Mar 8:8 | KingComments | STEP | The disciples seem to have forgotten the previous experience. This is how it often happens to us. We know how many times the Lord has saved us from difficult situations, and yet we fear we will perish in the next. The disciples have not yet learned to measure the situation according to His power rather than according to their own power. They speak to Him about the situation in a way that presupposes that He would not know that there are no sources in a desolate place. They will experience that He makes a handful of corn an abundant harvest (cf. ). The Lord asks them about their supply of loaves. They know how much they have with them. He also asks us how much we have. We can answer that we know something about Him as the bread of life, but we cannot use it to meet the needs of others. To Him, however, it is always enough if we give it to Him. We can also apply this to our money and our abilities. If we give it to Him, He can turn it into something we can serve others with. Before He gives food, He commands the crowd to sit on the ground. Food He gives must be eaten at rest. Sitting like this, the eyes of all will also have been looking to Him ( ). Often He has been a Guest of others, sometimes welcome, sometimes unwelcome, but here He is the Host. So He takes the seven loaves and gives thanks for them. He brings them into connection with the fullness of heaven. He then breaks the loaves, multiplying them, and giving them to His disciples. The disciples may present them to the crowd as a richly filled table. There is no lack. There is not only bread, there is also fish. After the Lord has spoken the blessing, the disciples may also serve them to the crowd. The result is that all are fed. They can eat until they are satisfied. In fact, there is so much that seven large baskets full of pieces remain. The main purpose of repeating this wonder is to represent the tireless intervention of God’s perfect power in love. We see that in using the number seven twice. Normally a ruler allows himself to be served by his subjects, who provide him with what he needs. Here is a Ruler Who gives food to His subjects. The number four thousand indicates the universality of this wonder. Four is the number of the earth (four winds, four seasons). God’s grace is there for everyone. After the Lord has provided the multitude with sufficient food by this wonder, He sends them away. They will not have succumbed along the way. They will also have had enough food for talking about and thinking about Who is this wonderful Person Who has given them so much teaching and food.

‏ Mark 8:8

Feeding of the Four Thousand

The disciples seem to have forgotten the previous experience. This is how it often happens to us. We know how many times the Lord has saved us from difficult situations, and yet we fear we will perish in the next. The disciples have not yet learned to measure the situation according to His power rather than according to their own power. They speak to Him about the situation in a way that presupposes that He would not know that there are no sources in a desolate place. They will experience that He makes a handful of corn an abundant harvest (cf. Psa 72:16).

The Lord asks them about their supply of loaves. They know how much they have with them. He also asks us how much we have. We can answer that we know something about Him as the bread of life, but we cannot use it to meet the needs of others. To Him, however, it is always enough if we give it to Him. We can also apply this to our money and our abilities. If we give it to Him, He can turn it into something we can serve others with.

Before He gives food, He commands the crowd to sit on the ground. Food He gives must be eaten at rest. Sitting like this, the eyes of all will also have been looking to Him (Psa 145:13-16). Often He has been a Guest of others, sometimes welcome, sometimes unwelcome, but here He is the Host. So He takes the seven loaves and gives thanks for them. He brings them into connection with the fullness of heaven. He then breaks the loaves, multiplying them, and giving them to His disciples.

The disciples may present them to the crowd as a richly filled table. There is no lack. There is not only bread, there is also fish. After the Lord has spoken the blessing, the disciples may also serve them to the crowd. The result is that all are fed. They can eat until they are satisfied. In fact, there is so much that seven large baskets full of pieces remain.

The main purpose of repeating this wonder is to represent the tireless intervention of God’s perfect power in love. We see that in using the number seven twice. Normally a ruler allows himself to be served by his subjects, who provide him with what he needs. Here is a Ruler Who gives food to His subjects. The number four thousand indicates the universality of this wonder. Four is the number of the earth (four winds, four seasons). God’s grace is there for everyone.

After the Lord has provided the multitude with sufficient food by this wonder, He sends them away. They will not have succumbed along the way. They will also have had enough food for talking about and thinking about Who is this wonderful Person Who has given them so much teaching and food.