91 And getting the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all evil spirits and over diseases, to make them well. 2 And he sent them out to be preachers of the kingdom of God, and to make well those who were ill. 3 And he said to them, Take nothing for your journey, no stick or bag or bread or money, and do not take two coats. 4 And if you go into a house, let that house be your resting-place till you go away. 5 And if any people will not take you in, when you go away from that town, put off its dust from your feet for a witness against them. 6 And they went away, journeying through all the towns, preaching the good news and making people free from diseases in all places.
7 Now Herod the king had news of all these things: and he was in doubt, because it was said by some people that John had come back from the dead; 8 And by some, that Elijah had come; and by others, that one of the old prophets had come back to life. 9 And Herod said, I put John to death: but who is this, of whom such stories are given to me? And he had a desire to see him.
10 And the twelve, when they came back, gave him an account of what they had done. And he took them with him and went away from the people to a town named Beth-saida. 11 But the people, getting news of it, went after him: and he was pleased to see them, and gave them teaching about the kingdom of God, and made those well who were in need of it. 12 And the day went on; and the twelve came to him and said, Send these people away so that they may go into the towns and the country round about and get resting-places and food for themselves, for we are in a waste place. 13 But he said, Give them food yourselves. And they said, We have only five cakes of bread and two fishes, if we do not go and get food for all these people. 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them be seated in groups, about fifty to a group. 15 And they did so, and made them all be seated. 16 And he took the five cakes of bread and the two fishes and, looking up to heaven, he said words of blessing over them, and when they had been broken, he gave them to the disciples to give to the people. 17 And they all took the food and had enough; and they took up of the broken bits which were over, twelve baskets full.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 9:1-17
Commentary on Luke 9:1-9
(Read Luke 9:1-9)
Christ sent his twelve disciples abroad, who by this time were able to teach others what they had received from the Lord. They must not be anxious to commend themselves to people's esteem by outward appearance. They must go as they were. The Lord Jesus is the fountain of power and authority, to whom all creatures must, in one way or another, be subject; and if he goes with the word of his ministers in power, to deliver sinners from Satan's bondage, they may be sure that he will care for their wants. When truth and love thus go together, and yet the message of God is rejected and despised, it leaves men without excuse, and turns to a testimony against them. Herod's guilty conscience was ready to conclude that John was risen from the dead. He desired to see Jesus; and why did he not go and see him? Probably, because he thought it below him, or because he wished not to have any more reprovers of sin. Delaying it now, his heart was hardened, and when he did see Jesus, he was as much prejudiced against him as others, Luke 23:11.
Commentary on Luke 9:10-17
(Read Luke 9:10-17)
The people followed Jesus, and though they came unseasonably, yet he gave them what they came for. He spake unto them of the kingdom of God. He healed those who had need of healing. And with five loaves of bread and two fishes, Christ fed five thousand men. He will not see those that fear him, and serve him faithfully, want any good thing. When we receive creature-comforts, we must acknowledge that we receive them from God, and that we are unworthy to receive them; that we owe them all, and all the comfort we have in them, to the mediation of Christ, by whom the curse is taken away. The blessing of Christ will make a little go a great way. He fills every hungry soul, abundantly satisfies it with the goodness of his house. Here were fragments taken up: in our Father's house there is bread enough, and to spare. We are not straitened, nor stinted in Christ.