Matthew 14:13-36 Miracles, Prayer, Fear and Tzitzit

When the news of the beheading of John the Baptist at Herod’s birthday party reached Yeshua, He went into the wilderness to get away. However, as soon as the people heard He had departed, they followed Him into the wilderness. As thousands of people gathered around Yeshua, with a variety of needs from healing to hunger, He ministered to them all. 

Yeshua’s desire had been to get to a solitary place to pray and be alone which He was finally able to accomplish. The events that followed His time in prayer caused excitement, bewilderment, and fear amongst His disciples as Yeshua did what seemed to be impossible.

In this teaching, we will tag alone with the disciples and witness the miraculous power of YeHoVaH manifested in Yeshua, get a glimpse of Yeshua’s prayer time, examine what caused fear amongst His disciples, and reveal a time of ministry rarely spoken about in Christian, Messianic and Hebrew Roots circles.

I will close with giving some practical advice that you can apply today on how to build your faith.

Mt 14:13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

Mt 14:14 And Yeshua went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 

Mt 14:15 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. 

Mt 14:16 But Yeshua said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 

Yeshua told the disciples to feed the people.

Natural vs supernatural thinking.

Mt 14:17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 

Mt 14:18 He said, Bring them hither to me. 

Mt 14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

According to Luke 9:14, Yeshua commanded His disciples to have the people sit down in companies of fifty.

Lk 9:14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

 According to Mark 6, they sat in companies of ranks by hundreds and fifties.

Mk 6:39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. 

Mk 6:40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

Mt 14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 

Mt 14:21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. 

The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand convinced the people that Yeshua was that Prophet prophesied by Moses. Yeshua perceived they would try to force Him to be made king.

Jn 6:5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? Jn 6:6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Jn 6:7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 

Jn 6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 

Jn 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 

Jn 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 

Jn 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 

Jn 6:12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 

Jn 6:13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 

Jn 6:14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 

Jn 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

This next miracle caused the disciples’ confidence and faith to increase in the belief that Yeshua was the Son of Elohim.

Mt 14:22 And straightway Yeshua constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 

Mt 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 

Mt 14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 

Mt 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Yeshua went unto them, walking on the sea. 

Mt 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 

Yeshua’s disciples were afraid because they saw something but did not know what it was until Yeshua spoke and told them that it was Him.

Mt 14:27 But straightway Yeshua spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 

Mt 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 

Mt 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Yeshua. 

Mt 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 

• Yeshua spoke to the disciples and told them to be of good cheer and to not be afraid. But Peter became afraid by the boisterous wind.

• Fear is a natural, powerful human emotion that alerts us to potential danger.

• Fear causes one to waiver or doubt.

• The remedy for overcoming fear is faith.

Mt 14:31 And immediately Yeshua stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 

Mt 14:32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 

Mt 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 

This event caused the disciples’ confidence and faith to increase in the belief that Yeshua was the Son of Elohim.

Yeshua performed miracle after miracle, all of which convinced more and more people of who He was.

Mt 14:34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 

Mt 14:35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;  

The men of that place responded to Yeshua the way we should all respond. They put faith in His healing power and had all those who were diseased brought to Him.

Mt 14:36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Hem – 2899 κράσπεδον kraspedon {kras'-ped-on} 

Meaning:  1) the extremity or prominent part of a thing, edge, skirt, margin 1a) the fringe of a garment 1b) in the NT a little appendage hanging down from the edge of the mantle or cloak, made of twisted wool 1c) a tassel, tuft: the Jews had such appendages attached to their mantles to remind them of the law 

Origin:  of uncertain derivation; TDNT - 3:904,466; n n

Usage:  AV - border 3, hem 2; 5

Earlier in Chapter 9, the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Yeshua’s garment and was healed.

Mt 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 

Mt 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

In Luke 8 and Mark 6, the hem is called the border of His garment.

Lk 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 

Mk 6:56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

It is safe to believe that when the people sought to touch Yeshua, they were aiming for the hem or border of His garment.

The Hem – 2899 κράσπεδον kraspedon {kras'-ped-on} 

Usage:  AV - border 3, hem 2; 5

This knowledge of being healed by touching Yeshua seemed to be linked to the prophecy of Malachi 4:2.

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Wings – 03671 כָּנָף kanaph {kaw-nawf'} 

Meaning:  1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt 1a) wing 1b) extremity 1b1) skirt, corner (of garment) 

Usage:  AV - wing 74, skirt 14, borders 2, corners 2, ends 2, feathered 2, sort 2, winged 2,

This Hebrew word kanaph can be traced back to Numbers 15.

Nu 15:37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Nu 15:38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: 

Borders – 03671 כָּנָף kanaph {kaw-nawf'} 

Meaning:  1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt 1a) wing 1b) extremity 1b1) skirt, corner (of garment) 

Usage:  AV - wing 74, skirt 14, borders 2, corners 2, ends 2, feathered 2, sort 2, winged 2,

Nu 15:39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a-whoring: 

What is attached to the hem, border, or kanaph? 

It is the fringe with a ribbon of blue.

Tzitzit –06734 צִיצִת tsiytsith {tsee-tseeth'} 

Meaning:  1) fringe, tassel, lock 

Usage:  AV - fringe 3, lock 1; 4

Nu 15:40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. 

Nu 15:41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

The things Yeshua did in the presence of His disciples established and strengthen their faith in YeHoVaH.

How do we build or strengthen our faith in YeHoVaH?

Trust YeHoVaH’s Word

Start with the Basics

• Wear Tzitzit

• Keep the Sabbath holy

• Celebrate the Feasts of YeHoVaH

• Be discipled

• Eat clean

• Give Tithes (1st & 3rd) and Firstfruit offerings

• Be faithful in service to YeHoVaH and in attendance, not forsaking the assembly.

As you are faithful in these things, Father will reveal Himself to you more and more!