Year 2, Day 155: Mark 8

Differences Between Stories

As we look to the feeding of the 4,000, I’d like to spend some time talking about the differences between the feeding of the 4,000 and the feeding of the 5,000.  Obviously, there is a number difference.  However, there are more significant differences. 

• The first is that this happened in the region of the Decapolis, which has a large Gentile population (and isn’t too far from where the demoniac was dealt with).  It could be that a significant population of Gentiles heard about the demoniac and the deaf man who was just healed and these people wanted to see this Jesus.  If this is the case, it points to what I said yesterday about Jesus being open to anyone who is willing to come humbly to God, not just the Jews.
• The second difference is that Jesus spent three days with this crowd instead of one day.  This shows some dedication on behalf of the crowd.  If this was a crowd largely made up of Gentiles (and most commentators I read think that it is likely) it really shows a foreshadowing of the Church.  5,000 Jews gathered together and managed to spend an afternoon with Jesus.  4,000 Gentiles gather and spend three days.  Please don’t hear this in an anti-Semitic way.  Remember that Jesus’ disciples were all Jews!
• The third difference is in the word “basket.”  In the feeding of the 5,000 the word basket (kophinos - κόφινος) means a small personal basket used for carrying around Jewish implements that they would need to keep the Law.  In the case of the feeding of the 4,000 the word basket (spuris - σπυρίς) literally means hamper.  This is the word to describe those big baskets that are large enough to put a man into.  See Acts 9:25 where Paul is described as being let down a wall while being in a basket: spuris.  These are the big baskets you often see people balancing on their heads or tied to the back of donkeys.  Again, if this was a large gathering of Gentiles, it also becomes a great foreshadowing of the Church.  Among the 5,000 Jews, 12 small handheld baskets of bread were left over.  This is still remarkable since it was more than they started with!  In this story of the 4,000 – likely involving many Gentiles – 7 huge hampers of bread are left-over.  Again, remarkable because it is far more than they started with.
• Furthermore, look at the numbers involved.  The number 12 is largely representative of the Jews.  The number 7 is largely representative of God’s completion.  I think given this symbology that it is very reasonable to conclude that this was a large gathering of predominantly Gentiles.  I think it is reasonable that Jesus was giving this story as a foreshadowing of His work yet do come and the Gentile explosion of the church.

Development of the Church

Wrapping this all up, we can see both of the feeding stories as a clear symbolism of the development of Christ’s Church.  Jesus tells His disciples to first go to the Jews to satisfy their spiritual hunger.  There was some success, but not great success.  Then Jesus tells His disciples to go to the Gentiles.  It started smaller, but eventually exploded into far greater success.  This part of Mark is really neat because the last chapter focused on the transition of Jesus from teacher and minister to one who was preparing to die for the forgiveness of sins.  Now immediately in this chapter it appears that we have a real story that is symbolic of what will happen to His followers once He dies and the Holy Spirit comes.  I love when the Holy Spirit uses real events to foreshadow things to come.

More Conflict

It’s neat that we move from this story into conflict with the Jewish leaders.  They demand a sign, and Jesus tells them that a sign will not be given to them.  What’s neat about this is that they are clearly missing the boat {Pun intended, as Jesus leaves them by getting into a boat and leaving them behind}.  The Pharisees could have witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 had they wanted to see it as a sign.  They literally just missed a similar sign being done among a population that was likely mostly Gentile.  Now they demand a sign be performed on their own timing – when there are signs abounding all around them! 

This really speaks to the fact that we as humans demand that God satisfy the signs and wonders that are meaningful to us.  Unfortunately, what we should be doing is opening up our minds to the signs and wonders that God is already doing because they are meaningful to Him.  This is also why Jesus warns His disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees.  When we demand God to work on our terms, we are no longer God’s disciple.  We are trying to make God our disciple, which is a very bad thing.

The Confusing Double Healing

Then we move to the man from Bethsaida.  His vision is restored, but notice that it happened gradually.  This is the only miracle that was not instantaneous.  You might ask why.  Truthfully, I cannot answer that.  But I can speculate. 

Remember Jesus in Nazareth?  He couldn’t do things among them because their faith was so pathetic.  It could be that Bethsaida was similarly pathetic, because Jesus takes the blind man and leads him away before healing him.  Then he also tells the man to go home and not enter the village, which might be an indicator of the lack of faith in the people around him. It could also be that the man’s faith was shallow, although I find this less likely.  If the man was shallow in faith, why heal him at all?

Whatever the reason, it does remind us of a spiritual truth that is in all of us.  We may come to faith all at once: one day when suddenly the light bulb goes off and all of a sudden God makes more sense.  But even then, we still grow into faith gradually.   Drawing closer to God has its moments of instantaneous effects, but they are wrapped up in a greater lifelong process.

Peter and Jesus

We end this chapter with one of the most famous passages in the Gospel stories.  Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ.  Then Peter tells Jesus that He cannot die as He says that He will.  In a few moments of time Peter goes from being an inspirational follower to being a fallen saint in desperate need of forgiveness.  I bring this up for a simple reason.  Have we not all been there before?

In spite of this, what I want to end this blog on is the teaching that Jesus gives to Peter.  The word “satan” means adversary.  Jesus is not necessarily saying that Peter is Satan, nor is Jesus claiming that Peter is possessed by Satan.  Jesus is looking to Peter and calling him an adversary to God.  Think about that for a second.  That’s pretty significant.

What must it feel like to be called an adversary to God?  Yet, what does Peter do to put himself in this position?  Peter thinks more about his own life than the life that God wants for him.  That’s it.  Peter cares for Jesus and doesn’t want Him to leave.  Out of his misguided love, Peter becomes an adversary to God.  This should make all of us tremble today.  When we lose sight of God’s plan and pick up our own agenda – even a well-intentioned one – we are God’s adversary.  Hear that again.  Even when well intentioned and acting out of what we think to be love – we can be God’s adversary.

This is a significant place to stop and ponder today.  Yesterday we saw God’s plan begin to unfold.  The disciples are transitioning into the teachers.  Jesus is becoming the sacrifice.  Jesus has begun to open the door for the inclusion of the Gentiles.  This is all still true right not here in our modern life.  The question is, how are we going to respond?  Are we going to crucify our life with Christ and follow God?  Or are we going to become His adversary – even if in a well-meaning way?

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