The people - followed him - Observe here five grand effects of Divine grace.

1. The people are drawn to follow him.

2. He kindly receives them.

3. He instructs them in the things of God.

4. He heals all their diseases.

5. He feeds their bodies and their souls. See Quesnel.

Reader! Jesus is the same to the present moment. Follow him, and he will receive, instruct, heal, feed, and save thy soul unto eternal life.

And the people, when they knew it,.... Having heard of his departure from others, and seeing him go off themselves:

followed him; not by ship, but on foot, going over the bridge at Chainmath of Gadara, and got thither before Christ and his disciples did:

and he received them; very kindly, and in a very affectionate manner, and with great respect, though they had prevented the private interview between him and his apostles;

and he spake unto them of the kingdom of God; of the Gospel dispensation, now setting up, and of the doctrines and ordinances of it, of the governing principle of grace in the hearts of his people, and of the glory of the world to come:

and healed them that had need of healing; for their bodies; as well as preached the doctrines of grace for the good of their souls; he both taught doctrine and wrought miracles.

And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

9:10-17 Went aside privately. For the feeding of the five thousand, see notes on Mt 14:13-27 Mr 6:30-44 Joh 6:1-21.

A desert place. Near Bethsaida, on the eastern shore of the Jordan.

Bethsaida. Near the mouth of the Jordan into the Sea of Galilee.

Margin need of

See, Lk 4:40 Rom 5:20.

Wherever there is need acknowledged the Lord is ready to meet it. Men might have put the bodily need of healing first, since that is keenly felt. Spiritual need is often the greatest where there is the least consciousness of it; cf. Rev 3:17.

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.