Food!
April 18, 2004 - Matthew 14.13-21
Open It
What is your favorite restaurant in all the world? Why?
What food do you never seem to tire of?
Where do you go when you want to be alone?
Explore It
How did Jesus respond to the death of John the Baptist? (14:13)
Who came looking for Jesus? Why? (14:13)
Who met Jesus at the shore? (14:14)
What did Jesus do for the people that came to see Him? (14:14)
What happened when it started getting dark? (14:15)
What did the disciples want Jesus to tell the crowds? Why? (14:15)
How did Jesus respond to the disciples' suggestion? (14:16)
What did Jesus tell the disciples to do for the crowds? (14:16)
How did the disciples react to Jesus' unusual request? (14:17)
After having the crowd sit on the grass, what did Jesus do? (14:19)
How much food did Jesus begin with? (14:19)
How was the food distributed? (14:19)
How much food was available to each person? (14:20)
How much food was left over? (14:20)
How large a crowd was fed? (14:21)
Get It
Why is it important for us to spend regular time alone with God?
What thoughts typically run through your mind when you see a big crowd of people?
Why is it harder to be kind at certain times than at others?
Why should we pray before meals?
What is it about food that breaks down barriers between people and gives us opportunities to talk with them?
How would you have felt in the disciples' shoes?
What does this passage tell you about God?
Apply It
What gift, ability, or resource (no matter how insignificant) will you give to God today so that he can bless it and multiply it?
To what quiet place will you go this week for a couple of hours to get away from your busyness, review your priorities, and let God renew your spirit?
How can you minister to someone in need today?
NOTES
Matthew 14:13-14: Jesus sought solitude after the news of John's death. Sometimes we may need to deal with our grief alone. Jesus did not dwell on his grief, but returned to the ministry he came to do.
Matthew 14:14 Jesus performed some miracles as signs of his identity. He used other miracles to teach important truths. But here we read that he healed people because he "had compassion on them." Jesus was, and is, a loving, caring, and feeling person. When you are suffering, remember that Jesus hurts with you. He has compassion on you.
Matthew 14:19-21: Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed over 5,000 people. What he was originally given seemed insufficient, but in his hands it became more than enough. We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is meager, but he can use and multiply whatever we give him, whether it is talent, time, or treasure. It is when we give them to Jesus that our resources are multiplied.
Matthew 14:21 The text states that there were 5,000 men present, besides women and children. Therefore, the total number of people Jesus fed could have been 10 to 15 thousand. The number of men is listed separately because in the Jewish culture of the day, men and women usually ate separately when in public. The children ate with the women.