Matthew 15:29-37
Chapter 15
Multiple Healings
From there, Jesus traveled to the shore of Lake Galilee and then went up into the hills, where he sat down.Great crowds gathered around him, bringing the deaf, the blind, the lame, the crippled, and many others with various illnesses. People carried them to Jesus, and he healed all of them.
Everyone was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the lame walking, the crippled healed, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Feeding the Four Thousand
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 asked him, “And where shall we find enough bread in this wilderness to feed such a crowd?”
Jesus asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
Jesus ordered the people to sit on the ground.
Then, he took the seven loaves and the small fish, gave thanks to God, broke them, and handed them to his disciples to distribute to the people.
They all ate until they were satisfied, and the remaining pieces filled seven wicker baskets.
Commentaries
Multiple Healings.
The next summary Matthew gives takes place on a mountain—the evangelist’s favorite spot for Jesus’ revelations. The context continues to be the pagan world, meaning the needy men and women of all nations and times for whom the reign of God offers final liberation. Matthew describes this liberation through the crowd’s joy as they marvel at how the mute speak, the lame walk, and the blind see (31).
Feeding the Four Thousand.
Was there truly a second multiplication of the loaves? Luke and John mention only one. Matthew (similar to Mk 8:1-10) describes two, but rather than a literal repetition of the miracle, we should see it as an extension of its meaning for the new audience gathered at Jesus’ feet on the mountain: the pagans. They, like the Jewish crowd in the first miracle (14:13-21), have been called to join in the messianic banquet, symbolized by the abundance of bread offered and shared.