William Burkitt's Expository Notes

Matthew 14:17

Note here, what. poor and slender provision the Lord of the whole earth has for his household and family; five loaves, and those barley; two fishes, and they small: teaching us, that these bodies of ours must be fed, but not pampered. Our belly must not be our master, much less our God. We read but twice that Christ made any entertainments, and both times his guests were fed with loaves nad fishes, plain fare and homely diet. The end of food is to sustain nature, we stifle it with gluttonous variety: meat was ordained for the belly, the belly for the body, the body for the soul, and the soul for God.

Observe farther, as the quality of the victuals was plain and coarse, so the quantity of it was small and little: five loaves and two fishes. Well might the disciples say, What are these among so many? The eye of sense and reason sees an impossibility of those effects which faith can easily apprehend, and divine power more easily produce.

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William Burkitt's Expository Notes

Matthew 14:17

Old Testament

New Testament