THE incident of the feeding of the 4000 by Jesus sets before us the same revelation as the feeding of the 5000 recorded in chapter 14:13-21. In both miracles we see the great compassion Jesus had for those in need, and his readiness to supply those needs for all who came to him. We learn of his almighty power in that he controlled the created order revealing himself to be the creator and the Son of God. We learn of his liberality in that he not only fed the crowds of people but provided much more than enough, so that there was plenty of food over for each to take home with them. Can we learn anything more or new from this miracle of the 4000? I believe we can if we see this miracle acted in the temporal realm translated in a revelation of what Jesus does for those who apply to him in the spiritual realm.

The history opens with an account of how Jesus healed all the many people who came to him with bodily ailments and temporal problems. Every person who came to him and applied to him for healing was graciously healed by Jesus. Jesus did not inquire whether they were worthy of his help or whether they deserved it. It was enough that they knew their need and their helplessness to heal themselves, and put their trust in Jesus to help and heal them. Here is a great lesson for our spiritual needs. No person who is burdened with the guilt of their sins, and feel the just wrath of God against them on account of their sins, and know they can't help themselves; if they apply to Jesus and trust in him to cleanse and save them, he will graciously do so. His healing from spiritual sickness will be as powerful and miraculous as anything seen here in the physical realm. Jesus forgives all our sins - not only those we have committed but also those we will commit. He will eternally reconcile us to God and save us from God's wrath against our sins. He will give us new life in our soul so that we are born again, and have the law of God written on our hearts so that we hate disobeying God and want to please him by obedience. This is a far, far greater blessing, and a far, far greater miracle than any of the physical healing Jesus gave. This he will perform because his mission, and why he came into this world, was to seek and to save those who are lost.

But what of those who feel so guilty over their sins and the sinfulness of their hearts that they are afraid to come to Jesus. What about those believers who are weighed down by the failure in their lives and the knowledge how often sin overtakes them. Here is spiritual hunger, and if Jesus does not provide spiritual food for the soul, then such people will perish. We read in verse 32b " Jesus said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry." We see here how much Jesus has compassion for people in need, and this is so for our spiritual hunger as well as for our bodily. We may feel so bad that we can't feel Jesus would help us, but here we see that Jesus looks on our spiritual need and hunger, not to condemn or reject, but knowing our soul's need has compassion on us, and goes out of his way to supply the food for that hunger.

There are places where it is impossible to find a church where real spiritual hunger can be satisfied. The preaching is all dry crusts of human wisdom. It may be served up in a very attractive way, but it has no real taste, and no nourishment for the soul. This feeding of the 4000 assures us that where there is true spiritual hunger, the compassion of Jesus is moved to supply that need. How that need is supplied will be different in each place and for each person, but let us take to heart that if we are spiritually in need and hungry, we will not apply to Jesus in vain. He will see our need of soul and he will not let us go away hungry.

Then there is a lesson here for those who seek to witness and want to witness, and for those ministers who feel they have so little to give people in ministry. They have so little knowledge, and feel they have no gift to even get across to others what little they do know. What is the lesson? We have it set forth for us in this miracle. Jesus asked the disciples what they could provide. They said that they had just seven loaves and a few fish, hardly enough to feed a family let alone a multitude. This was all the disciples could provide, so little in the face of the need. What happened? Jesus took this small provision and he made it adequate to feed all the crowd with abundance left over. So it is in the spiritual realm. We may have so little to offer in service. We may feel our little can achieve nothing. However in the hands of Jesus it can be more than enough to feed many, many souls. What we need to do is to place our little in the hands of Jesus that he may multiply our poverty into riches for many. However when Jesus does this we must never take credit to ourselves or imagine we have been the provider. We must always give all the glory to Jesus, and point people to Jesus as the provider.

Lastly, I was moved with joy at the splendour of the words in v.37 where we read "they all ate and were satisfied." What a wonderful testimony. Jesus completely satisfied the hunger of all these people who trusted in him. This is no less true in the spiritual realm. Those who come to Jesus and apply to him for the food for their souls, and receive what he gives with real faith and obedience, will find that their souls are abundantly satisfied. We may be sure that we can feed on all he provides each time we come to him, for there will be plenty more for us when we come the next day, and the next for all eternity.