Mark 8:1-10 (TPT) Jesus Multiplies Food Again
1 During those days, another massive crowd gathered to hear Jesus, and again, there was no food and the people were hungry. So Jesus called his disciples to come near him and said to them, 2 “My heart goes out to this crowd, for they’ve already been here with me for three days with nothing to eat. 3 I’m concerned that if I send them home hungry, some may faint along the way, for many have come a long, long way just to be with me.”
4 His disciples replied, “But could anyone possibly get enough food to satisfy a crowd this size out here in this isolated place?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves of flatbread do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied.
6 Jesus instructed the crowd to sit down on the grass. After he took the seven loaves, he gave thanks to God, broke them, and started handing them to his disciples. They kept distributing the bread until they had served the entire crowd.
7 They also had a few small fish, and after giving thanks for these, Jesus had his disciples serve them to the crowd. 8 Everyone ate until they were satisfied. Then the disciples gathered up the broken pieces and filled seven large baskets with the leftovers. 9 About four thousand people ate what had been multiplied! Then he dismissed the crowd [Jesus ended their fast].
10 Afterward, Jesus got into a boat and sailed to the vicinity of Dalmanutha.
Deja vu is the sense of having previously experienced something that really has been encountered before. The disciples are living in real time and surely they feel a sense of deja vu as Jesus, filled with compassion, once again expresses his concern over a crowd who hasn’t eaten in three days. Jesus does not want to send the crowd home fasting. Wouldn’t you think one of the disciples might have said, “Hey, Jesus, last time this happened you multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish and fed 5,000 men. What can you do now with our seven loaves of flatbread to feed this crowd?” Yet, according to Mark, no one brings up the memory of feeding the 5,000 or expresses outspoken faith in Christ to do a similar miracle this time. Jesus has to ask his disciples what they can contribute to the miracle he wants to do with the gentiles gathered with him. Do you think the disciples doubt Christ’s promise to save the world?
Before we are too hard on the disciples, let’s remember when we encounter problems that seem insurmountable doubt will also be banging on the door of our thought life. Our faith must press beyond every doubt, fear or indifference the enemy tries to send, because we serve a miracle-working God who is on a mission to save and redeem the world from spiritual starvation. Christ reveals the heart of God to invite the whole world to eat at heaven’s Table.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the miracle of salvation operating in this world that is suffering from spiritual starvation. You alone can bring the bread of life to us; continue to provide, sustain, and satisfy your family, so we can witness to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.