I don’t know if you’ve ever done the same but I used to muddle up the feeding of the four thousand, found in Mark 8, with the feeding of the five thousand, found in Mark 6. After doing a bit of reading I discovered I am not alone. The two often get confused and sometimes Mark 8 is seen as a different account from Mark 6. However, the two feasts are distinctly different.
Clues found in Mark 8 suggest that it was a:
different crowd - although Jews were present, the crowd in Mark 8 was largely Gentile
different time of year - the lack of grass on the ground indicates that it was summer rather than early spring
different location - at the time of this miraculous event, Jesus and his disciples were in the region of Decapolis, a Greco-Roman city in the Roman Empire
different level of hunger - the people listening to Jesus had been with him three whole days rather than one
different amount of food to multiply - there were seven loaves and we don’t know how many fish
So, what remained the same?
The response of the disciples!
When the first food shortage occurred in Mark 6 we could give the disciples a break. Despite all they knew about Jesus, feeding that many people with that amount of food was unexpected. After that they knew what Jesus was capable of and yet, in Mark 8, they ask this question:
“But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
Mark 8:4
Jesus took the loaves and fish, gave thanks, and broke the bread, feeding the crowd with baskets to spare. Still trying to process what they had witnessed, the disciples got into a boat with Jesus and headed for the region of Dalmanutha. Here they were met by the Pharisees who asked Jesus for a “sign from heaven”. At this point, we see Jesus’ frustration. He is done with their constant unbelief. The disciples struggled to see who Jesus was, but the Pharisees chose not to see that he was the Messiah.
There is so much packed into this chapter, but as you continue reading, focus on the journey of the disciples. Notice their confusion about bread and Peter’s declaration of who Jesus is, swiftly followed by his obvious lack of understanding. As we watch the disciples journey with Jesus through the Gospel of Mark, it gives us hope in the times when we struggle to understand who Jesus is and what he’s up to in our lives.
What is clear in this chapter is that Jesus is showing a different way to live. Everything the disciples have known before is going to change and it will require a shift in thinking and a lot of self-sacrifice.
‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me for the gospel will save it. what good does is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’
Mark 8:34-37
Something to think about…
Mark 8 is a jam-packed chapter, which event most stands out for you. Why do you think that is?
In what ways do you relate to the disciple's struggle to understand Jesus?
Kay Moorby
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