In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
Comment: Jesus did several things more than once. He healed blind people, He raised more than one person unable to walk to full healing, He cleansed the temple twice etc. And surely the author would not forget what he had written just a while before! Mark was a young man, and surely not already forgetful! Peter, who had spent three years following Jesus, and who was Mark’s source of the material for what he wrote, may have been hasty in what he said from time to time, but he wasn’t a fool. So why did Jesus repeat this type of miracle more than once? He was and is very compassionate. He knew that the people had come to hear Him and no doubt some had come to be healed but they had come unprepared to stay three days. They had come out to a deserted place. (Besides Matthew also mentions the two events as separate events!)
There are significant differences – the number of people; the numbers of loaves and fish; the remnants left over; the way that Jesus and His disciples talked about the need for something to be done and what was to happen. In the first instance they raised the issue and suggested to send the crowd away; Jesus asked them to do something and when they were unable He did it for them. In this case Jesus raised the issue not primarily of the people’s need but as to His concern for them. The disciples responded to the Messiah’s concern and unable to answer the need asked a question “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” I think that this was a rhetorical question because they had already seen the One who was able to do that! And He did! It is time for all of us, in this often very self-centred world to be conscious of the compassion of the Christ and the need of those who surround us, then to ask His help and do something about it ourselves!
Proverbs 19: 17 – “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Prayer: Teach me, O Lord, to respond as You would ask me to, in my living with and meeting people. Please.
As I read it! 