This sermon focuses on the two instances of Jesus feeding the thousands, emphasizing how Jesus cared for both the spiritual and physical needs of the people. It highlights the compassion and mercy Jesus showed towards the crowds, teaching his disciples about the importance of relying on God in times of great need. The sermon delves into the significance of the miracles, the disciples' doubts, and the abundance that resulted from Jesus' provision, showcasing Jesus as a caring Savior who understands and meets our needs.

And there are two instances of the feeding of the thousands, firstly there was the five thousand and then here we find the feeding of the four thousand. Jesus was in a pagan land of Galilee. Here, teaching the truth so that there wouldn't be one of them who would not know about the truth. Now, these religious Jews had been taught to consider that these pagans were off limits, and that they should have no contact with people who were not Jews. But he wanted nevertheless the people to understand that he had come into the world to save his people. Whoever they are and wherever they might be found, to drive this truth home for these Jews, Jesus purposefully went into an area that was full of Gentiles. He had firstly healed the daughter of a Canaanite woman. And then he also healed a man who was both deaf and had a speech impediment. And as soon as Jesus had accomplished these miracles, he began to teach the people the word of the Lord. And when he had looked at these vast crowds, he then turned to his disciples and said, I have compassion on them. In Zulu, the word is more, I have mercy on them. In English, it uses the word in this translation as compassion. In Greek, that is the word. Which has the implication that he felt right down to the pit of his stomach so that it moved his intestines. In Greek, it means that he felt right down to the pit of his stomach. It's no small thing that the Word of God describes what Jesus felt in the strongest of Greek words that Jesus felt it right to the depth of his being till it moved his intestines. So when he saw the crowds he preached to them. He taught them for a long time. We complain if the service goes on for two hours. We say what a dreadfully long service it was. But Jesus preached a sermon of three days. It's so difficult for us to even plow through a two-hour sermon on Sundays. What can you say about a three-day sermon? It shows that these people were thirsty and hungry. They didn't care that they sat through the first day there on the on the hills in the desolate place, the second day and the third day. And after he had finished on the third day, he then wanted them to go back home. But he acknowledged the fact that for three days they had been without food. In other words, they had fasted for three days. And he realized that if he sent them home without food they might faint on the way for some had come from very far away. And Jesus then did what he had previously performed. He worked a miracle, a marvelous miracle. Remember in the first miracle Jesus fed the 5,000. And it's recorded that they were the men, not counting the women and the children. And here we find that there were perhaps 4,000 men. And these people were listening to his sermon. I wonder whether these men who sat and listened won't pronounce judgment upon us men on the day of judgment because we couldn't even sit through two hours they sat for three days. Now I'd like to look at both instances where Jesus worked. Some of these two instances were similar, some are not. So it is on two occasions that the Lord fed the crowds. And it was in a place that was desolate without food. With many crowds. In both instances he used bread and fish. And he worked through his disciples. And we find in both instances that the disciples of the Lord doubted. In both cases of these miracles the Lord Jesus asked his disciples how many fish and loaves do you have. In both cases we find Jesus thanking God for what there was. He broke it and thanked God. He didn't complain. He didn't murmur. Saying what can we do with such little food. We can't do anything with it. But instead he took these few fish and loaves in his hands, broke them, lifting up his eyes to heaven, thanking God. They were in his hands. He broke these in his hands. And the crowds in both miracles were completely satisfied. And having eaten there were many crumbs, there was a lot that was left over. Although there is so much that is similar in both miracles, some of the details are different. So in the first miracle there were 5,000 men. Here 4,000. The number of loaves and fish were different. 5 loaves and 2 fish. Here though 7 loaves of bread. And the crumbs that were picked up afterwards, it's not the same. In the first instance there were 12 baskets full. Baskets of crumbs, leftovers. The baskets here that were used would have been so big that a person could get inside the basket. Remember Paul the Apostle? When the crowds wanted to murder him, his followers let him down in a basket through a window down to the ground. He was inside the basket. So the baskets here were not the same as in the first miracle. They were so big here that a person could get inside. In the first miracle, Jesus shows great and much interest in the spiritual needs of the people. Here he places greater emphasis on their physical needs. He places greater emphasis on the spiritual needs of the people. In the first instance, the disciples got that food, the loaves and fish, from somebody else, not their own. But in this miracle that we are talking of today, the bread that was collected from among them. And the disciples had been complaining that they didn't have enough money to feed such vast crowds. But Jesus said, you, you must give them to eat. And Jesus took the bread that the disciples had, and that's what he then multiplied. One could say it's bread of life. Jesus was also teaching his disciples that the Word of the Lord is life. And that the Word of the Lord is life. And that the Word of the Lord is life. Jesus shows us that he is a caring Saviour. He cares for both our spiritual and physical needs. Every single day, Jesus cares for us. Now, these crowds hadn't eaten for three days. And they weren't in a hall or in a tent, but they were outside on the desolate mountains and hills. Jesus knew that the crowds needed food, and that they didn't have their own. And it was not within their power to produce their own food. Jesus knew that they were hungry. And that if he sent them away, some would have to travel a long distance, and they would faint on the way. So, in other words, he recognized their great need. We too, Jesus knows our needs. He knows our spiritual and physical needs. He knows when we are in dire need. But let us then realize that if we arrive at such a situation of need, let us find our escape in God. Let us find our escape in God. Whether it is accidents, illness, death, let us hide in the Lord. Let us be in the hand of Jesus. Think of the children of Israel. When they were in need of food, out in the desert, when they cried to God, the Lord was merciful on them.