Jesus does here on earth anticipates the things that will come in the future.
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