Feeding of the 4000
Mark 8 : 1 - 10
Rev. Billy Kristanto
A few weeks ago, we discussed the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Today we come to the story of Jesus feeding the four thousand. Some may wonder whether this is merely a repetition. This question is even discussed in theological scholarship: Is this a doublet? A doublet is often understood as a repeated version of the same story, sometimes regarded not as a historical event, but as a literary construction intended to convey a different message to a different audience. Yet when we look carefully and compare it with the feeding of the five thousand, it becomes clear that this is not the same story.
The dissimilarities are significant. For instance, even the numbers themselves point to a distinction: five thousand in the first feeding and four thousand here. In the first feeding, the crowd had been with Jesus for one day, as we read in Mark 6:35. In this second feeding, they had been with him for three days. The first feeding took place in springtime, while no season is mentioned here. The crowd was also not divided into groups as they were in the first. These details show that Mark is not simply repeating the same event. They are two different stories, and we humbly believe that these happened historically.
Why is this important? The message is quite clear. In the first story, the feeding of the five thousand was not merely about the number, but about table fellowship with Israel. In this second feeding, however, Jesus extended the table fellowship to the Gentiles, for this event took place in Gentile territory. The crowd fed by Jesus here is a Gentile crowd, showing that his ministry is universal. There is indeed a certain priority given to the people of God, to the chosen Israel, as we read in the previous story. Yet this does not mean that Jesus lacks abundance to serve the Gentiles.
If we read the passage slowly, the language is very close to Holy Communion. In verse 6, Jesus “took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples.” This pattern is not as clear in the first feeding as it is here in the second. This is clearly Eucharistic language, and it is interesting that this appears in the context of Jesus feeding the Gentiles. It is very important that Jesus did not only open table fellowship with the Israelites, but also with the Gentiles. Hence the language of the Eucharist is made very clear in this story.
If we return to the first verse, we see that Jesus is the one who initiates. He is the one who is aware of what the crowd needs. He called his disciples and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd.” The crowd did not ask for food. They had managed to remain with him for three days. It seems that the joy and excitement of listening to Jesus’ teaching was so overwhelming that they forgot to eat. In a sense, it was Jesus who reminded them that they needed to eat. He had compassion on the crowd.
Even this point is not always easy for us, whether in our personal lives or in the life of the church. Are we the ones who initiate and are first aware of the needs of others, or must someone always tell us? Even after we are told, do we still hesitate and question whether they truly need help? Jesus is not like that. He was sensitive to the needs of the crowd, and he knew what they needed.
As we can see, similar to the previous story, the disciples expressed their difficulty, perhaps even their unbelief, when Jesus asked them to feed the crowd. They answered, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” This was a desolate place, a wilderness, not a place where bread could easily be found. Sometimes we also fall into this kind of dualism, whether in our ministry, our church life, or our Christianity. We may think that we can only provide the right teaching and sound doctrine, but when it comes to physical needs, we say that this is a desolate place and they should look somewhere else.
Yet Jesus again, as he did in the first feeding, asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” We are not entirely sure whether the number seven is symbolic here. It may symbolize fullness, and perhaps it suggests that all the Gentiles here are served. Perhaps it also points to these seven loaves being dedicated wholeheartedly to God. Of course, God created heaven and earth through the Word, through Jesus, out of nothing. So why did Jesus need these seven loaves? The answer is clear: he gives us the opportunity to take part in the work of God. He can certainly work without us. Yet it is a joy to be given the possibility of dedicating something to God even when it is insignificant. This is also an invitation for us to dedicate our lives to God, not partly, but fully. How many loaves do we have? How many loaves do we want to dedicate to Jesus?
Verse 6 says, “And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground.” Again, we notice a difference from the first feeding, because here there is no division into several groups. Then Jesus “took the seven loaves.” Our sacrifice and dedication are nothing unless God takes them. This is not about us initiating the sacrifice, as though, when we dedicate our lives, God must receive and accept our offering. That is not the case. Our God is sovereign. He has his timing, his kairos. It is not up to us to ordain the timing when we want to dedicate our lives to him. Therefore, it is very important that he took the seven loaves. Jesus owed nothing to the one who brought them. But we give thanks when he receives our offering. If we dedicate our lives to him and he receives our dedication, that is truly a blessing.
Furthermore, we read, “having given thanks.” Jesus took the seven loaves while giving thanks. He gave thanks especially to the Father. He was not thanking the one who brought the loaves, because Jesus owed nothing to you or me. This is important because the seven loaves, in themselves, were completely insufficient. What are seven loaves compared to the needs of four thousand people, and perhaps even more if women and children were included? The offering is insignificant in itself. Without Jesus giving thanks to the Father, there is no breaking of the bread because it is totally insufficient to satisfy so many people.
This is also a message for us. If our hearts are ungrateful, and if our lives are filled with complaint, then our lives cannot truly be broken and distributed for others. We will always think that we do not have enough, and that someone else must help us instead. We are the one who is in need and somebody must sacrifice for us. We do not dedicate our lives and serve others because we are the ones with problems. An ungrateful heart is incompatible with being used by God.
This is also clear in the writings of Paul. He teaches that one of the marks of true Christians, one of the marks of true elect, is gratitude. We may think of gratitude as something not uniquely or distinctly Christian. Yet in Paul’s writings, those who are saved by God and who know the depth of his love will be full of gratitude. In contrast, those who do not know God are full of ingratitude. Therefore, if our lives are full of ingratitude, we must examine whether we truly have faith. Once again, one of the marks of the true elect is gratitude.
Throughout the life of Jesus, we see a life full of thanksgiving. Here, after giving thanks, he broke the loaves. There is power in this, not magical power of course, but the real power of thankfulness. We may have very little, perhaps only seven loaves, or even less. Yet through thankfulness and gratitude, we can still share. People may wonder, “You have so little, why can you still share with others? Should you not keep it for yourself, since you are the one in need?” But those who truly love God can still become a blessing, even in sickness. They do not lament their sickness or fragility, but continue serving God despite their limitations.
Jesus broke the seven loaves. Bread itself symbolizes the body of Christ, which is why this passage carries Eucharistic language. The breaking of the bread becomes a symbolic action that anticipates the breaking of his own body on the cross. Afterward, he gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they set them before the crowd. This is the same movement we pray would also take place in our lives. We dedicate what we have to God, even when it seems small, even when it is only seven loaves. Then we pray that God, in his sovereignty, would receive our offering.
He does not need us, nor does he beg for our mercy. We are the ones who need his mercy. This is often our struggle, especially here in western Europe. Sometimes it can seem as if the church needs people to come and worship God, as though God were the one in need. But who truly needs whom? The calling of the church is not to plead with sinners as though God needed their mercy. Rather, let us pray for true revival and awakening, that people may have spiritual hunger and thirst. We are the ones who need God, not God who needs us. Therefore, it is a blessing and a privilege when our lives can be dedicated to him, and when he receives and uses our offering for his work.
The breaking of the bread comes through thanksgiving, not apart from gratitude. Sacrifice becomes easier in our lives when our hearts are filled with gratitude. Gratitude is like oil in the heart, so that when our lives are broken, we do not really feel the pain. But without gratitude, it is truly difficult. We will feel every breaking in our lives. We feel as if we have already sacrificed so much, and we will crave acknowledgment. We want everyone to notice each time our lives are broken and given to others.
An ungrateful life, full of human merits and the need to be acknowledged every time, is truly tiring and miserable. This is not the life of Jesus. We do not read that Jesus craved acknowledgment after he served. After healing the sick, he did not ask for applause or demand that people praise him more loudly. There is no such story in the Bible, because Jesus does not need any human acknowledgement. It is enough that he is known by his Father, and he serves in the power of thanksgiving.
In verse 7 we read, “And they had a few small fish.” We should not press too far, but it is still worth noticing. What happened to the small fish? Were they also broken? Did Jesus also give thanks for the fish? Perhaps these questions sound rather pedantic, but they help us place the fish properly within the passage. Why are the fish not included in the Eucharistic language? The answer is simple: it is the bread that is the symbol of Jesus’ body. Of course, in those days bread was eaten with fish, so the meal includes both bread and fish. Yet the story especially points to the body of Jesus Christ, which would be broken on the cross, and that is symbolized by the bread. The fish were also blessed, but we do not find the same Eucharistic language applied to them.
In verse 8, “And they ate and were satisfied.” Jesus satisfied not only the Israelites, but also the Gentiles. He satisfies us as well. The Greek word for ’to satisfy’ or ’to feed’ is chortazein, the same word used in the disciples’ question in verse 4. Their question is not merely an expression of discouragement or perplexity. It is a programmatic question: where, in this desolate place, can anyone find enough bread to satisfy such a crowd? Yet it is not about the where; it is about the who. And the answer is clear: Jesus himself is the one who can satisfy, and only he can do that.
It is not about where we live. If we depend too much on a certain place, perhaps we do not have a deep relationship with God. Christianity does not depend on geographical location. If we believe our lives can only be fruitful there, we should examine whether that place has become our idol. We are called to worship Jesus, because only he can satisfy us. No city can satisfy our deepest need. No government can take the place of God. That is simply idolatry. Nothing and no one can replace him. Only in Christ is the deepest satisfaction found.
Continuing with verse 8b, “And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.” The blessing of God is never exhausted. With Jesus, there is always enough. And not only enough, it overflows in abundance. We cannot exhaust God’s blessing and presence. We may be full and yet still desire more, and he remains sufficient for us. God cannot be exhausted. We cannot dig so deeply that nothing remains, as though we could say that we already know everything and there is no more mystery. That is not the knowledge of God that we know. That is not the deep relationship with Jesus.
Lastly, verse 9 says, “And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.” Notice this word ‘sent away’. The original Greek word can have at least two meanings. First, it can mean to dismiss or to get rid of. Second, it can mean to release or to liberate. We can already see that Jesus used it in the second sense, not the first. In the previous passage, we discussed the healing of the deaf man. Many regarded him as a problem and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. Perhaps we sometimes think this way even in the church. We may see someone as a burden or a troublemaker, and we want to get rid of them. But Jesus does not regard them as a problem. He did not send the crowd away because he was tired of them or wanted them gone. Instead, he liberated them.
The sending away is also a commission. In German, there is a beautiful connection between Gabe and Aufgabe. Gabe means gift, while Aufgabe means task or commission. Whenever we receive the gift of God, we also receive a commission. This is part of the meaning of being sent away. Jesus released the crowd. He liberated them from their hunger, and this should be understood not only as physical hunger, but also as spiritual hunger. They were satisfied, and then they were sent away.
In the same way, when the Sunday service ends, we should understand ourselves as being sent by Jesus. We are not dismissed as though the church simply wants to close the door and send everyone home. Rather, we are sent because we have received a commission from God. Therefore, it is not in vain when God satisfies us. With his gift comes the responsibility to serve and liberate others as well.
This is also the meaning of Holy Communion. We are in union with Christ and invited to come to the holy table of our Lord. Yet it does not stop there. After we have been fed by Christ, we are also sent by him. We are called to evangelize and to tell the good news to others. May God bless us. (T.F.L.)