The Compassionate King
Fourth Day of Advent. Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” “How many loaves do you have?”Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
Matthew 15: 29-39
Dear friends,
The promised kingdom will lack nothing! That bold claim is what Jesus demonstrates through his actions here. The Messiah comes not only to preach but also to meet hunger and heal sickness. When people are desperate, Jesus is moved with compassion, care, and understanding. During Advent, let this miracle remind us of God’s complete sufficiency and His close concern for the world’s physical and spiritual well-being.
And as Jesus included his disciples, so too the Spirit guides us to fill the void of caring for others just as He did. May it also encourage us to bring our own personal burdens and needs to the Lord, trusting in His compassionate presence to satisfy our deepest hunger.
Going Further
As you approach the Lord in prayer and worship, meditate on this early hymn, “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” Let the words remind you of God's complete sufficiency, who came as a Child to bring a flawless kingdom.
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, And with fear and trembling stand; Ponder nothing earthly-minded, For with blessing in His hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary, As of old on earth He stood, Lord of lords, in human vesture, In the body and the blood; He will give to all the faithful His own self for heav’nly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way, as the Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the powers of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six-winged seraph, Cherubim with sleepless eye, Veil their faces to the presence, As with ceaseless voice they cry: “Alleluia, Alleluia Alleluia, Lord Most High!”
Watching and waiting,
The word “compassion” comes from Latin compassio, meaning “suffering with,” formed from com- “with” and pati “to suffer,” and entered English through Old French compassion and Late Latin compassio; it refers to feeling sorrow or tenderness for someone else's misfortune.