Matthew the apostle wrote how, “Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Where should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude”, and in chapter fifteen and verse thirty-seven of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus fed the multitude again where we read:
And they did all eat, and were filled:
and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
The verse reads, “And they did all eat, and were filled:”. Matthew began with the words, “and they did all” which means “and the multitude and crowd each, every, the whole and everyone of the people” “eat” or “consumed and devoured”, “and were filled” which means “were fulfilled and satisfied”. Matthew shared how everyone of the people who were in the crowd ate and were completely physically satisfied.
The verse continues, “and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.” Matthew added the words, “and they took up” which means “the disciples of Jesus gathered, elevated and raised” “of the broken meat” which means “from the torn pieces of the loaves and fishes” “that was left” or “that exceeded the amount necessary to satisfy all the people” “seven baskets full” which means “seven plaited baskets or hampers completely full”. Matthew shared how there were “seven hampers” filled with pieces of loaves and fishes that were left over after all the people were satisfied with food.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how there was no waste of the food which Jesus multiplied for the multitude. Jesus' disciples went through the crowd and collected all the pieces of the leftover loaves and fishes and filled “seven baskets” with the remaining amount. God loves caring for people, and when He sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of the world, every person was given the opportunity to be “fed” and “satisfied” with the overabundance of His ability to “save”. May all who read these words partake of the spiritual nourishment that Jesus supplies by receiving Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” today.
Next time Matthew shares how the multitude fed were, “four thousand men, beside women and children”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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