After the death of John the Baptist, Jesus withdrew from Galilee by boat to a deserted place (Matthew 14:13) – that would probably indicate somewhere just east of Capernaum, across the Jordan River into Syrian territory: right next to the Sea of Galilee (14:22) but near enough to Galilee that a crowd could follow him on foot (14:13). It was a big crowd – about five thousand families, men with their wives and children (Matthew 14:21). Jesus taught them and then wanted to feed them, though the disciples figured that it would not be possible, and urged Jesus to send the people out to buy food for themselves (14:15). The disciples had just five loaves and a couple of fish, but Jesus said “Bring them here to me” (14:18). He broke the loaves, and the disciples distributed the food, enough to feed everyone. What a miracle!

Jesus and the disciples returned to Galilee (14:22-34), sailing west to Gennesaret along the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee; word spread that Jesus was there, and many people gathered, seeking healing (14:35-36). A group of Pharisees and Scribes also traveled from Jerusalem to question Jesus (15:1). Then Jesus went north, out of Galilee, to the region of Tyre and Sidon (15:21) – not to preach, apparently (15:24), but perhaps for a few days of rest in a place where he would be unknown? Then he traveled back to the Sea of Galilee again (15:29). This sequence of travel and events would take perhaps a month or two – it’s hard to tell exactly, because Matthew did not always emphasize giving a careful chronological listing of events.

What route did Jesus take from Tyre to the Sea of Galilee? It seems he moved down the upper Jordan valley on the Syrian side of the border, and back to the hill country on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, still on the Syrian side of the border. Great crowds came to see him (15:30) – great crowds of Syrians, then – bringing all the sick for Jesus to cure. When he did so, “they praised the God of Israel” (15:31) – and that’s what Syrians would say, isn’t it, if they were referring to miracles performed by a Jewish prophet? If the crowd were Galileans, they would probably just “praise God.”

Then Jesus again wanted to feed the gathered crowd. If I’ve read Matthew’s geographical clues correctly, they would have been in the same region as the last time he fed the multitude, on a hill just east of the Jordan River, overlooking the Sea of Galilee: quite possibly in the very same place as before. The same region, a month or so after the last time: you would expect the disciples to be all excited because Jesus is about to do the miracle again! But instead they seem baffled: they objected that there was no way to get enough bread in the desert to feed all these people (15:33). The disciples might have been willing to concede that it was all right if Jesus wanted to heal sick Syrians, but just like they wanted the woman from Tyre sent away (15:23), it seems to have been impossible for the disciples to imagine that Jesus could expect them to eat with those people. A parallel situation today would be how we might feel good about making a financial contribution to a clinic that offers medical services to the homeless, but feel quite squeamish at the thought of become friends with those people, eating at the same table and sharing the same bread. It’s a hard lesson to learn, isn’t it?

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You love all the world, Lord: the people we like, and the people that we don’t much care for. Your overflowing compassion touches us all. Teach us to see all the needy with your eyes, and to set our hearts to love them just as you do.

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