interpret this reading?

Question

Gospel
Mt 15:29-37

At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
The disciples said to him,
“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?”
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

okay. i already watched zeitgeist i think its very interesting everyone should watch it but i just need help interpreting this reading for a school assingment because i go to a catholic high school and am forced to learn about god OKAY so just help me and stop leaving your little comments.

Answer 1

And now I will saw this woman in a box half and then put her back together with the wave of my magic wand!!!

Answer 2

A good question about an assignment.
Your teacher want you to examine the passage and ask some questions about it.
That's what interpretation is. Not some spooky exercise in divination! Ha Ha!
So ask some question:
Who wrote this? Apostle Matthew-also called Levi, a Jew who collected taxes for the occupying Romans.Very unpopular job. Became a disciple of Jesus and wrote an account of Jesus' life and times.
When?50 AD
Matthew 15:29 ff
It may be a way to demonstrate Jesus' credentials as Messiah, miracles don't just grab our attention, they also may help validate a claim.
Maybe it was a demonstration and continuation of Christ ministry, that Christ cares about people and wants to address the physical needs of people, i.e. vs 30 , that the lame, blind, mute, maimed came , "and he healed them".
and this glorified God. and vs. 32 he had "compassion on them"
It might also be a parable to teach the same idea.
A similar story is also told in the gospel of Mark 8:1-9.
Most interpretation includes a question about practical application, like a "so what?", what does this passage mean to you personally?
For example;
This reminds us that Jesus didn't ignore peoples more practical needs.
What can you do to help people around you?
Volunteer at a food bank maybe?

Answer 3

Mat 15:29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
Mat 15:30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
Mat 15:31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
Mat 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
Mat 15:33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
Mat 15:34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
Mat 15:35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
Mat 15:36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Mat 15:37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

Since the people of Israel believe and have the faith in Jesus Christ, they followed him up to the mountains with the sick men and Jesus healed them of their different sickness.Jesus knowing that the multitude who followed him will be hungry, He decided to feed them and made miracles how he could feed them all by multiplying the loaves of bread and fish for them to eat. Then all of them were feed and some were not even eaten which the desciples gathered. as extra food.

Jesus want to imply to the people that He has the power of God which is not in man.

Answer 4

It's a straightforward narrative of a literal series of events. Jesus was and is the most compassionate Person Who ever lived. When you read the Gospels, you'll see time and again how Jesus met the needs of people--healing, feeding, listening, and wanting to make their lives better. So there's nothing to read into the passage besides just what it says: Jesus saw people with needs and met the needs.

As for the feeding of the thousands, you probably saw that they had been following and listening to Jesus for three days. I take that as a literal, real, three days, during which time they hadn't eaten anything at all. Since Jesus was and is God in the flesh, the God-man, He knew the problem of hunger (just look at restaurants on Sunday afternoons! The problem still exists!) and decided to meet that need too.

I hope this helps at least a little. Believe me, it's refreshing to see someone wanting some genuine assistance. Oh yes, here are a couple of web sites to look at if you would need some other assistance, helps, etc., as follows:

www.blueletterbible.org (type in the book, chapter, and first verse and you'll be taken straight to the passage)

and

www.ccel.org

Best wishes to you, good success in your project, and may you and your family have a wonderful, Merry Christmas this year!

Answer 5

OK. I'm not too sure but I'll have a bash at it too.

The people who came all the way to hear Jesus were a mixture some were after healing some were after entertainment some just knew that there was some thing about this man.

The ones that were healed were healed because they obviously had faith that Jesus could do the job.

The ones that were there for entertainment, must have been astonished. The ones that were there because they just knew that there was something about this man were now convinced.

They all now had two things in common -- 1. They all had some measure of faith--2. By now they were all hungry.

The story is a kind of living parable.

God will supply all your needs if you have faith. Even if it means that it comes about in ways that are beyond our understanding.

(A distinction must be made here between wants and needs)

Answer 6

What is there to interpret? You might be asking of the left over seven-basket full... Well, those who have more have offered their excess for the less... and with the contributions, Disciples have just flocked just a bite from the bread and insert a pinch of fish in it... as you might call them sushi in Japanese terms... the fragments are for the next day, in hoping for further contributions from the faithful.

Answer 7

The miracle of the loaves and fishes is also a sign of the coming Eucharist, where the Bread of Heaven is provided to His people in overabundant supply.

Answer 8

mmm i love this kinda stuff
okay so jesus is in a town preaching, and the crowd loves to listen and desires to follow him so much that even after three days they dont want to leave even though they havent eaten. Jesus feels sorry for them because they are ignoring their bodily need to stay with him, so he performs a miracle by multiplying what little food there was to more than enough for everyone there to eat there fill. this passage shows both God's understanding, and power.
i hope this helped and i am very sorry that you done enjoy this as much as i do. blessings!

Answer 9

What's there to interpret? It is self explanatory. It is
a true story about Jesus performing one of his miracles
(of feeding the crowd with a small amount of food)
as he felt pity for those people who had come to Him
for other miracles of healing which He had already
performed. Miracles are Jesus expertise, didn't you
know that?

Answer 10

What's there to interpret? It's not complex. Jesus fed thousands of people when there wasn't even enough food to feed 10. It's called a miracle. Jesus did many miracles throughout his ministry on earth. This is how we know him to be exactly who he said he was. And, we can believe and be saved.

Answer 11

There are many interpretations of this passage.
Are you looking for something specific?
Jesus healed people,all of them.
They glorified God.
He had compassion for the hungry.
He gave thanks.
All ate and were satisfied.
There were seven baskets full leftover.
so , what's the question?