Feeding the Five Thousand
One boy's lunch turns out to be enough for an enormous crowd.
Read aloud in about five minutes.
“They all ate and were satisfied.”
Matthew 14:20
- Thousands gather on a hillside
- There is no food to be found
A very large crowd
Thousands of people had followed Jesus out to a grassy hillside to listen to him. The day wore on, everyone got hungry, and there were no shops anywhere nearby.
The disciples suggested sending everybody home. Jesus said to feed them instead, which seemed impossible.
- A boy offers five loaves and two fish
- Everyone sits down on the grass
Five loaves and two fish
Someone found a boy in the crowd with a small packed lunch: five little barley loaves and two fish. It was a generous offer and a completely inadequate amount of food.
Jesus asked everyone to sit down on the grass. He took the bread and the fish, said thank you for them, and began to break them into pieces to share.
- The whole crowd eats their fill
- Twelve baskets are left over
Twelve baskets left over
The food kept going. Everyone ate as much as they wanted, and when the disciples went round afterwards collecting what was left, they filled twelve baskets.
The story is often remembered for the miracle. It is worth also remembering that it started with somebody small handing over everything they had.
Something to print
A colouring page, a cut-and-stick craft and six talking questions come with this story.