What does Matthew 14:15 mean?
It wasn't the plan for Jesus and His disciples to spend the day healing sick people on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee. They had set out for a desolate spot in Bethsaida to get away from the crowds. The people, though, found them. Jesus, full of compassion, spent the day healing people anyway.Here, the disciples have identified a complication in Jesus' impromptu action. It was late in the day, and nobody had any food to eat for an evening meal. The crowds do not seem to have planned to spend the day so far away from any towns. They have simply stayed to receive Jesus' healing of their sick.
The disciples have a plan that is perfectly reasonable, if a little callous: send the people away to go into the closest villages to get food for themselves. Jesus will say no. He has another plan.