<p>6:31 <em>And he said to them: Come, we shall depart for a deserted place and rest for a while. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure time, even to eat</em>- Lk. 9:10 says that it was near to Bethsaida. This indicates the literal accuracy of the Gospels, because Bethsaida was just outside the boundary of Herod&rsquo;s jurisdiction, and it would be understandable that after his execution of John, the disciples and Jesus might want to be outside of his territory.</p><p>Matthew says that this desire to withdraw for a while was immediately upon hearing of John's death. The feeding of the five thousand is not in chronological sequence; it is part of the flashback to John&rsquo;s death. Perhaps the intention is to present the Lord&rsquo;s banquet as the antithesis of Herod&rsquo;s banquet which led to John&rsquo;s execution. We see here yet another insight into the Lord&rsquo;s humanity. Knowledge of John&rsquo;s death wasn&rsquo;t beamed into the Lord&rsquo;s mind; He didn&rsquo;t have the total omniscience of God. For He was not God Himself, but the human Son of God. He had to be informed of some things before He knew them. And He reacts in a very human way- He wants to go away on His own with His closest friends to reflect upon the death of a relative and co-worker. But again, in a typically human way, His plan to have time out relatively alone was thwarted- despite His intention to get away alone, or at least just with His close friends, the crowds heard He had been spotted heading out to an uninhabited area, and followed Him there by foot. &nbsp;</p>