The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 101

'they emphasize• the. impossibility of carry- preceding period we see that the great Pro. ing out the ,idea. of feecling them. Their phet, Prince, Conqueror, who is to appear, answer bristles with ohjeotions. The place is not God, uut ono commissioned by G0rl, is uninhe.bitecl: the multitude is nume- 11ncl at most a Goel-inspire,! man or angel. rous: the quo.ntity of food ro'luirecl is enor- So the apostles were only in uni;;on with the mous: and how can we, poor and needy best of their contemporaries when at present ns we are, help them? It seems to us in- they hesitated to believe in, and were incap- credible that they could return this answer, able of apprehending, the Divine nature of after having, not very long before, experienced Christ. the miracle of the feeding of the five thou- Ver. 34.-How many loaves have ye 1 sand. They seemed now to have forgotten Jesus gives no formal answer to the apostles' the earlier marvel, imd to he 'in utter doubt hesitating question, hut by a new interroga how the necessary food was to be provided tion leads them to expect his interpoBition. on the present occasion. That Christ would This was the prelude t.o the miracle. Seven, dieple.y hie miraculous powers appears not to and a few little fishes. They do not add, as he.ve crossed their minds. Such suprising on the former occasion, " But what are they forgetfulness and slowness of faith have among so many?" They have learned some- seemed to some critics so unlikely e.nd un- thing from what had previously occurred. usue.l, the.t they he.ve 1·egarded the apostles' Whether this little store was what remained •attitude as confirming their assumption of of their own supplies, or whether it was the identity of the two miracles of feeding. all they could find among the multitude, Bot really such conduct is true to human does not appear. From the indeterminate ;nature. Calvin, while he condemns in vehe- mention of the fish, we should suppose the ment terms the disciplea' dulnees-" nimis latter to have been the case, as they would brutum produnt etuporem "-is careful to probably have mentioned the n11mber of the e.dd that men a.re al ways liable to a similar fishes had they been their own. There may inseneibility, prone to forget past deliver- have been some contempt implied in the ance in the face of present difficulty: . Im- diminntive lx866,a, "little fishes," as though mediately· after the passage of the Red Sea., these were scarcely worthy of notice. Dried the people fee.red that they would perish of fish was a staple commodity in the region. thirst in the .wilderness : and when God Ver. 35.-To sit down (tiva,reO'e,v) on the promised to give them flesh to eat, even ground. A.t this time there wo.s not "much Moses doubted the possibility of the supply, grass in the place," the season being no e.nd asked whence it could he provided longer early spring. Their seat was tb e (Exod. xvii. I, etc.; Numb. xi. 21, etc.). hare gronncl, their meal of the plainest ch,i- How often did Jesus speak of his sufferings, racter. He who as man had pitied tllem death, and resurrection I A.ud yet· these was now feeding them as God, yet not witll events came upon believers as a surprise· for luxuries or dainties, but with food sufficient which they .. were.. altogether unprepared. for their needs . .Continually the disciples forgot what they Ver. 36.-'He took. The account differs ought to have remembered, drew no. proper little from that on the former occa.si.on. inferenoes from what .they b.ad seen and Gave thanks (ebx"Pur-rf,uas). This repre- experienced, and had' to be taught the same sents the blessing of the viands. Thanks- lessons repeatedly under .different circum- giving was a specially enjoined accompani- stances. 'Since the first miraculous meal ment of meals. The Talmud said," He that many events he.d ·happened: often possibly enjoys anything without an act of thanks- they he.d been in want. of food, as when on giving is as one that robs the Almighty." the sahhath day they appeased their hunger The blessing here was the efficient c:tu8~ of with ears of 001·0 plucked by the way, and the multiplication of the food. Without Ohrist had worked no miracle for their relief. any fresh creation Jesus used the materials It did not immediately suggest itself to ready to his hands, and only increased them them to he.ve recourse to their Master in the by his Almighty power. Brake them, and emergency; they were very for from ex- gave ({,cl\.aO'E tcal 16l6ou). Looking to the pecting Divine interposition at every turn. tenses used, we should say that Jesus brake If they thought at all of the former miracle, the vi,wds once, Rnd then kept coutinnally they me.y have looked upon it as the out- giving of them to the twelve for the purpose come of an intermittent power, not always of distribution. We do not ree.d how the at command, or 11t any rate not likely to be multitude was arranged in the present case. exercised on the present occasion. They Possibly the loc11lity did not admit of me- were slow to apprehend Christ's Divine thodical division into ranks and companies, mission and oho.raoter. The aoknowlodg- or, on the other hand, its natural terrn.ces mcnt of his Messiahship did not necessarily m11y ho.ve obviated the necessity for nny such oonnote the realization of his Godhead. In formal amlllgement, the company fa.Hing the writings of this o.nd the ilmnediately naturnlly iuto convenient sections. 104 THE GOSPEL AOCORDING ·ro ST. MATTHEW. [on. xv. 1---39.