The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 76

'Vera. 13-21 (see also Mark vi. 32--44; Luke ix. 10-17; John vi. 2-14).-7'/u, sacrament-miracle. Distinguish this miracle of the feeding the five thousand, so glorious in all its incidents, and with its full fourfold narration, from that of the feeding the four thousand, recorded by Matthew (xv. 32--39) and Mark (viii. 1-9) only. Lead to-the consideration of this miracle by dwelling briefly on- . I. THE MOTIVES OF THIS MIRACLE. There was one leading motive-a kind human compassion, a condescending memory of the bodily want of the multitude of people, and a gentle consideration of the same. We may imagine tha\ the mixture of" women and children n among the repeatedly mentioned "five thousand men" will have added to the feeling of thoughtful pity in Christ. But beside this predominating incentive, it may well be that this occasion proffered itself, considering certain peculiar character- istics of the miracle (for which see next head), as a most fit occasion for such a miracle, as would be adapted to utilize itself, in the most direct moral service, Uke an acte~ discourse, for instance. It was a wide-spoken discourse indeed for thousands upon thousands, who never heard so plainly ae when they were now thus Je~; nor were open to blame, in anything like all cases, for its being able to be thus. said. This multitude scattered again from this sacred spot to their homes over wide stretches of their country, what sermons they would take with them, and what memories would again and again warm up in their hearts I And yet again, the occasion was one of special import for the small circle of disciples. Philip, for one, was "proved," and we need not doubt tha.t all the other disciples were both proved and reproved, when they ,tamed the truth to very reality of that word," They need not depart; give ye them to c,t." And forthwith, after the commission, were furnished with the means to execute it, and did execute it, and distributed that true shadow of a sacrament, to say the least of it, from the very fingers of the Lord of all sacraments. II. THE lliliACLE ITSELF. There is a sense in which every miracle is not merely 11 wonder of power, but an inscrutable wonder of power. We cannot pass from the limited fiuite power, over the border into the unlimited, without confessing that, though we g11ze at or gaze iuto the unbridged abyss, it is an abyss, and we can nothing else than only gaze! But the character of some miracles lends itself to help our imagination, to guide and give strength to our weak power of thought. And we say within ourselves that a 011. xiv. 1-36.J TITE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 79