And Jesus said unto them,
How many loaves have you?
And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
Read Chapter 15
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Since however they still spoke of the multitude merely, and the place, and the wilderness (for whence, it is said, should we have in a wilderness so many loaves, as to fill so great a multitude?); and not even so understood what He said, He proceeds to contribute His own part, and says unto them,
How many loaves do you have? And they say, Seven, and a few little fishes. Matthew 15:34
And they no more say, But what are these among so many? John 6:9 as they had said before. So that although they reached not His whole meaning, yet nevertheless they became higher by degrees. For so He too, arousing their mind hereby, puts the question much as He had done before, that by the very form of the inquiry He might remind them of the works already done.
But as you have seen their imperfection hereby, so observe the severity of their spirit, and admire their love of truth, how, writing themselves, they conceal not their own defects, great as they were. For it was no small blame to have pre...
Why had he earlier said to his disciples, “Send away the multitude,” but now he does not send them away, even though three days had passed? It may be that they themselves had changed and improved by this time. Or it may be that since the people were glorifying God for what had been done, they had no great sense of hunger. Observe in this instance that he does not proceed immediately to the miracle but calls them out even into the desert. The multitudes who had come for healing were not even daring to ask for food. But he is here seen to be the benevolent and provident one who gives even to those that do not ask. He said to his disciples, “I have compassion and will not send them away hungry.” And lest someone might say that they came having provisions for the way, he noted, “They have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat, so that even if some came with provision, it has by now been consumed.” Therefore Jesus did not do this on the first or second day but only when everyt...
