07/29/2026
The Feeding of the Five Thousand Matthew 14:14–22 -
Sunday's (07/26/26) Gospel Reading
Although Sunday reads from St Matthew's Gospel, this miracle is recorded in all four Gospels. (St Matthew, St Mark St Luke & St John)
When Christ fed the masses that day, He began with only "five barley loaves and two fish" borrowed from a boys lunch (John 6:9). The feeding of Five thousand is truly a miracle, but it is believed that Matthew 14:21 specified males, "besides women and children". Thus, this miracle most likely fed 15,000-20,000.
Jesus called for the bread and fish to be brought to Him (Matthew 14:20) He then gave thanks for the meal, broke the bread, and gave it to His disciples to give to the crowd. (which ate as much as they wanted-John 6:11). Christ did not just meet their needs; He provided much more with left overs - Christians must never believe their resources are too little to serve God. God delights in taking a humble, seemingly insignificant person and using him or her for His glory (Corinthians 1:27)
Such love will be abundantly rewarded, as the twelve filled baskets showed, although this reward may be in the next life, for we are told elsewhere that great is your reward in heaven (Mat 5:12), and Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal (Mat 6:19-20).
Jesus does a very simple thing before having the apostles distribute the food to the people, that we would do well to emulate at all times. And looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude (Mat 14:19, partial).
Before we do any task, or eat any food, we must ask God’s blessing upon it. This is why Orthodox Christians make the sign of the cross so readily. We ask God’s blessing in all that we do. Without this blessing, we cannot expect our actions to be of good effect.
He looks up to heaven and blesses the loaves, as if both to confirm that He is not opposed to God but that He came from the Father and from heaven, and also to teach us to give thanks when we begin a meal and only then to eat” (Blessed Theophylact, commentary of St. Matthew).
There is a mystical meaning to the five thousand, and the five loaves and two fishes.
According to blessed Theophylact: “The five thousand are those who are sick in their five senses, and who are healed by the five loaves.”
Our Lord heals the whole man, all five senses denoting the totality of our physical being, and by extension, our whole essence, including our soul which is diseased and in need of healing.
The Christian who wishes to be saved would do well to be humble himself, and lean not on his own understanding, and look to the church for guidance in all things. May you, O reader, find the repository of all truth, and be fed continually from the bread of life, held in the baskets which you have neither the strength or knowledge to hold on your own.
Then, as now, these words were hard to behold, and require a man to truly believe in Him Who said them.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? {53} Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. {54} Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. {55} For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. {56} He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. {57} As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. {58} This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever (John 6:52-58).
These very words were understood from the beginning by the apostles (after their enlightenment by the Holy Spirit), and have been in the mind of the Church ever since.
Christians should trust that God not only wants to meet the needs of His children, but He wants to lavish His children with spiritual blessings, even to overflowing (Psalm 23:5)
Info summarized from Archpriest Sepahim Holland 2019 & Got questions
