Matthew 14:14-16 "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat."
Upon learning of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus got on a boat and left town. He went to a desert (lonely) place to have some quiet time. People soon discovered that He had left on a boat. While He was crossing the Sea of Galilee, the multitudes from the cities followed on foot.
When Jesus stepped out of the ship, He saw a great multitude. The scripture makes it clear that, while there were always those that opposed Him, there were also always great crowds of people that followed Him. Jesus saw this great multitude and was moved with sympathy for them. He knew their many needs, their sins and disease, the unclean spirits, their sorrows, and trials. In His great compassion, he healed them.
Jesus showed compassion to the people until evening had come upon them. They had left their cities without provision, walked for some time, and spent the day with no food. The disciples made the same mistake we often do today. They tried to acquaint Jesus with the situation and recommend to Him the solution.
Dear ones, Jesus does not need us to explain our lives to Him or to make Him aware of the needs of others. There is nothing hidden from Him, and it is a privilege to take our needs to Him in prayer, not to acquaint Him but rather to confess that we know He is the solution. We should greatly rejoice at the simple truth that when we have followed Him, we need not depart. He will always provide for our needs and feed us from His bounty.