Matthew (Written)

Wednesday, 14 January 2026

And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. Matthew 15:36

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And having taken the seven loaves and the fish, and having thanked, He broke, and He gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the crowd” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus ordered the crowds to sit upon the ground. That continues now, saying, “And having taken the seven loaves and the fish, and having thanked.”

As noted in the verse 34 commentary, the word ichthus, fish, is now used instead of ichthudion, tiddler. What was seen as insignificant by the disciples is acknowledged to be sufficient when Jesus receives it from their hands.

Also, a new word, eucharisteó, to give thanks or be thankful, is seen here. That is the basis for eucharistia, thankfulness, found first in Acts 24:3. These words are the etymological root group for our word eucharist, thankfulness.

Jesus was careful to set the example for those in attendance, ensuring the continued practice of giving thanks for the abundance God provides. After giving thanks, it says, “He broke, and He gave to His disciples.”

Considering that it was seven loaves and a few fish, giving it to the disciples already tells us that multiplication had taken place. Even if it were only the twelve, there wouldn’t be enough for each to have a full portion. And yet, they received something from Jesus’ hand. And more, the verse finishes with, “and the disciples to the crowd.”

Despite having done this in the recent past, the sensation of walking around vast multitudes of people, handing out bread without diminishing the amount you started with, must have been beyond exhilarating.

Even today, in a world where stores are filled with food, to see that accomplished would not fail to cause the one handing out the food to be utterly astonished at what was occurring.

Life application: Think of what happened, now for the second time, as these men handed out the food to the people. Now consider it in relation to the salvation provided by Jesus as well as the truths found in the pages of Scripture.

Jesus’ atonement was effectual not just for a few first-century Jews on the day of Pentecost. Rather, His salvation extended throughout much of the Roman Empire as recorded in the Bible. But since the completion of the Bible, it has continued to save people around the entire planet, and for a period that is now over two thousand years in duration.

There is an unlimited amount of salvation being passed out to the people of God. Indeed, if every person on the planet heard and received the message, every single one of them would be included in His salvation.

Likewise, the Bible has been feeding people for thousands of years. Even before it was completed, people were relying on it for their light, food, and understanding of God. But think of it! Since it was completed two thousand years ago, people are still, even day by day, discovering new patterns and hidden treasures in the word.

These things should give us complete confidence that God is in control and that we are being safely and assuredly carried along in our lives to a final, good destination. Living in a fallen world means troubles, uncomfortable times, pains, sadness, and loss.

None of us is getting out of here alive unless the Lord comes during our lifetime. Death is a part of life that is inescapable. So why should we fret over it? Its effects are but a temporary moment on the way to eternal glory.

No matter what we face, may it be with the hope-filled determination that we will live out our days giving thanks to God for the abundance He gives us in this walk of life. May He be our point of boasting and the recipient of all of our praise. Yes, may it be so.

Lord God, You are good, and all that You have done and are doing serves a good purpose. We may not see it as we face difficult times, but we can know it is true. Help us to have the right and positive attitude, regardless of what we face in this temporary walk. May we look ahead to the glory that You have promised us, knowing for certain that it will come. Amen.

Tuesday, 13 January 2026

So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. Matthew 15:35

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And He ordered the crowds to sit upon the ground” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus asked the disciples how many loaves they had. The answer was seven, with a few tiddlers. With that in mind, it next says, “And He ordered the crowds to sit upon the ground.”

In Matthew 14, at the feeding of the five thousand, they were told to sit on the grass. In fact, John 6:10 notes there was much grass. Depending on how much later this is, and this state of abundant grass would not last long, there may have been only scorched grass or bare ground. The lack of the note of grass tends to suggest this.

It is probable, though unstated, that He had them sit in groups as before. This would simplify passing things out. It would also allow for counting the people more accurately.

Life application: The lack of noting grass is an important clue concerning the timing of the event. As summer closes in, the land quickly heats up, and such vegetation hastily dries out. The seasons in Israel are distinct, and throughout the Bible, the Lord uses them to teach truths concerning many things.

For example, of the grass, it says –

“The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
⁸ The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:7, 8

The Lord equates man’s existence to mere grass that rises quickly, lives abundantly (as noted in its flowering), and then quickly fades away. This is in contrast to the word of God. The implication is that in our temporary, otherwise futile existence, we should be learning and applying the word of God to our lives. If we want to participate in the eternal, this is a necessary step for us to take. This thought concerning the grass is used by both James and Peter –

“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, ¹⁰ but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. ¹¹ For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.” James 1:9-11

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ²³ having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, ²⁴ because
‘All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
²⁵ But the word of the Lord endures forever.’
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:22-25

As you go through Scripture, be sure to look at the metaphors God uses to describe things. He created us, He created the land, He set the seasons in place, etc. As He has done all things, His use of metaphor is given as an accurate description of what He intends to convey.

The word equates the life span of grass to that of man. Almost all people on earth see the grass come and go. It is something we can easily grasp in our minds. Some things are more relevant only when the land of Israel is understood in relation to the metaphor. Therefore, doing studies on those things from a documented perspective of the land is immensely helpful.

And there are innumerable sources to find such things. Be sure to take advantage of studies that complement your Bible reading. This will help you mentally perceive the wonderful things God is conveying to us in His word.

Lord God, thank You for the wisdom that is displayed on every page of Your word. There is a lifetime of things we can learn from it, even more in fact. No matter how much time and study we put into it, there will always be new things we can glean from it. What a precious gift You have given us. And above all, thank You for Jesus, who is the focal point of this wonderful word. Amen.

Monday, 12 January 2026

Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” Matthew 15:34

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And He says to them, Jesus, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ And they said, ‘Seven, and a few tiddlers.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the disciples asked Jesus where they could get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a large crowd. Matthew next records, “And He says to them, Jesus, ‘How many loaves do you have?’”

Unlike the previous event, Jesus asks this of the disciples, whereas there, they provided the information –

¹⁶“And Jesus, He said to them, ‘They have no need to depart. You, you give, them to eat.’ ¹⁷And they, they say to Him, ‘Not we have here, if not five loaves and two fish.’” Matthew 14:16, 17 (CG)

Jesus told them to feed the people, and they incredulously noted that there was no way they had enough to feed them. Here, Jesus turns the matter around, knowing they would now remember the past miracle. Mark’s gospel agrees with this. In response to His question, Matthew notes, “And they said, ‘Seven, and a few tiddlers.’”

Here is a new word, ichthudion, a diminutive of ichthus, a fish. Thus, it refers to little fish, properly known as tiddlers. The word was brought to the public eye in a book story by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler in 2007. That was later made into a 2024 movie. Mark’s narrative leaves off the mention of any fish.

What is interesting is that their mocking note about the fish, being tiddlers, will not be repeated in verse 36. At that time, Matthew will call them ichthus, fish. What may seem at first insignificant suddenly becomes of full measure when the Lord approves of it and uses it for His glory.

Life application: In Zechariah 4:10, the Lord says –

“For who has despised the day of small things?”

The things that we look at as insignificant, despised, worthless, or not worthy of attention can be used by the Lord for great purposes. A small gift to a ministry may keep it going until the day when it again gets on sound footing. An unwanted child in foster care may grow to be a great missionary or preacher, and a seemingly worthless tract found on the road may lead someone to salvation in Christ.

We as humans look to what is great, flashy, expensive, famous, and so forth, thinking that is where real value comes from. But this is hardly the case in most circumstances. A preacher in a little church with a few congregants may do more to explain the word of God than fifty preachers in mega-churches. Those few congregants are blessed beyond measure each week as they hear the Bible come alive.

A missionary in a small village may have more of an impact on the surrounding world than anyone could ever imagine if his evangelism and instruction take hold. Whereas the garbage cans may be full of uneaten food after a large banquet, a small home living in poverty wastes nothing, understanding the importance of every morsel they receive.

And with their small but satisfying meal, there is thanks in abundance to God who gave it. At the large banquet, there may not have been a single person who even acknowledged that there is a God, the provider of all things.

Don’t despise the day of small things, and don’t underestimate the value of things that seem unimportant in the world’s eyes. That which is truly of value is that which feeds the soul of man when it is received from the goodness of God with thanks and praise.

Lord God, may we not look down on those things which are of value to You, even if they are seemingly insignificant and of little value to the world around us. You have care for Your people and how they interact with You. Help us to remember this and always focus on You and Your goodness to us through such things. Amen.

Sunday, 11 January 2026

Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Matthew 15:33

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And the disciples, they say to Him, ‘Whence to us in solitude – loaves so many as to gorge a crowd so vast?’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples that He had compassion on the crowd, knowing they had not eaten for three days. He noted that He didn’t want them to depart hungry lest they might collapse on the way. Matthew now records, “And the disciples, they say to Him, ‘Whence to us in solitude – loaves.’”

A new word is seen, erémia, solitude. It is derived from erémos, lonesome. Both give the sense of a wilderness or waste area, including a desert. The disciples are concerned about presenting bread to the people, as there was no place near enough to obtain it.

This attitude perplexes scholars who immediately assume they would have remembered the feeding of the five thousand and taken it for granted that this would be expected again. Such an attitude is shallow, and it dismisses the reality of life with Jesus.

They traveled to places, had to feed themselves, such as when walking through the grainfields picking the heads, they ate at people’s houses, etc. At these times, Jesus didn’t just pop food in front of them. Luke specifically records this thought in his gospel –

“Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” Luke 5:17

The words seem to presuppose that there were times when the power to heal wasn’t openly manifest. They may have gone to many towns where He taught, and yet no healings took place. We weren’t there and cannot know.

This is true with the disciples and apostles as well. There were times when they could heal and times when they did not. This continued through the apostolic age. Paul specifically mentions a number of people with physical troubles whom he did not heal. There are times when Peter and Paul restored the dead to life. But these were unique, non-repeatable events.

This attitude also dismisses the record of Israel where there were great miracles, such as the crossing of the Red Sea, the bitter water made sweet, manna and quail being provided, etc., and within no time, Moses was saying –

“The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’ ²² Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?” Numbers 11: 21, 22

There is no reason for the disciples to have been confounded by Jesus’ words. One miracle does not presuppose that it can be or will be repeated. Throughout the times in the wilderness, Israel faced hardship and deprivation as a means of testing the people. Jesus is now testing His disciples, who continue with the words concerning their need for bread, saying, “so many as to gorge a crowd so vast?”

The multitude was expansive, and the location was barren. Just like Israel in the wilderness being led by Moses, the answer to their dilemma was and is –

“Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.” Numbers 11:23

Life application: It is easy for us to look back on the narrative in Scripture and say, “Why are they so dull?” John Calvin reflects this superior attitude, “nimis brutum produnt stuporem: They reveal too much brute stupor.” But we can be certain that Calvin’s faith ebbed like the tides in the Bay of Fundy at times.

We look at the Bible as events occurring in seconds and without any discomfort or temporal confusion for us as we sit reading and turning page by page. But those with Jesus, as well as the apostles later in their ministries, faced daily life, trials, attacks by foes, splinters, and thorns as they walked, heat in the day, and cold at night.

The disciples’ understanding that Jesus is the Messiah is not the same as understanding that Jesus is God. It took until after the resurrection to figure that out. In the meantime, they thought they were dealing with a guy selected by God to do what God instructed Him. When power was available, they saw it and were amazed. When it wasn’t, they had to struggle through daily life.

Elijah, through faith, conquered the challenge of the four-hundred prophets of Baal. The next day, he ran away as scared as a kitten at the threat of one woman.

We have the full counsel of God with the knowledge available to us that Jesus is God and He prevailed over death for us, and yet our faith wanes at times. Who is in the weaker position? To avoid such times of consternation, we should ensure we read the word daily, stay in tune with the Lord at all times, and hold fast to our faith without easing up. Life is difficult, messy, and each moment is uncertain. Eyes on Jesus! That will carry us through the rough patches of this earthly walk.

Lord God, help us to remember You as we enter into times of uncertainty, trouble, loss, grief, and so forth. We know You are there, and yet our minds are so easily distracted. May we have the wisdom to keep You and Your promises at the forefront of our minds to help carry us through the days of difficulty. Amen.

Saturday, 10 January 2026

Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Matthew 15:32

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, having summoned His disciples, He said, ‘I gut-wrench upon the crowd because already three days they bivouac with Me, and naught they have that they may eat. And I wish not to dismiss them unfed, not lest they should collapse in the way’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the crowd marveled over Jesus’ ability to heal the many who came to Him. Matthew continues now, saying, “And Jesus, having summoned His disciples.”

As will be seen, there has been an extended period of time during which the crowds were with Jesus as He ministered to them. With a plan in mind to tend to them, He calls the disciples together. Once with Him, “He said, ‘I gut-wrench upon the crowd.’”

This is the third time the word splagchnizomai, to gut-wrench, has been seen. Each time, it has been seen in relation to Jesus’ concerns for the people. He is again emotionally distraught for their well-being. This time, the reason is, “because already three days they bivouac with Me.”

A new word, prosmenó, to stay further or remain in place, is seen. It is derived from pros, forward or toward (in many variations), and meno, to stay or remain. As this has been three days, the term bivouac gets the sense.

They would have put up a shelter with blankets or whatever else they had available, temporarily residing in the open. And more, Matthew next says, “and naught they have that they may eat.”

Whatever the people brought had been used up. As such, they would be weakened and not prepared for a return to their places of dwelling. Understanding this, Jesus explains it to His disciples, saying, “And I wish not to dismiss them unfed.”

Another new word is seen, the adjective néstis, not to eat and, thus, unfed. It is derived from the inseparable negative particle ne– and esthió, to eat. Such a situation can be voluntary or involuntary. In this case, the people simply ran out of food after three days with Him. Jesus didn’t want them to trek home in this condition, “not lest they should collapse in the way.”

One more new word is seen, ekluó, to relax. It is derived from ek, out of or from, and luo, to loosen. The word thus means to relax. However, the context signifies relaxing from not eating, and, thus, to collapse.

As was always the case with those He ministered to, Jesus considered them and their needs even beyond their immediate presence, thinking on their plight even after departing from Him.

Life application: If you ever stay with people you didn’t know well, you can learn a lot about them by how they send you off. People will often tend to their guests while they are in residence. They will give them care, ensuring their needs are taken care of in whatever way is necessary for them to be comfortable.

However, when the guests are departing, those who are truly caring by nature will go beyond that and have a care package set aside for the travelers as they depart. One of the interesting things that is seen at such times is that those who do so are usually the poorer members of society. The richer someone is, the less likely they are to consider such situations.

This is not true in all circumstances, but it is a general reality that is seen. It is also seen in the Bible. The story of the Good Samaritan gives insights into this. The account of David and Nabal does as well.

Should you ever have guests who come by, don’t just tend to them while they are there, but maybe consider sending them off with a token based on any anticipated needs. However, if they are flying by air, don’t give them something they would have to toss at the customs inspection. Be attentive to the reality of the situation and act accordingly.

Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. … Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. ¹¹ Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?” 1 Samuel 25, 2 & 10, 11

What a loser. Don’t be like Nabal.

Glorious Lord God, help us to be considerate of those whom we encounter in life. If we have the ability to tend to their needs, help us to be conscientious and do so. This doesn’t just mean money or things like food. It goes to the true spiritual needs as well. May we be willing to hand out tracks or even Bibles to those who may have never considered how needy they truly are. Amen.