Word Live: Hungry Mouths, Hungry Souls
Reflect on how you came to faith. What helped you to believe? On what does your faith rest?
Bible passage
Mark 8:1–13
Jesus feeds the four thousand
8 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.’
4 His disciples answered, ‘But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?’
5 ‘How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked.
‘Seven,’ they replied.
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.’ 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Explore
On a youth camp I attended, a sceptical young man said he would believe if that day he saw a bat. As we later walked on the hills, to our surprise we found a bat hanging upside down in a tree in broad daylight. The lad, however, remained sceptical. ‘It’s just coincidence,’ he said.
For those with eyes to see, miraculous events like the feeding of the 4,000 were clear indicators of the presence of the kingdom and proof that Jesus is the Messiah. They were also signs pointing to a deeper spiritual reality.
At no time, though, was Jesus willing to perform miracles on demand, simply to prove himself. Here, he is moved by compassion for the hungry (v 2). That is the reason for the miracle. So when the Pharisees come asking him for ‘a sign from heaven’ (v 11), he refuses to acquiesce to their demands. He will not be a wonder-worker for the sceptical.
The disciples again have the privilege to witness a miracle first-hand, but can they see beyond the supernatural provision to the recognition that Jesus is in fact the bread of life (John 6:35)? That is the real question.
Author
Tony Horsfall
Respond
How does Jesus satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart? Where else might we look for satisfaction? Are you allowing him to satisfy the hunger of your soul?
Deeper Bible study
‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’1
Today’s passage is very similar to 6:30–44. A large crowd gathers around Jesus in the middle of nowhere and they have not brought their packed lunches. Jesus then miraculously feeds them and, after they are full, there are plenty of leftovers. On both occasions, Jesus is driven by compassion (6:34; 8:2). The term ‘compassion’ refers to the shared feeling of concern for the suffering and distress of others. Throughout the Bible, God is presented as having compassion on people, leading to acts of mercy, restoration and salvation. True compassion should lead to action.
In verses 2 and 3, Jesus seems to challenge the disciples to think about what is possible with him when faced with the impossible. After all, they had seen earlier what Jesus could do in such a predicament. The disciples, sadly, fail to rise to the challenge and simply view the situation from a human perspective (v 4). They even lack the wits of the Syrophoenician woman. When you face challenging, sometimes impossible, situations in life, pray that you may look at them from God’s perspective.
The crowd ‘ate and were satisfied’ (v 8).2 In the Gospels, the crowd is often characterised as being fickle; people come and go but never make a commitment to Jesus. They enjoy Jesus’ teaching 3 and the free lunches he provides but they never become true followers. In fact, they sometimes prove to be an obstacle for others to come to Jesus 4 or can be swayed to turn against him.5 Likewise, many people today prefer to move with the crowd. Have you chosen to come out of the crowd and openly follow Jesus as his disciple?
Consider the Good Samaritan6 and Jonah. The Samaritan showed compassion to a stranger, whereas Jonah could not accept that God had compassion on Israel’s enemies. Which do you resemble?
1Eph 4:32 2 Cf Mark 6:42 3Mark 12:37 4Mark 2:4 5Mark 15:8,11,15 6Luke 10:25–37
Author
Cor Bennema
