Exegetical Perspective In keeping with the exegetical notes on Matthew 14:13–21 (pp. 309–13), the context of Jesus’ visit to his homeland with negative results (13:54–58) and Herod’s execution of John the Baptist (14:1–12) needs to be kept in mind. As in the case of serving the weak and feeding the hungry in a deserted place, Jesus’ isolation on a mountain presents an alternative to the unbelief in his homeland and to the brutal imperial world of Herod Antipas. The structure of the passage is simple.