←
Explanation for:
Matthew
14
:
15
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying: This is a desert place, and the hour is now past: send away the multitudes, that going into the towns, they may buy themselves victuals.
12
more explanations
& daily audio-books
spoken by
– enjoy in Theosis App –
Start your
Bible-journey
with explanations
& daily audio-books
only 4$* per month
{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"All is steeped in mystery. He left Judea and journeyed to a desolate area, where the crowds pursued Him, abandoning their towns. Jesus approached them, filled with compassion, and healed the afflicted among them. He performed these acts not in the morning or at dawn, nor at midday, but in the evening, when the Sun of righteousness had set."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Christ aims to provide sustenance for the crowd. However, He does not initiate this act on His own; instead, He patiently waits for them to approach Him with a request, adhering to the principle that no miracle should occur unless prompted. Why did none of the people approach Him to ask for nourishment? They held Him in great esteem, and their yearning to be close to Him caused them to set aside their hunger. Likewise, His disciples did not suggest, \\"Feed them,\\" as they were still lacking in understanding. What did they express? Ultimately, the disciples came to Him, saying, \\"The location is desolate, and the hour is late; let the people depart so they can purchase food for themselves.\\" If the disciples overlooked the miracle after it had taken place and when the crowd misinterpreted Christ’s reference to leaven as pertaining to bread, it is even more understandable that they did not anticipate such a wonder beforehand (Matthew 16:16). Although Christ had already healed many, the disciples still did not expect a miracle concerning the loaves. Clearly, their understanding was still quite limited.\\n\\nConsider the wisdom of the Master in how effectively He guides them toward belief. He did not abruptly declare, \\"I will provide for them,\\" as that would have been hard for them to accept. Instead, Jesus told them, \\"You give them something to eat.\\" He did not state, \\"I will give,\\" but rather, \\"You shall give,\\" since they viewed Him as merely a man. Even after this clarification, their understanding did not develop; rather, they responded in a simplistic manner, saying, \\"We have here only five loaves and two fish.\\" Thus, Mark the Evangelist observes that they failed to comprehend His words due to the hardness of their hearts (Mark 6:52). Because they remained hesitant in their understanding, the Lord Himself begins to take action."},{"author-name":"Cyrill of Alexandria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a8ea5c988a4fc073480_Cyrill%20of%20Alexandria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"Let us take a closer look at the concept of release. Some individuals who accompanied Christ, troubled by unclean spirits, sought liberation, while others yearned for restoration from their ailments. The disciples recognized His ability to meet the needs of those who were suffering at His command, so they expressed, “Let them go,” not out of indifference, but rather out of compassion for the people, as if they were already engaging in pastoral care and beginning to show concern for the nations."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The disciples exhibit a deep love for humanity as they show concern for others, desiring that no one should go hungry."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The people refrained from eating, as their desire to listen surpassed their physical hunger (Luke 9:12). Consequently, Christ, desiring to nourish them in a miraculous way, patiently awaited a fitting moment so that it wouldn't seem as though He was rushed to demonstrate His power. This approach was consistent in His ministry, allowing them to fully appreciate the miracle when the moment of their need arose."},{"author-name":"Nicephoros (Theotokis)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8958407451968d9c204fb_Nicephoros%20(Theotokis).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":18,"exegesis-text":"As evening approached, the holy apostles, noticing the large crowd of hungry individuals and recognizing the barrenness of the surroundings, approached Christ, the Good Shepherd, with deep compassion for their neighbors and a sense of pastoral duty. They said to Him, “This place is deserted, and the hour is late; the people will struggle to find food here. Let them depart to the nearby villages and purchase provisions for themselves.” It is noted that Matthew recorded the disciples’ words, while John recounts that Jesus posed a question to Philip, asking, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5). It is essential to understand that the accounts of these Evangelists are not contradictory. John detailed the initial inquiry from Jesus, which Matthew did not include, stating that Jesus, having raised His eyes and observed the great crowd, asked Philip about the means to provide bread for them. Following this, the disciples presented Jesus with what Matthew mentions. John’s account is insightful, reinforcing that God is aware of our needs before we voice them and, in His loving kindness, seeks to provide for us. This realization instills hope in our hearts toward God, fostering confidence and growth in our faith. But how did Jesus respond when His disciples brought these matters to His attention?"},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As evening approached, the disciples, who had considered the situation thoughtfully, approached Him and expressed, \\"THE PLACE IS DESOLATE and it is late; let the crowd depart to the nearby villages to procure food for themselves.\\" St. Chrysostom remarks that if the disciples could overlook the miracle even after it had occurred, it is understandable that they could not anticipate something so extraordinary before witnessing it themselves."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The hour is advanced, which can be understood to mean that a specific time for evening meals has already arrived. This could refer to the typical time for supper or signify that the day's moments are dwindling, indicating that the appointed time has progressed."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The extraordinary event of feeding over five thousand individuals with just five loaves and two fish took place when the apostles reached a desolate shoreline, devoid of any shelter. The throngs who awaited Jesus found themselves without lodging or provisions. As dusk approached, they implored Jesus to send the people away, saying, “The place is deserted and the time is late; let the people go, so that they may go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” However, Jesus replied, “They need not go, but let them eat.” He then ascended the mountain where He sat with the apostles, and the crowds followed Him. \\n\\nIn an effort to test the faith of His disciple Philip, Jesus pointed to the approaching multitude and posed the question, “Where can we buy bread to feed them?” Philip responded, “We do not have the means to buy bread for such a crowd, for they would not have enough bread for two hundred denarii, so that each of them might have a little.” Unaware that the One who resurrected the dead and healed the blind, mute, and paralyzed could also provide for the hungry, the apostle Andrew, who was Peter's brother, mentioned to Jesus, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what is that for such a multitude?” (John 6:7)."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As evening approached, the sun was already dipping below the hills to the west, yet the crowd remained captivated by the healing words and sacred teachings of Christ. Soon night would descend, and following the brief twilight typical of the East, the eager throng would find themselves in darkness, lacking both food and proximity to any settlements. The disciples grew anxious that this day might conclude with an unfortunate event, providing further opportunity for the adversaries of their Lord to attack."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As the hours slipped by and dusk approached, the disciples approached Jesus, saying, “This place is desolate, and the hour is late; send the crowd away so they may go into the nearby villages and buy themselves food, for they have nothing to eat.”"},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As the people journeyed from various cities to Jerusalem for the upcoming festival, the excitement surrounding Jesus' teachings grew. Following John's death, their admiration and focus on Him intensified, resulting in larger crowds gathering around Him daily. However, the Lord did not plan to go to Jerusalem, as His appointed time had not yet arrived (John 7:6, 8). With the whispers of Herod's intentions and for the reassurance of His disciples, He chose to retreat with them to a quiet location—Bethsaida, situated on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee. This town was part of the Golan region and was under the governance of Philip, Herod Antipas' brother (Luke 9:10). They made their way across the lake, but the people followed along the shoreline. Realizing that His retreat was futile, the Lord began to teach the crowds about the kingdom of heaven and compassionately healed the sick among them. As the day wore on, the people remained with Him despite their lack of food."}]}
Support this project and get full access for only 4$/month
Commentarie text can’t be scrolled on PC at the moment. Please use your phone. We’re working on a fix.
