Well, in the very next chapter - and there it couldn't have been all that much time in between - we see Jesus performing huge miracles, which fulfilled prophecy...
(Matthew 15:30-31) And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them. 31 So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
And again - here's another opportunity for the disciples to click in and think, HEY, we've got Jesus right here! We can ask Him if He could multiply our food again!!! But...
(Matthew 15:32-28) And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” 33 The disciples said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; 36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full. 38 And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
I just have to marvel at Jesus' patience and compassion! How often do we forget? As Christians, God is right here with us.
(1 Corinthians 3:16) Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
And God can help!...
(Matthew 19:26) And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
God wants to help!!!
(Matthew 7:11) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
God wants us to ask Him for help!...
(Matthew 21:21-22) And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Now, if God would just step in and always take care of things, we would DEFINITELY take Him for granted, and begin to think we are the ones taking care of things. Now, let's be clear, as we are abiding in Christ, our requests will be more in tune with God's will...
(1 John 5:14) This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
As we abide in Him - because...
(John 9:31) We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.
God WILL take care of all our NEEDS, because He is an amazing God of love...
(Philippians 4:19) And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now let's go back to the disciples and see what happened right after the second-multitude-feeding-event, and RIGHT AFTER the Pharisees and Sadducees had tried to challenge Jesus...
(Matthew 16:5-12) And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up? 10 Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up? 11 How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Simply put, we need to have less focus on our daily needs and more focus on God and His will for us.
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