FOUR THOUSAND FED.
Mark 8:1-10a.
We have had occasion before to comment on Jesus’ compassion (cf. Mark 6:34). Now we see it in relation to another hungry crowd of worshippers, who had been willingly following Jesus for three days (Mark 8:1-3).
How like us the disciples were, who could only see the size of the problem: so much “bread” needed, “in the wilderness,” to fill so great a multitude. But we need to remember how great His faithfulness, whose compassions they fail not (cf. Lamentations 3:22-23)! “From whence?” at least shows a willingness to share in the task, so Jesus asks what they do have (Mark 8:4-5).
The amount is indeed small among so many, but when we hand it over to Jesus our little becomes much. The people sat on the ground; Jesus gave thanks, broke, and handed to His disciples; the disciples distributed to the multitude. They all ate - 4000 men besides women and children - and were filled: and they took up seven baskets full of fragments (Mark 8:6-9).
There were twelve baskets full after the feeding of the 5000 (cf. Mark 6:43), representative of the twelve tribes of Israel. Seven baskets full after the feeding of the 4000, representative of completeness (Mark 8:8). Our compassionate Lord could now dismiss the crowd (Mark 8:9), and entered into a ship with His disciples (Mark 8:10a).
