The story x 4

Following are the four Gospel accounts of the 5,000 feeding, beginning with Matthew 14: v 15-21:
As evening approached the disciples came to Him and said, "This is a remote place and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about 5000 men besides women and children.


Mark 6: v 30-44The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ 37But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii* worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ 38And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ 39Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42And all ate and were filled; 43and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Luke 9: v 10-16When 1 the apostles returned, 2 they told Jesus 3 everything they had done. Then 4 he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a town 5 called Bethsaida. 6 9:11 But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He 7 welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, 8 and cured those who needed healing. 9 9:12 Now the day began to draw to a close, 10 so 11 the twelve came and said to Jesus, 12 “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging 13 and food, because we are in an isolated place.” 14 9:13 But he said to them, “You 15 give them something to eat.” They 16 replied, 17 “We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless 18 we go 19 and buy food 20 for all these people.” 9:14 (Now about five thousand men 21 were there.) 22 Then 23 he said to his disciples, “Have 24 them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 9:15 So they did as Jesus directed, 25 and the people 26 all sat down.
Then 27 he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks 28 and broke them. He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 9:17 They all ate and were satisfied, and what was left over 29 was picked up – twelve baskets of broken pieces.

John 6: v 1-13

After this 1 Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). 2 6:2 A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick. 6:3 So Jesus went on up the mountainside 3 and sat down there with his disciples. 6:4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover 4 was near.) 5 6:5 Then Jesus, when he looked up 6 and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?” 6:6 (Now Jesus 7 said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) 8 6:7 Philip replied, 9 “Two hundred silver coins worth 10 of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.” 6:8 One of Jesus’ disciples, 11 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 6:9 “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good 12 are these for so many people?”

6:10 Jesus said, “Have 13 the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) 14 So the men 15 sat down, about five thousand in number. 6:11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, 16 as much as they wanted. 6:12 When they were all satisfied, Jesus 17 said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.” 6:13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves 18 left over by the people who had eaten.