Matthew 15:29-39

Introduction | As we look at Matthew chapters 13-20, we see that during this time of his ministry, Jesus begins to clearly reveal more of who he is and what he came to do. As he does this, his disciples, the crowds, the religious leaders, and bible scholars of his time all misinterpret and him! How? Why? The answer is that they (and we) all saw Jesus through the filter of their expectations, agendas, and ideologies. The goal of this series is that we would each set aside our filters to see Jesus as He really is – in all his fulness.

1. The Purpose of Repeating

The story of this passage deals with something we have seen before. Jesus feeds 4,000 people in this passage. This is remarkably similar to the feeding of the 5,000 a few chapters before! As we read a story that seems like a repeat, it’s natural for us to ask, “Why did this happen twice, and why does Matthew want us to know that it happened twice?” The answer is the same for why we repeat things. We want people to remember things that are important to us and that we believe are important for them (and that they seem to always forget!). Here’s the point: There are truths in these two stories that God wants us to remember. He wants them to get in deep, to be like second nature to us, to get them into our spiritual muscle memory. When God repeats something, He wants us to pay close attention.

2. The Problem of Forgetting

When reading this story, we can’t help but ask, “How could the disciples possibly forget the prior miracle in which Jesus fed 5,000 people (!) before their very eyes?” They encounter almost the exact same situation and ask in verse 33, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed such a crowd?” The issue was not their intelligence or dulness but their forgetfulness. The humbling challenge of this text is to consider how this happens to us all the time. John Calvin says of this passage, “There is not a day on which a similar indifference does not steal upon us; and we ought to be the more careful not to allow our minds to be drawn away from the contemplation of divine benefits.”

The Bible teaches that one of the main sources of our discouragement, disconnection, cynicism, fear, and anxiety is the problem of forgetfulness. The Old Testament is helpful here. Consider Deuteronomy 4:9, “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen…” or Deuteronomy 6:12, “be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” It is clear throughout the bible that we all suffer from spiritual amnesia. Both Scripture and experience teach us that we all so easily forget God. When things are good, we think, I’m good! I don’t really need God. When things are hard, we forget how God has faithfully provided in the past. We forget how God has provided for our needs. It is forgetfulness that leads to both spiritual drift (in good times) and spiritual discouragement (in hard times).

3. The Power of Remembering

But Jesus is a gracious teacher, even in our times of forgetfulness. When the disciples were again worried about having enough bread in 16:9-10, Jesus says: “Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you collected? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets you collected?” Jesus points the disciples and us to the purpose of a repeated miracle to help us remember who he is. Many of us are caught up in learning new information about God or having fresh experiences of God. Perhaps now is the time to realize that remembering is just as important - if not more -than acquiring new information. The Greek word for “remember” in this passage is in the present tense and stresses a need for sustained activity. It means spending time and effort bringing something to the forefront of your mind and heart rather than just passively recalling something.

This passage certainly calls attention, in general, to the power of remembering but more importantly these stories are about remembering specific truths about Jesus. Here is what God wants us to get deep into us, to become second nature, in our spiritual muscle memory:

Jesus works where we least expect him to – Jesus busted everyone’s categories. He fed a Gentile crowd (the 4000) just like he fed a Jewish crowd (5000). He provided a feast for pagan Gentiles in a desolate place, ie the least likely place you’d expect God to work. Here’s the lesson - There is no god-forsaken place or situation beyond the power of Jesus Christ. We need to remember this. When we are tempted to write people off, when see a situation that seems hopeless to us, when we think things are too far gone. We need to remember - Jesus works where we least expect Him to.
Jesus will provide when it seems impossible to us – Jesus not only works exactly where we would least expect Him too, He also provides when it seems impossible to us. When we look at our present or ahead to our future with worry and anxiety wondering how we’ll make it. When we are filled with doubt because we can’t see how things will work out. We need to remember – Jesus will provide when it seems impossible to us. The feeding miracles are stories of provision. Wherever Jesus leads, he will provide what we need.
Jesus takes what is not enough and turns it into more than enough – In both stories, Jesus intentionally caused his disciples to see/feel their inadequacy. What they had was not enough. Is this not something we all struggle with? Do you ever feel as if you are not enough? In both stories of feeding thousands of people, Jesus wanted his disciples to realize that what they had was enough because of Him. It was more than enough - “everyone ate and was satisfied (14:20).” When we bring what we have to Jesus, he takes what is not enough and turns it into more than enough.
Lastly, even when we forget Jesus, he will never forget us - This is the Gospel. When the disciples had forgotten what Jesus had done and what it meant for them, he didn’t berate or disown them. He patiently reminded them of what they had forget. Isaiah 49:15 says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands”. In Jesus, the metaphorical hands of Isaiah have become the literal scarred hands of the Son of God. If Jesus gave Himself for us, if the evidence of his love and compassion is eternally imprinted on his hands, how will He ever forget us? Let’s never forget this.

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?
What are the important similarities or differences that stuck out to you between the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000?
What is the importance of repetition in Scripture? Why do you think God repeats things? Has there ever been a time in your life in which you felt that God repeated something for you in order for you to learn from it?
Do you agree that one of our greatest problems is the problem of forgetfulness? Why do we forget important and significant things God has taught/shown us? How does this show up in your life? In what ways has the problem of forgetfulness impacted you recently?
One of the main themes in Psalm 119 (the longest Psalm in the Bible) is the concept of meditation. Six times in the Psalm he says “I will not forget” or “I do not forget” (v16, 61, 83, 93, 109, 141, 176). As a group look at these verses - what situations does this tell us remembering is important?
What are some practical ways that you remember God? How do some of our core spiritual disciplines help us remember (weekly worship, scripture, prayer, singing, others?)
Of the 4 specific repeated lessons mentioned above – which do you most need to remember right now? Why?
Read Isaiah 49;15. What does it mean that God promises to never forget us? How would your life be different if you never forgot that this was true?

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