10 February 2024 Mark 8:1-10
The mass feeding stories are told more times in the New Testament than any other, even more times than the resurrection (only three gospels have a true resurrection story -- Mark has mostly an empty tomb story, no witnesses to the Risen Jesus, no post-resurrection appearances). Something very big happened in those desolate places where there was no food that justified six full-length tellings.
The Feeding of the 5000 is told in all four gospels (Matthew 14:14-21, Mark 6:34-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-15). The numbers in the story are significant. There were five barley loaves (indicating the five books of the Torah) and two fish (the two Tables of the Law) and twelve baskets of leftovers (the twelve tribes of Israel). Clearly the Feeding of the 5000 was aimed at Jews, promoting belief in Jesus as the Messiah who would feed them as God fed the Israelites in the wilderness in the days of Moses. The Feeding of the 4000 is told in Matthew (15:32-39) and Mark (8:1-10), and the numbers there are significant, too – seven loaves fed the multitude, with seven baskets of leftovers (seven indicating in Greek culture the goddess Athena who was protector of Athens, also indicating the seven nations of the Gentiles). The Feeding of the 4000 was aimed at Gentiles, who in Mark’s gospel responded to the teaching of Jesus with more faith and enthusiasm than the Jews did.
The Mass Feeding stories together indicate that Jesus was Messiah not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles, establishing a worldwide mission that would leave no one out. Jesus would feed them all.
Food was the language that spoke to both Jew and Gentile. Food was the language of concern, of crisis and panic. Food was the language of control. “Panem et Circenses,” Bread and Circuses was what controlled the mob, sure, but it was mostly bread. Bread without the circuses would still soothe the mob, but not circuses without the bread.
Jesus spoke the language both Jew and Gentile understood.
Food. He would feed them. They got that.
But what about us? Food we have, in fabulous abundance, more than any generation has ever known. Even our poor people have enough food. Obesity is a far larger problem than starvation because we have so much food, even in the U.S., even in countries like Egypt, like Jordan, like Iraq.
The language of food won’t do it for us. What will?
How about the language of meaning?
Millions of people today, especially young people, are experiencing a crisis of meaning. They see their lives as empty and pointless, leading to feelings of disorientation, depression, even suicide. They experience anxiety, pessimism and loss of resilience. Rates of depression, suicide, suicidal ideation, and depression have skyrocketed since 2000 according to every available measure (NIH, CDC et al.), and the secular assumptions once thought to be the way if the future have proven powerless to relieve any of this pervasive unhappiness. Atheism as a movement in the English-speaking world has largely fallen apart – Atheist organizations, podcasts, events and conventions can’t seem to draw much of a crowd.
Many disillusioned secularists have begun to wonder if perhaps the resources of religion need a second look (see Justin Brierley, The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God). They are ready to listen to conversations about faith instead of mocking them or shouting them down. They are more ready to appreciate how religion has created many of the cultural ideals and institutions that they have long depended on (see Tom Holland, Dominion).
“Then, taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to His disciples to distribute…. They ate and were satisfied” (Mark 8:6-8).
Meaning is the language that speaks to people today. The Jesus story fills and satisfies, reorients and relieves, delivers a hopeful and joyful journey and destination. It means something big. That is the story for our desolate places.
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