Jesus knows what is in the heart of every person. He knew that this hungry crowd would praise him now for filling their bellies but would one day turn on him. He knew better than anyone of their folly, yet He still sat, taught, and fed them. He still healed the sick, the lame, and the blind. In a world that is ever increasingly turned against Christianity, it would be easy for us to simply turn our backs on the world, to leave them to their own devices, and to face the judgment of God. Yet the love of Christ should compel us to love of our neighbors.

It’s probably fair to say that Jesus was the most misunderstood man who walked upon the earth. The gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus seem to continually highlight this fact. Of course it started at his very birth, when Herod attempted to kill him. Those to whom he spoke often understood that he spoke with authority, but they failed to understand what that authority was and thus why Jesus came to this earth. The Gospel of John highlights this misunderstanding in some unique ways, being itself structured around seven signs and seven “I am” statements of Jesus. The signs and the teachings serve in some way as a feed-forward loop, with the crowds being continually amazed by the works of Jesus, hearing the teachings of Jesus, but then ultimately being swayed by the religious leaders into crying for the crucifixion of Jesus. Yet all the while, Christ continued on in his earthly ministry despite being harangued, harassed, and misunderstood. He was driven by obedience to the Father and by his love for those whom he ministered to. The account in John 6:1-15 when he feeds the 5000 encapsulates this dynamic rather well

In verse 2, John details for us that a great crowd was following Jesus because of the signs that he had been doing. This sets up for us that feed-forward loop I mentioned. He would do a miracle and people would follow. He would then do another miracle and even more people would follow. Now here then in chapter 6, this massive crowd, further enhanced in size by the impending Passover, was trailing Jesus wherever he went, and was doing so at their own peril; they were hungry.

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