Jesus went to Nazareth, which had been His home, and the people were astonished to hear His wise teaching in the synagogue. Yet they would not believe that He was from God and greater than they, nor would they show Him respect. Instead of listening more, they talked against Him among themselves.
Jesus did not do great miracles there, as in the towns nearby, because of their unbelief. He did, however, heal a few sick ones who, perhaps, believed His words. Instead, He went to teach and help people in other towns.
No Proud Servants
You notice that Jesus sent His disciples to teach people in the same plain, humble way: They were to go even where the roads were rough and stony. Therefore, they needed to wear sandals, but they were not to take an extra coat or scrip (a bag or wallet for food), nor money. They were to go as very poor men and get food on the way as best they could. All this would teach the disciples, and those they went to, that there was to be no pride, and that God’s words were for the poor.
The disciples were given power from Jesus to heal the sick and cast out wicked spirits, and many were healed. Although Jesus and the disciples went about in so humble a manner, the news of the miracles was told in all places. When Herod, the ruler, heard about them, he said the prophet John must be alive again and doing the wonderful things.
Herod had given the awful order for John to be killed, although he knew that John was a holy man of God (vs. 20).
He seemed to want to think that John was alive, so he would no longer be guilty of his death. But he did not go to see if it were John, and he kept on in his proud ways.
Many people who heard of the miracles wanted to see Jesus and came where He and the disciples were, so they had not chance even to eat their meals. Then Jesus told the disciples to come apart to rest, and He went with them in the boat across the Sea of Galilee to land where no people lived.
The Miracle of the Loaves
But the people saw them leaving in the boat, and they hurried along the shore to the same place. When Jesus saw they were waiting for Him there, He was sorry that they had no one to teach them God’s words, and instead of resting, He patiently taught them again.
When evening neared, the disciples spoke to Jesus to send the people to their homes, but He wanted them first to have food, for they had a long distance to walk. The disciples said it would require two hundred pennyworth of bread for so many. A penny was of much greater value in their money than it is to us today, and the men spoke as though they could not buy so much.
Perhaps you know what a wonderful thing Jesus did. He took the five loaves of bread and two fish they already had, gave thanks to God, broke all into pieces, and gave them to the disciples to pass to the people sitting on the grass.
In the hands of Jesus, those few pieces of bread and fish became many, more than enough to supply those five thousand men, beside women and children (Matt. 14:2121And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. (Matthew 14:21)).
Further Meditation
1. How else did the Lord keep His servants humble?
2. What are some of the ways that Jesus showed He cared for His people’s physical needs?
3. If you’d like to meditate more on the Lord Jesus, you’ll no doubt enjoy A Short Meditation on the Moral Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ by J. G. Bellett.