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Feeding 4,000 (Mk 8:1-9; Mt 15:29-39)
(similarities)
This incident and the one of feeding 5,000 (Mark 6:30-44) are very similar in the following:
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The multitude of people is “very great” (v1). Last time, exclusive of women and the children, there are about 5,000 men (6:44). This time, there are “about four thousand” (v9). Matt 15:38 supplements the information: “And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.”
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Jesus gave teaching lessons and healed many sick people. Last time, besides teaching the people, Jesus also cured many diseases. (Matt 14:14; Luke 9:11) This time has no exception; he has offered teaching and healing. Matt 15:30-31 tells us, “And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them. Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.”
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Jesus has “compassion” over the people. (v2) Last time, Jesus “came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them.” (6:34)
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It is in the “wilderness” and some of them came from afar (v3-4). Last time, Mark 6:32 described it “a desert place”.
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The disciples asked the same question. When Jesus expressed his concern for their eating problem, the disciples asked Jesus, “From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?” (v4). Last time, the disciples suggested that Jesus send them to nearby places to get food for themselves. But Jesus responded, “Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, ‘Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?’ ” (6:37).
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Jesus asked disciples how many loaves they had in hand. (v5) Last time, Jesus asked them as such, “How many loaves have ye? go and see.” (6:38)
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There were only minimal supply of a few loaves and fishes. This time, they had seven loaves and a few small fishes in hand (v6-7). There were even fewer last time, only five loaves and two small fishes. (6:38)
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Jesus “gave thanks” and broke the bread and served the people with bread and fish. (v6-7). Last time, Jesus “looked up to heaven, and blessed” before breaking the bread and fishes. (6:41)
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People were all filled, and there were leftover. This time, the amount of leftover was “seven baskets” of “broken meat”. (v8) The amount of leftover for last time was more, and that was “twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.” (6:43)
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Small amount can be of great use in Jesus’ hands; you may keep for your own self, or give out to serve more needy people.
(differences)
Yet, there are some differences between the two cases:
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The length of stay with Jesus was different. This time, the people had been with Jesus for 3 days (v2), while the 5,000 case had a time span of one day only. The crowd had been listening to Jesus’ teaching for 3 days in the wilderness—like a 3-day spiritual retreat! Perhaps no one, including Jesus, expected the crowd to stay so long. As such, they ran out of the food they carried. It is probable that Jesus’ teaching attracted them to keep staying with him. They really hungered for spiritual food. (Another reason for their stay is given at the end of this article.)
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Although both cases mentioned Jesus’ “compassion” for the people. This time, Jesus had compassion on them, “because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat.” (v2) In the case of 5000, Jesus had compassion for the people because they were “as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.” (6:34) Jesus was concerned for their spiritual hunger last time whereas at this time, he was concerned for their physical hunger. He was worried that “if I send them away fasting to their own houses (我若打發他們餓著回家), they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far (因為其中有從遠處來的).” (v3). Of course, Jesus was also concerned for their spiritual hunger this time; otherwise, he would not have spent three whole days teaching them the message of heavenly kingdom. Overall speaking, the Lord cares for our spiritual needs as well as physical needs.
(keys points worth meditation)
Some key points worth our meditation with regard to this case of feeding 4,000:
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The disciples were troubled again when Jesus tried to feed the crowd’s hungry stomach. They had the same doubt in mind: how can we provide that much food to serve such a large crowd? They have totally forgotten how the problem was solved in the case of feeding 5,000. When the matter was over this time, Jesus questioned their memory: “ ‘Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?’ They say unto him, ‘Twelve.’ ” (v18-19) When Jesus asked the disciples, “Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?” he was wondering if they have learnt any spiritual lesson from the case. To be sure, their faith has not increased at all. We can easily forget the Lord’s wonderful grace upon us during our past hard times. When a similar problem occurs, we become panic again, not knowing what to do. That proves to ourselves we have not learnt anything from our past tough experience. For the same reason God was fed up with the people of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years.
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Notice that after Jesus fed the crowd, “he sent them away” (v9). Why would Jesus send away the crowd? Wouldn’t it be nice to see the people follow him in order to receive more teachings? It is interesting to note in the Book of John that the people insisted on following Jesus after feeding the 5,000. I think the people would desire to keep following Jesus this time as well. See how Jesus responded to the crowd the last time, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” (John 6:26) He noticed that a great many of them depended on Jesus to provide them meals, since he could perform such miracle at any time and place. They wouldn’t worry they would die of hunger as long as they were following Jesus. I think that these people were among the 4,000 too. Jesus warned them against this improper thought, “Labor not for the meat which periseth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.” (John 6:27) This statement is a proper warning for all mankind in the world. We all care for our well-being and physical needs instead of our spiritual needs, just because we lack the appetite for spiritual food. We do not perceive the eternal value of the spiritual food.