Five Loaves and Two Fish (Matthew 14:13–21)

[Stephan Choe]

June 2, 2026

Key Verse 14:16: “But Jesus said to them, ‘It is not necessary for them to go away; you give them something to eat!’”

In this world, countless people suffer from hunger. According to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), around 870 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. This corresponds to approximately one in eight people of the global population (12%). They need bread.

Furthermore, there are countless people who suffer from spiritual hunger. They make up more than half of all humanity. They are in urgent need of help.

Jesus says to us, “You give them something to eat!”

Let us come to know Jesus’ heart for the hungry and reflect on what we can do for them.

1. Jesus’ Healing (13–14)

John the Baptist preached repentance to the people for the forgiveness of sins. Crowds flocked to him and listened to his preaching. When the regional ruler Herod Antipas heard of Jesus’ ministry, he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has risen from the dead. That is why miraculous powers are at work within him” (1); for he suffered heavily under the burden of guilt that weighed upon him due to his adultery.

For John had called upon Herod Antipas to repent of his adultery. In response, Herod had John thrown into prison.

When Jesus heard of this, he left the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and crossed over to the other shore by boat to seek a time of solitude and to pray to God. He prayed to God at a pivotal moment, seeking guidance for his ministry. When Jesus stepped out of the boat in Bethsaida (Luke 9:10), he saw that a large crowd had gathered there. Did he feel disturbed? Did he say to them: “I came here specifically to have some quiet time. Please, go home this time and come back another day!”?

Verse 14, however, tells us, “And when he stepped ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep compassion for them and healed their sick.” He had great compassion for the crowd.

Why did he have compassion for the crowd?

He had compassion on them because they were sick and hungry and—above all—suffered from a lack of God’s Word.

What did Jesus do for them?

First, he healed the sick. Afterward, he fed the crowd. Finally, he taught them God’s Word. He helped them in every way.

Jesus is our Lord. Therefore, he takes a deep interest in our needs. He knows that we need health, bread, and God’s Word.

2. Jesus Feeds the Multitude (15–18)

Since there were so many sick people, their treatment in his mobile clinic consumed a considerable amount of time. The sun began to set, casting streaks of red across the western horizon.

Jesus’ disciples were concerned about the crowd, “Where is this vast multitude to get their supper? Where are they to spend the night?” Consequently, they felt it would be best if Jesus dismissed them in good time, so that each individual could find bread somewhere and secure a place to stay.

To be honest, at this point, the disciples were also thinking of themselves: “As long as this crowd doesn’t leave, we can’t have our supper. So let’s send this crowd away so that we can eat something in peace.”

Consequently, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “It is already evening, and this is a desolate place. Send the crowd away so that they may go and buy themselves something to eat!” (15).

Their suggestion was reasonable, for everyone ought to provide for their own needs—that is, after all, a fundamental principle of this world.

“Let the people go so that everyone can buy their own bread”—the disciples believed that an individualistic solution was the best solution.

How did Jesus answer them?

But Jesus said to them: “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” (Verse 16).

When the disciples heard Jesus’ words, they must have felt as though they had been struck by a hammer. Surely Jesus knew all too well that every communist nation had failed in its attempts to provide its people with bread. North Korea, for instance, failed miserably in its efforts to feed its population through bread rationing. It is for precisely this reason that all the world’s formerly communist nations have adopted capitalist economic policies and now leave it to each individual to provide for their own bread. Why, then, did Jesus say to His disciples, “You give them something to eat”? Let us reflect on what Jesus intended to teach us through this event.

First and foremost, Jesus taught His disciples—and us—to have a heart for the crowds. When the disciples were initially confronted with such a vast multitude, they could not bring themselves to care for them. Consequently, they suggested to Jesus that He dismiss the crowd so that each individual could go their own way and solve the problem of finding food for themselves.

Jesus, however, wanted His disciples to have a heart for the crowd; for He intended to train them to become shepherds for all the people of this world. If the disciples could not muster the will to care for the crowd right before their very eyes, they could never become good shepherds for them. Therefore, He wanted to teach them to have a heart for the crowd—to care for them, regardless of the apparent impossibility of the situation.

We observe that countless people around the world find themselves in the most diverse predicaments—suffering from hunger, disease, persecution, war, and the like. Regrettably, hunger, disease, persecution, and war have become commonplace occurrences in our world today. Faced with such problems, we are often tempted to close our eyes and ears to them. Yet Jesus desires that we have a heart for these people and pray for them, for all human beings are God’s creation—our brothers and sisters.

The most grave problem on earth, however, is that countless people are heading toward destruction due to unbelief and sin. Outwardly, these people do not necessarily appear wretched—unlike those who are hungry, sick, persecuted, or dying. Quite the contrary: they may appear to be healthy, prosperous, and living in peace. Nevertheless, they are lost souls. A valley of misery and darkness awaits them. It is absolutely essential that we have a heart for them. Jesus desires that we have a heart for all those in need.

Secondly, through this command, Jesus intends to teach his disciples—and us—to place our trust in him.

In response to the disciples' suggestion that the crowd be sent away so they could find food for themselves, Jesus said, "You give them something to eat!" (16).

With these words, he issued his disciples an impossible command: to procure bread for 5,000 people. The disciples possessed nowhere near the sum of money required to do so. And even if they had possessed sufficient funds—where could they have bought enough bread to feed 5,000 people? It was simply impossible.

Why, then, did he say to them: "You give them something to eat!"?

He wanted to teach his disciples to place their trust in him. He wanted them to remember what he had already accomplished. He had healed various people suffering from incurable diseases and calmed the raging sea (Ch. 8). He had even raised Jairus’s deceased daughter from the dead (Ch. 9).

If the disciples kept his omnipotence in mind, they would come to the conviction that he was also capable of providing enough bread for this crowd. He can make the impossible possible.

However, the disciples were not merely to focus on Jesus’s power, but also on his person himself. They were to reflect on who Jesus truly is.

For through this miraculous feeding, Jesus intended to prove that he is the Son of God and the Christ. This constitutes the primary objective of his miraculous deeds. Had the feeding itself been his ultimate goal, he would have repeatedly fed the crowds through his miraculous power, thereby ensuring that no human being would ever have to suffer hunger. However, the primary purpose of this feeding was that we might come to believe in Him as the Son of God and the Christ. Therefore, we should not take an interest in Jesus merely for the sake of obtaining material gain. Rather, we should direct our interest toward the person of Jesus Himself. If our interest in Jesus is driven primarily by the pursuit of material gain, we run the risk of abandoning Him should He cease to grant us tangible benefits. If, however, we are interested in the person of Jesus, we can recognize and confess Him as the Christ and the Son of God—just as Peter did in the sixteenth chapter.

Four books of the New Testament recount the deeds of Jesus and His teachings. We refer to these four books as the four Gospels. What do these accounts seek to convey to us? The Apostle John articulates the primary objective of these accounts as follows: “But these have been written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through faith you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).

Thus, on the basis of these accounts, we are to believe in Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God, so that we may attain eternal life.

Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ. He came into the world to reveal God to us and to die as the sacrificial Lamb for our sin. Subsequently, He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. At the time appointed by God, He will return to judge the world. He will bestow His kingdom upon us.

Third: Jesus desires to bless our small gift.

When Jesus said to the disciples, "You give them something to eat!", they replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish" (17).

Five loaves and two fish for 5,000 people? That seems downright ridiculous. What could possibly be done with such a tiny offering?

What did Jesus say in the face of this tiny gift? Did He laugh at it? Or did He ignore it?

To our surprise, He answered them: "Bring them here to Me!" (18).

He had the crowd sit down on the grass. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up toward heaven, and gave heartfelt thanks to God for this tiny gift. Afterward, He broke the loaves and distributed them to the crowd through the disciples.

We might be inclined to assume that Jesus would look down upon our small gift—simply because it appears tiny or insignificant. Yet, when we offer our small gift to the Lord with a sincere heart and in faith, He blesses it and performs miracles.

In our congregation, Renate serves in a variety of ways—for example, by cooking and playing the piano. The work of cooking is not always accorded high status—and yet, everyone loves to eat! This serves as an example that work which appears insignificant is, in reality, of crucial importance.

The same applies to cleaning work: it, too, is often not highly valued. Those who work as cleaners generally do not earn much money. But what would happen if no one cleaned anymore? The resulting chaos would undoubtedly be a problem. Even worse, however, would be the risk of falling ill. This demonstrates that the work of a cleaner is just as important as that of a doctor. The only difference is that cleaning does not require a university degree. Jesus warmly welcomes every believer who faithfully serves Him with their gifts—even if that service may appear insignificant in the eyes of the world. And He blesses our small sacrifices so that many people may experience God’s divine blessing. Jesus says to us: “You give them something to eat!” Our Lord desires that we do something for others. We are to make Jesus’ desire our own and examine everything we have to offer—no matter how tiny it may seem to us. We are called to bring this gift we have found to Jesus. With our small offering, He can perform a miracle and, through His Word, feed a great multitude.

What might our small contribution to the multitude look like? It could be, for example, a friendly greeting, a small act of assistance, or a heartfelt invitation. Through such gestures, people will open their hearts to Jesus.

If circumstances permit, we can invite one or two friends to a Bible study or a worship service so that they may come to know Jesus and experience salvation. Andrew, one of Jesus’ disciples, for instance, invited his brother Simon to come to Jesus (John 1:40). In a sense, Simon was the “five loaves and two fish” for Andrew. And Jesus transformed Simon into the Apostle Peter and, through him, fed countless people throughout the world.

What we can do for the multitude may seem insignificant in our own eyes. Yet Jesus blesses our small contribution and performs miracles. In this way, He feeds the world with heavenly bread.

Fourthly, Jesus thanks God for our small offering (19).

What did Jesus say to the disciples when they reported to Him that they had nothing more than five loaves of bread and two fish? Did He say, "That is too little!"?

No. Rather, He said to them: "Bring them here to Me!" When they brought Him the five loaves and the two fish, He accepted them and thanked God with all His heart for their sacrifice.

As Jesus thanked God for this tiny offering and distributed it among the crowd, a miracle occurred. The loaves and the fish multiplied, so that 5,000 people were able to eat their fill.

When we thank God for our tiny offering and share it with others, God blesses it and multiplies it, so that many people are blessed through this gift. It is not the quantity of what we offer to God that is decisive. Rather, what is decisive is that we bring the offering to God out of faith. God accepts it and blesses it.

In Our City

In our city alone, there are countless students and people who are hungry. They need the Bread of Life. By our own strength alone, we cannot help them. So what should we do?

We can look for five loaves and two fish and bring them to Jesus. Our prayers, our friendly greetings, and our invitations are our five loaves and two fish. The Lord Jesus will then accept our tiny offering and, through it, accomplish His wonderful work. This we must believe. Out of faith in God, we should look for five loaves and two fish and bring them to Jesus.