08.02.2026- Pentecost 10 - Kris Perkola

In this passage, Jesus feeds over 5,000 people. All four gospels have this story, one of the few Jesus stories to make it into all of them. Matthew chooses to place this story after the death of John the Baptist. When Jesus hears of this cousin’s death, he withdraws from his ministry to grieve, but his crowds of followers seek him out. What Jesus does next is different in the various gospels, but Matthew has Jesus cure the crowds’ sick members. Apparently, there were many who needed healing because before long, it was late in the day. 

Here is where the greater miracle occurs. The disciples want Jesus to send the crowd away, but he tells them to feed the crowd themselves. They reply that they have a small amount of bread and fish, and this is what Jesus multiplies to feed over 5,000 people, with many leftovers. There are twelve baskets full, in fact!

There are many things we can learn about Jesus in this passage. One is that, even while in significant grief, Jesus never stops doing what he does as our savior. This is a theme of the Old Testament as well: God feels emotions deeply, whether it is anger or sadness, but God is never debilitated by those feelings. God keeps being God. 

Jesus also invites his disciples (and us) into ministry alongside him. He tells them to feed the crowd and uses their “seed money” as the basis of his multiplication and feeding of the crowd. We may feel like we have very little to provide for getting ministry going, but Jesus will bring about a multiplication of our efforts to bring about monumental good. And what is leftover, our basketfull, will make for a great foundation for future ministry. 

This passage encourages us to understand that Jesus is truly incredible in both his power and his compassion. We are fortunate to have him as our savior, but also incredibly blessed to be invited into his ministry with his full, divine support.