Compassionate

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

-  Can you see the complete contrast between yesterday's passage and today's? Yesterday, we saw a selfish ruler execute one of God's prophets to save face. In today's passage, we see a humble King who draws crowds of people with His kindness. People journey from all over to see Jesus, and there is something about Him that attracts them. He is compassionate and generous; He sees the hungry crowds and seeks to provide for their needs. He is a leader who cares deeply for His followers. This is the type of leader the people have been longing for. This stark contrast between Herod and Jesus reveals just how wonderful a king Jesus is.

Miraculous Provision

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

- In a situation that seems impossible, we see that Jesus trusts in God's ability to provide. After Jesus looks to heaven and gives thanks to His father, the five loaves and two fish multiply to feed a crowd of five thousand men, plus women and children! I wonder how the disciples felt as they were handing out all that food. It must have been mind-blowing. Everyone eats until their stomachs are filled, and there are still twelve baskets left over. What a miraculous provision from only a few loaves and fish! Jesus shows us that rather than trusting in what we can offer God, we should trust in God's power to do great things with the little we can give Him.