Previous to today’s readings, Jesus and his disciples have been on the boat seeking some alone time from the great crowds. The crowds have figured out where they are going to arrive and wait there for them.
34 As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
As their boat comes to the shore, the large crowds are waiting for them and Jesus sees that they were like entirely dependant on where he was going. They had oriented themselves around him even though they were previous out at sea. Jesus sees them as sheep without a shepherd because of this, he positions himself as their shepherd and teaches them many things. Matthew does not specify what these things are but it is likely things we have heard before in parables.
35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late;
36 send them away, to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat.”
After several hours have passed, likely late evening, Jesus’ disciples approach him to tell him that he should bring an end to his teaching because of the hour of day. They said he should send them away so they can purchase food for themselves in the towns. This means Jesus, his disciples and the crowds are out in the wilderness by the shore, not in an urban environment. They have been waiting on Jesus all day with no food to eat and nowhere to get any.
37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?”
Jesus tells his disciples that they should give the crowds something to eat, assuming that he does not know how much food they actually have, they ask him if he means for them to go and purchase enough bread for five thousand people to eat.
38 And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”
Jesus did not mean for them to purchase more bread, he intends on doing a miracle, unfortunately they do not fully believe yet, so he asks how much bread do they have, he likely already knows the answer to this but he wants to demonstrate a sign to them. They respond with “five, and two fish.”
39 Then he commanded them all to sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.
Jesus commands the five thousand to sit down in groups upon the green grass. This might be pasture land near the shore. They sit down in groups of fifties and hundreds. Probably groups of families sat together in their communities.
41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all.
Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish and looks up to heaven. He blesses the loaves and broke them, giving them to the disciples first who set it before the people. This order of events is important as it mirrors that of the Last Supper, Jesus looks up to heaven, blesses the bread, breaks it and gives it to his disciples but here in the feeding of the five thousand we see the a type of the eucharistic meal practised by the Church, the Ministers of Jesus set the bread before the people. Jesus also divides the fish among them as well.
42 And they all ate and were satisfied.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.
44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Every person ate and was satisfied, they did not need any more than was given them, twelve baskets are filled with the broken pieces of bread and fish. Obviously a grand miracle of food multiplication has occurred and not some “miracle of sharing” as modern interpreters have claimed. The detail of twelve baskets also differs to the feeding of the four thousand where there are seven baskets full. These are in fact separate miracles done for different peoples. This feeding of the five thousand is for Jews only, the twelve baskets filled with their leftovers are literal and symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel, the fullness of the Israelites that has been missing until Jesus arrived.
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