And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
All Commentaries on Matthew 14:21 Go To Matthew 14
John Chrysostom
AD 407
It is a proof of the faith of these multitudes that they endured hunger in waiting for the Lord even till evening; to which purpose it follows, “And when it was evening, his disciples came unto him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past. "The Lord purposing to feed them waits to beasked, as always not stepping forward first to do miracles, but when called upon. None out of the crowd approached Him, both because they stood in great awe of Him, and because in their zeal of love they did not feel their hunger. But even the disciples do not come and say, Give them to eat; for the disciples were as yet in an imperfect condition; but they say, “This is a desert place. "So that what was proverbial among the Jews to express a miracle, as it is said, "Can he spread a table in the wilderness?” this also He shows among his other works. For this cause also He leads them out into the desert, that the miracle might be clear of all suspicion, and that none might suppose that any thing was supplied towards the feast from any neighbouring town. But though the place be desert, yet is He there who feeds the world; and though the hour is, as they say, past, yet He who now commanded was not subjected to hours. And though the Lord had gone before His disciples in healing many sick, yet they were so imperfect that they could not judge what He would do concerning food for them, wherefore they add, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns, and buy themselves food.” Observe the wisdom of the Master; He says not straightway to them, ‘I will give them toeat;’ for they would not easily have received this, but, “Jesus said to them, They need not depart, Give ye them to eat.”.
Yet not even by these words were the disciples set right, but speak yet to Himas to man; “They answered unto Him, We have here but five loaves and two fishes.” From this we learn the philosophy of the disciples, how far they despised food; they were twelve in number, yet they had but five loaves and two fishes; for things of the body were contemned by them, they were altogether possessed by spiritual things. But because the disciples were yet attracted to earth, the Lord begins to introduce the things that were of Himself; “He saith unto them, Bring them hither to me.”Wherefore does He not create out of nothing the bread to feed the multitude with? That He might put to silence the mouth ofMarcion and Manichaeus, who take away from God His creatures, for this is no less a deed than that. For of five loaves to make so many loaves, and ashes in like manner, is no lessa thing than to bring fruits from the earth, reptiles and other living things from the waters; which showed Him to be Lord both of land and sea. By the example of the disciples also weought to be taught, that though we should have but little, we ought to give that to such as have need. For they when bid to bring their five loaves say not, Whence shall we satisfy our own hunger? but immediately obey; “And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took they five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven blessed them, and brake. "To prove these two things therefore, He works His miracles at times with power, at other times with prayer. It should be considered also that in lesser things He looks to heaven, but in greater Hedoes all with power. When He forgave sins, raised the dead, stilled the sea, opened the secrets of the heart, opened the eyes of him that was born blind, which were works only of God, He is not seen to pray; but when He multiplies the loaves, a work less than any of these, He looks up to heaven, that you may learn that even in little things He has no power but from His Father. And at the same time He teaches us not to touch our food, until we have returned thanks to Him who gives it us. For this reason also He looks up to heaven, because His disciples had examples of many other miracles, but none of this.
In doing which He not only honoured them, but would that upon this miracle they should not be unbelieving, nor forget it when it was past, seeing their own hands had borne witness to it. Therefore also He suffers the multitudes first to feel the sense of hunger, and His disciples to come to Him, and to ask Him, and He took the loaves at their hands, that they might have many testimonies of that which was done, and many things to remind them of the miracle. From this that He gave them, nothing more than bread and fish, and that He set this equally before all, He taught them moderation, frugality, and that charity by which they should have all things in common. This He also taught them in the place, in making them sit down upon the grass; for He sought not to feed the body only, but to instruct the mind. But the miracle ended not here; for He caused to abound not only whole loaves, but fragments also; to show that the first loaves were not so much as what was left, and that they who were not present might learn what had been done, and that none might think that what had been done was a phantasy; “And they took up fragments that were left, twelve baskets full.”.
For this reason also He caused twelve baskets to remain over and above, that Judas might bear his basket. He took up the fragments, and gave them to the disciples and not to the multitudes, who were yet more imperfectly trained than the disciples.
This was to the very great credit of the people, that the women and the men stood up when these remnants still remained.
