Just after our Christmas break I had the privilege of sharing a chapel message for a local Lutheran elementary school. Since we had just entered the season of Epiphany, I focused on the story of the Magi and their visit to the Christ child. Since the Magi were Gentiles and seen outside the family of faith by Jews, I noted that this account is significant in that it shows that Jesus is for everyone, both Jew and Gentile. For this, as a Lutheran Christian, I am thankful, since I am not a Jew.

That message was on my mind as a recently read the accounts of the two times in Matthew where Jesus fed the crowds that had gathered around him. The first instance is found in Matthew 14:13-21, where Jesus feeds the 5000. Then in Matthew 15:29-39, a crowd of 4000 (the total excluding woman and children) were fed.

Why would these two accounts be found so close together in Scripture? Aren’t they redundant? This puzzled me until I gained some context from a commentary. The reason for this is now so clear to me — so clear that many of you reading this post probably know the reason already. It just took me a lot longer and many more readings of Matthew to discover this.

Simply put, the feeding of the 5000 took place in Jewish territory, while the second feeding occurred in Gentile territory. Jesus met the needs of both the Jew and the Gentile, demonstrating his love and care for everyone. JESUS IS FOR EVERYONE!

I am thankful to the Holy Spirit for leading me to this important reminder and insight. Jesus is for every student in my classroom. He is for all our families, our communities, and those we might tend to avoid. JESUS IS FOR EVERYONE! May we continually seek to share the salvation that Jesus brings to everyone around us!