Because of these similarities, some scholars believe that there was only one such feeding, and the two accounts we have in the Gospel of Mark reflect different oral traditions of that singular event. Including both versions of the story is either an error on the part of the gospel writer (because he could not discern the similarities and mistakenly thought they referred to separate events) or else the gospel writer has intentionally included both for rhetorical reasons to further his point, even though he knew that only one feeding miracle had occurred. And if we follow these scholars in this way of thinking, then we have allowed for an erroneous Bible, and granted ignorance or willful deception on the part of the human writer, who on the traditional understanding of Christian doctrine is believed to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. Additionally, we are left to wonder which of the two is correct, if either of them is. So, there are serious consequences at stake if we choose to believe that this is a “doublet,” or an altered version of the same story already told. However, this is not an obvious conclusion, and in fact is a conclusion that is not supported by the text.
While we readily recognize numerous similarities between the two passages, there are also a number of specific differences. Most obvious is the number of people involved. In the account in Chapter 6 Mark mentions 5,000 men who were fed. In Chapter 8, he numbers the crowd at about 4,000. In Matthew’s Gospel, it is specified that these were the numbers of men, in addition to women and children. So conservative estimates of that first crowd are somewhere around 20,000, and using the same equation, we would come up with about 16,000 for the second. While one might have a hard time distinguishing a crowd of 4,000 from a crowd of 5,000, it is not hard to tell the difference between 16,000 and 20,000. In addition to the differences in the number of people, there is also a difference in the amount of food Jesus had to work with. In the first story, there were five loaves and two fish. Here in Chapter 8, there are seven loaves and a few small fish. In fact, even the word for fish used in both stories is different, with the word in Chapter 8 being diminutive in form, indicating “little fish” or “scraps of fish.” The story in Chapter 6 occurs over a time period of one day. The one in Chapter 8 comes at the end of a three day period. The number of baskets of leftovers is different in each story – 12 baskets in the first, seven in the second, and here in Chapter 8 a different word for “basket” is used. In the first story, the disciples enter the boat and depart without Jesus, and here in verse 10, Jesus enters the boat and departs with them.
Added to all of these differences, you notice in Mark 8:18-20, Jesus makes explicit reference to both of these occasions. So, if the Gospel writer is confused about the matter, then so is Jesus, or else, His words have been altered to reflect the writer’s misunderstanding. That would be a highly unlikely scenario given the writer’s obvious concern for presenting Jesus and His words accurately. So, given the specific differences between the two stories, and the subsequent comment on the events stated by Jesus Himself, we stand on a firm footing stating with confidence that these are in fact two separate miraculous events that took place, referred to generally as the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand.
It is the latter of these which demands our attention today: the feeding of the four thousand as recorded in Mark 8:1-9. As we look at these verses we will see two great pictures: one of personal devotion to Christ, and one of a powerful demonstration of compassion.
Nearly everywhere Jesus went He drew a crowd. They had various motives for coming, some more noble than others. Typically, there would be some who came for personal interests, that He might heal some malady in their own life. Also, there were often some who came that He might heal the affliction of a loved one. Then there were those who came to be entertained by seeing what miracle He might perform. Of course, some came out of curiosity to see and hear for themselves about this one they had heard others talking about. And then there were those who came to critique Jesus. And then whenever all those folks came together in a crowd, others would come simply because a crowd will draw a bigger crowd. And many times, when a crowd gathered around Jesus, He would begin to teach them, and those who were not interested in listening and understanding what He said would begin to drift away. Only those who were committed to hearing the Word of God explained and applied, those who “had ears to hear,” would hang around to listen.
Now the interesting thing here in this text is that there has been a gap of some number of days between 7:37 and 8:1. We don’t know how many days, but we know from verse 2 that at least three days have elapsed. And we don’t know what all was taking place on these days, but we can be fairly sure that Jesus was teaching, as this was His characteristic activity. And surely some came and went during this time, but many remained with him the whole time, and three statements about this crowd of hearers speak of their personal devotion to Christ.
A. They Valued Being With Jesus More Than Time
So devoted were these people to Jesus, that they put the demands of life on hold for three entire days to stay in the presence of Jesus to hear Him proclaim God’s truth to them. Surely there was work to be done, appointments to keep, deadlines to meet for some of those present. After all, we are talking about 4,000 people, and Matthew tells us that was just the men, not counting women and children. So surely, in a crowd some 16,000 people, not everyone was on holiday with nothing pressing on their schedule. Yet, this multitude understood the privilege they had been given to hear the Messiah speak truth into their lives, and therefore everything else paled in comparison.
There is no debating the fact that we live in a busy world which makes many demands on our time. All the technology that has come about claiming to make our lives easier, like email and cell phones and such, have really only served to make us busier. They have effectually blurred the lines between time on the clock and time off. Work schedules are more demanding than ever, and when coupled with other structured activities, we have become slaves to our calendars. But have we left time available to spend with God, taking in His word? Is a thirty minute sermon on Sunday morning sufficient to feed your soul for a week’s worth of demands? There must be more time spent in the Word than this.
Have you ever spent time with someone when you knew that their mind was fixed on “the next thing” they had to do. Maybe their body language, looking at their watch, nervous antics, etc., gave away the fact that you did not have their full attention. Rather the shadow of something else on their schedule was looming large over them, and all they could think of was checking off another item on the agenda. We’ve all been there, on both sides of that situation I am sure. If so, then you know that it is an awkward feeling when you know this other person is more interested in what he or she has to next. You know they really aren’t concentrating on your words. You feel very insignificant in their eyes. Well, do you ever stop to wonder how God must feel when we finally get alone with Him, or come together in worship with other Christians, and our minds immediately fixate on what’s next. We’re trying to read our Bibles or pray, and we’re thinking, “I wonder what’s on TV? I think I need to check my email. I guess I should answer that phonecall.” Or we’re sitting in church wondering, “What’s for lunch? What time’s kick-off? What do I need to do before I go to this other thing?” And our restless squirming and clock-watching and mind-wandering indicates to God that our real interest lies not here with Him but in what is coming next. Yet, here we see a crowd that is satisfied in the presence of Jesus, not after a half-hour, or half-day, but after three full days. And there is no mention on their part about what is next on their schedules.
So, when was the last time you spent a solid block of uninterrupted and unhurried time with Jesus, alone or together with other believers? When was the last time that your spiritual life took priority over other areas of life? If a person were to examine your calendar, would they be able to determine that Christ was more important to you than other items on your agenda? Do you value being with Jesus more than other demands on your time? This was a mark of the personal devotion to Christ we see in this crowd of people in our text. But we also see …
B. They Valued Being With Jesus More Than Distance
In verse 3 Jesus tells us that some of these have come from a great distance. How far? No geographical specifics are given here, but the Greek wording used here is the same that is used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) to describe the Gentile lands to which
I realize that some of you drive a good distance to get here every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening. You pass numerous churches along the way that you could otherwise attend more conveniently. I can sympathize with the sacrifice of such a journey. When
Now notice also …
C. They Valued Being With Jesus More Than Food
At some point during the three days, the crowd had exhausted their supply of food. They now have, as Jesus says in v2, “nothing to eat.” We are told in v4 that they were in a desolate place. They were out of delivery range for Papa Johns and there was no McDonalds nearby. Hard for us to imagine, but true. Yet, it is interesting to me that it is not the crowd who makes mention of the lack of food, but Jesus. They seem content to remain in His presence without food, but His compassion for them will not let it happen.
Do you believe that the word of God is more important to your well being than the food you eat? If not, then you have not rightly understood the teachings of Jesus. What does He say when He was tempted to turn a stone into bread? He didn’t say He couldn’t do it; He said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” In other words, the hearing, understanding and obeying of the Word of God is more important than having a full stomach. After all, if you eat a meal to satisfy your body’s hunger, what will happen again in another four or five hours, if not before? You will get hungry again. But only God’s Word has lasting satisfaction for our souls. Therefore, Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst.” So over every source that promises satisfaction to the desires of our physical bodies, we must emblazon these words: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again.” But when we imbibe deeply with the living water that Christ alone can give, we will find lasting satisfaction. You have probably heard a spiritually immature person referred to as carnal—this is the term Paul uses in 1 Corinthians. And the meaning of the word “carnal” is one who lets the physical desires of his or her body override the voice of the Holy Spirit in their life. We must give more attention to our spiritual lives if we are to grow into maturity.
Now, I am well aware that there are those who have health issues that demand more careful attention to their diets than others, but surely there are many of us who could afford to miss, or at least delay, a few meals. And when our souls are so enraptured in personal devotion to Christ, we will hardly notice the hunger of our bodies. This is what we see as we look at this crowd of folks who have hung on Jesus’ every word for three entire days, and endured in spite of having food to eat.
In at least three ways we see this picture of their devotion to Christ. And I wonder, if someone looked on our lives, would they be able to observe from our habits, our schedules, our agendas, that we were equally as devoted to Him? Would they see our devotion to Christ as more important than our time, more important than distance, more important than the food we eat?
We come next to examine another picture in this passage. This time it is …
II. A Picture of a Demonstration of Compassion (2-9)
One difference between this story and the one of the feeding of the 5,000 in Mark 6 is that here the story is told in first person—that is, we are reading the words of Jesus Himself. There in Chapter 6 the story is told largely in the third person. And so it is told to us by Mark that Jesus felt compassion for the crowd in Chapter 6. Here Jesus Himself says that He has compassion on the multitude.
The word compassion translates an interesting Greek word that refers to one’s vital organs. It is a word used in reference to the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, or bowels. These inner organs were considered to be the seat of emotions, so the word took on a metaphorical meaning of being deeply and emotionally moved. This word is used very much like we use the word heart to speak of emotions. We don’t necessarily mean our literal blood-pumping organ, but we use the word metaphorically to refer to our emotions. It is the same with this word in the Greek language.
Compassion can be demonstrated many ways. We see Jesus showing compassion toward individuals and toward crowds of people. We see Him demonstrate compassion by teaching, by healing, by casting out demons, and by raising the dead. Compassion is featured in two of Christ’s most well-known parables: the prodigal son and the good Samaritan. Those two stories typify the compassion of Christ, as we usually see Him acting compassionately toward those who would not ordinarily be the objects of such emotional concern. It was compassion that led Jesus to touch a leper in Mark 1:41; to teach the things of God to a group of eager revolutionaries in Mark 6:34 (John 6:5ff speaks of their political intentions); in Mark 9:22, compassion will prompt Him to deliver a young boy from the grips of demonic possession. Here, in Chapter 8, Jesus has compassion on a group of people that is largely, if not entirely, Gentile. These are not exactly the most socially elite groups of people in the eyes of most in that day. Yet Jesus shows tremendous compassion on them anyway. His love knows no boundaries.
Specifically in this passage, we see two demonstrations of compassion. First, and less obviously …
A. He shows patient compassion toward His men (vv5-6)
It is amazing how soon we forget the blessings of God. We don’t know how much time elapsed between chapters six and eight of Mark’s Gospel, but one does not think that such a tremendous miracle as the feeding of 20,000 people with five loaves and two fish would be soon forgotten. However, when Jesus speaks of His desire to feed these people, the disciples start to panic. All they can think about is where they will find enough food to this multitude. Before, the question was whether or not they could afford to feed the crowd, but here, even if they could afford it, there was nowhere to gather this much food. They seem to have forgotten that Jesus is able to make a lot out of a little when it is given to Him.
But notice that Jesus does not rebuke their lack of faith or their forgetfulness. Rather, He simply asks a question: “How many loaves do you have?” This is the same question He asked them in Mark 6:38. Maybe this question served as a reminder to them of what had taken place before. And so they answered, “Seven,” indicating that they had more bread available to them now to feed a smaller crowd than they had fed before. Jesus was trying to bolster their faith and awareness of who He is and what He was capable of. Involving them directly in the distribution of the food, it may very well be that this miracle was done especially for them. There is no indication that the crowd even realizes what had been done. The story that Mark is telling is moving rapidly toward the climax, in 8:27-30, where Peter will confess that Jesus is the Christ. But until then, He must continue to patiently remind the disciples of His identity, His nature, and His power.
Thank God for His patience that allows us learn our lessons slowly and gives us chance after chance to mature in our walk with Him. We mess up time and time again, but He is there to gently remind us that we can trust Him to accomplish His purposes and that nothing in our lives or in the world around us is ever outside of His control. But this compassionate patience is not just directed toward the twelve or toward believers in the church today—He also shows this to unbelievers. Second Peter 3:9 says that the Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. And so if you have never given your life to Jesus, realize that He has at various times and in numerous ways in your life, sought to turn your attention to Himself, not forcing Himself upon you, but wooing you, drawing you to make an informed commitment of faith. And patiently He waits for you to repent and turn to Him. In His compassion He does not want you to perish, but has done all things so that you could have eternal life, including dying on the cross for your sins, and rising from the dead.
Jesus demonstrates His compassion in His patience, but also notice …
B. He shows powerful compassion toward the multitude (vv6-9)
Just like in the time before, Jesus has the people to sit on the ground and He takes the sparse provisions and prayerfully and powerfully transforms them into a satisfying feast. Seven loaves of bread and a few small fish, or it might be translated a few pieces of fish became for these people a full meal. Their hunger was satisfied, and there were even leftovers! The word used for large baskets is the same word used in Acts 9:25 to describe the basket that Paul was put into and lowered over a wall to escape persecution. So, if it is a technically precise term, these baskets were large enough to hold a grown man. And seven of them were left over.
Again, there is no indication that the crowd even knew what Jesus had done here. The miracle wasn’t done to impress them; it was done to feed them because Jesus had compassion on them. And so when we find ourselves in need, if we will consecrate ourselves to Christ in spite of the need (rather than letting our personal needs separate us from God), we will find Him sufficient to grant us satisfaction as well. We may be few in number, and may be small in resources, but our Lord Jesus Christ is unlimited in power. He is still able to take the inadequate resources we bring to Him, bless them, provide for us, and use us as the instruments to take those blessings to the world around us. The psalmist said, “I have been young, and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25). God is aware of the needs in your life, and is sufficient in Himself to meet those needs and grant lasting satisfaction to your souls.
And so two things stand out as we look at this passage. We see a picture of a group of people who were deeply devoted to Christ, and valued being His presence more than time, distance or food. And we see a picture of a Savior so compassionate that He patiently teaches His disciples repeatedly of His sufficiency, and powerfully meets the needs of a hungry crowd around Him. Do you have a personal relationship with this compassionate Savior? If so, is it evident in the priorities of your life that He is more precious to you than other matters that clamor for our attention? If a person followed you around for a week, examining everything you said and did, would they be able to say at the end of that week that they are convinced that you are deeply and personally devoted to Christ? If you think not, then what changes need to be made? Are there sacrifices you need to make, major or minor life adjustments in order to prioritize your personal devotion to Christ in your life? If the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart about this, then respond prayerfully to Him today about this matter and ask Him to direct you into deeper devotion.
But if you have never met this Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, then we invite you to Him today. He can satisfy your soul’s deepest hunger through the broken bread of His very life, which He laid down on the Cross of Calvary so that your sins could be punished in Him, and you could be forgiven and granted His righteousness in exchange. And so come by faith to Him as your Lord and Savior and He will satisfy the deepest and most private longings of you life and transform you according to His grand design. Trust in Him today.
No comments:
Post a Comment