Jesus Feeds the Crowd: Compassion and Provision

Matthew 14

¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.

¹⁴ Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.”

¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”

¹⁸ He said, “Bring them here to me.”

¹⁹ He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.

²⁰ They all ate and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.

²¹ Those who ate were about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.

Mark 6

³⁰ The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.

³¹ He said to them, “Come away into a deserted place, and rest awhile.” For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

³² They went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.

³³ They saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him.

³⁴ Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

³⁵ When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is late in the day.

³⁶ Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat.”

³⁷ But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

³⁸ He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go see.” When they knew, they said, “Five, and two fish.”

³⁹ He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.

⁴⁰ They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.

⁴¹ He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.

⁴² They all ate and were filled.

⁴³ They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish.

⁴⁴ Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Luke 9

¹⁰ The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them and withdrew apart to a desert region of a city called Bethsaida.

¹¹ But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing.

¹² The day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms and lodge and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”

¹³ But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.”

¹⁴ For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

¹⁵ They did so, and made them all sit down.

¹⁶ He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

¹⁷ They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

John 6

¹ After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias.

² A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick.

³ Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples.

⁴ Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

⁵ Jesus therefore, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?”

⁶ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may receive a little.”

⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,

⁹ “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

¹¹ Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down, likewise also of the fish as much as they desired.

¹² When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.”

¹³ So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.”

¹⁵ Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.