JESUS’ GREAT COMPASSION

Passage: Matthew 15:29-39

Key verse: 32

NIV

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(A)(B)(C)

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(D) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(E)

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(F) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(G) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(H) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

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Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Jesus Heals Many

29 (A)Jesus went on from there and walked (B)beside the Sea of Galilee. And he (C)went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them (D)the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 (E)so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, (F)the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And (G)they glorified (H)the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

32 (I)Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, (J)“I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, (K)“Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and (L)having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And (M)they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of (N)Magadan.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Jesus and his disciples left the region of Tyre and Sidon and went along the Sea of Galilee. They were met by great crowds of people, most likely Gentiles, since they refer to God as the God of Israel (31; cf Mark 7:31, the Decapolis was primarily a Gentile area). They brought the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others in need of healing. For three days, Jesus healed them. The mute spoke, the lame walked, and the blind saw. God’s healing power was very present.

After three days of healing ministry, Jesus called his disciples to him. His compassion had not ended but continued (32). Before sending them on their way, Jesus desired to feed all the people who had gathered but had nothing to eat. Jesus’ compassion extended to all their needs – and his compassion extends to all our needs too.

Jesus invited his disciples to share in his compassion. His disciples wondered where they could get bread in that remote place. He asked them what they had. They only had seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Jesus miraculously multiplied what they had and fed all the people with food left over. Four thousand men, besides women and children, were fed. Praise the God of Israel for his great compassion for sinners like us!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your compassion for us. Help me to have compassion for others.

One Word: “I have compassion for these people.”