Matthew 15:34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They no longer question, “But what is this for such a multitude?” (John 6:9) as they once did. Although their understanding did not come all at once, they gradually gained a deeper insight. He, engaging their thoughts, posed the question similarly as before to evoke a recollection of the previous miracle through the very form of His inquiry. Yet, you, who observe their shortcomings, also recognize their discerning intellect and admire their quest for truth, as they candidly acknowledge their own significant failings in their writings. It is indeed a considerable error to quickly forget a recent miracle; the Lord admonishes them for this lapse. Additionally, acknowledge their wisdom in another way: they seemed to care little for bodily needs and seldom focused on sustenance.

We have previously discussed this sign, so rather than reiterate our earlier points, let's focus solely on the discrepancies between these two occurrences. In the earlier passage, we read that when evening came, His disciples approached Him saying, "This place is deserted" (Mt 14:15). In contrast, the Lord, after calling His disciples, expresses His compassion for the crowd, stating, "I am sorry for the people, because for three days they have been with Me." Notably, in one instance, five loaves and two fish were present, while here, there are seven loaves and some fish. Additionally, in the former scenario, the multitude reclined on the grass, whereas in this one, they sit on the ground.

In light of the miracle involving the five loaves, I inquired as well (Mark 6:38); yet they failed to grasp its significance. If you lament their lack of understanding, noting how quickly they overlooked the recent miracle, let us also appreciate their profound love for the truth, as they openly acknowledge their own failings in recounting the event. Observe the authority they had over the physical realm. They were in the desolate place for the third day, carrying with them seven loaves of bread.

The Lord addressed the disciples, who failed to understand, with a fresh inquiry: 'JESUS asked them, How many loaves do you possess? AND THEY RESPONDED, SEVEN, ALONG WITH SOME FISH. St. John Chrysostom comments on this, noting that it is indeed a significant flaw to quickly overlook a recent miracle, for this is what the Lord admonishes them for.

At the end of His time with them, after providing numerous lessons that the audience attentively absorbed for several days, the Lord presented them with physical sustenance. Through His blessing, seven loaves and a few fish were multiplied to feed around four thousand individuals, not including women and children, and the disciples collected additional leftovers that filled seven baskets, corresponding to the number of loaves.

Clearly denote two fish, whereas in the latter account it is stated somewhat vaguely as a few fish (Mt. 34; Mk. 7). Moreover, during the first miracle, there were 12 baskets of leftovers collected, while in the second instance, there were 7. The Gospel of Matthew distinctly notes that 4,000 men were fed, not including their wives and children.

The confusion experienced by the apostles was swiftly alleviated when Jesus enacted the miraculous multiplication of bread once more, enabling Him to nourish a crowd of four thousand, not including women and children. Following this miracle, seven baskets of scraps were gathered.

This wondrous event drew a large crowd to the Savior, who were eager to listen to His teachings and to witness His miracles. Once again, by the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Christ performed the miraculous act of nourishing the multitudes, feeding four thousand men, in addition to women and children, with seven loaves and five small fish.

The account of the second multiplication of the loaves and the subsequent feeding of the multitude echoes the first miracle (Matthew 14:14-21) and does not necessitate extensive elaboration. Jesus remarked, "For three days now they have been with Me." He wanted to clarify that if anyone suggested the crowd had brought their own food, such a claim would be unfounded; He observed they had been with Him for three days, indicating that if they had come prepared, their provisions would have run out. Thus, He did not perform the miracle on the first or second day but chose the moment when their supplies were depleted, allowing them to receive the miracle with heightened anticipation.

In order to reinforce the memory of the earlier miracle, Jesus Christ posed the same question to His disciples as He had during the initial feeding of the multitude: “How much bread do you have?” This inquiry required the disciples to reflect on their own resources and acknowledge their inadequacy to feed the large crowd. They replied, "Seven loaves and a few fish."