Kazuhiko Ranmabayashi

27. Apr. 1995.




The Feeding Miracle in The Gospel of Mark




     The Feeding Miracles in Mk (6, 34-44; 8, 1-10) is very similar. In the first impression, the only the differences between these are the numbers, seven and twelve, and these numbers are very important points in these feeding miracles. Also, these miracles are the foreshadowing of the Last Supper.

     The Gospel of Mark is the second book of the New Testament. Mk was the first of the gospels to be written before Mt and Lk, and it was written in Rome. Mk seems like a biography of Jesus or a record of Jesus' missionary works and his sayings, however, it is actually neither of these. The author of Mk did not have historical interest in his gospel. It does not even start from the birth of Jesus, therefore, Mk is not a biography in modern sense. The author did not write his narrative by historical order, but he wrote it by a careful positioning of traditions. He put them into certain repeated patterns of organization, like put similar stories into one place. Therefore, the sequence of stories in Mk is not trustworthy (Achtemeier 542-545).

     Also, some people "characterize Mk as a book of secret epiphanies" (Achtemeier 551). A purpose of the author of Mk was to identify Jesus as Christ, which is why Mk begins with the sentence, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God" (Mk 1, 1). The author avoided abstracted writing, so his gospel is very tense and realistic. However, because of his purpose, proving Jesus' identity as Christ, Mk is not really historically correct. Another word, it cannot be trusted as a historical truth, and Mk should not be read as a biography of Jesus (Achtemeier 551-557).

     In Mk, there are two feeding miracles, and the first one is the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand (Mk 6, 34-44), which occur after Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist (Mk 6,17-29). In this story, Jesus felt pity for the people, and taught them many things. But his disciples asked him to let the people go to get some foods from surrounding countryside and villages because it was late, and there was a remote place. However, he told his disciples to give the people something to eat. The disciples surprised and asked him if he meant they have to buy two hundred day's wages worth of food to give to the people. Jesus told them to bring the food they had, five loves and two fish, and told them to direct the people to sit down in groups. He blessed these loaves and fish, then he broke the loaves and divided the fish and gave to the people. They were all satisfied, and there were twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish (Mk 6, 34-44).

     Several stories after the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, there is the second feeding miracle, the story of the Feeding of the Four Thousand (Mk 8, 1-10). This story is very similar to the Feeding of the Four Thousand. In this story, the people had not eaten for three days, and he felt pity for the people. So, he wanted to give them some foods, but his disciples told him that there is no way they can get enough foods for the people because there was a remote place. He blessed and broke seven loaves that his disciples had, and he handed them to his disciples to give to the people. He also distributed a few fish. The people were all satisfied. After that, there were seven baskets full of fragments (Mk 8, 1-9).

     The following stories of both feeding miracles contain the passages about these feeding miracles. After the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, there is the story of the Walking on the Water. This story shows us his disciples who were terrified of Jesus walking on the lake because "They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened" (Mk 6, 52). Also after the story of the Feeding of the Four Thousand, there is Jesus who asks his disciples the numbers of the baskets that filled by the fragments at two feeding miracles (Mk 8, 19-20).

      In both miracles, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them, and asked his disciples how many loaves they have. In the first miracle, they had five loaves and two fish, which sum is seven; in the second miracle, they had seven loaves and a few fish. In both cases, there were seven foods. Also in both cases, he told the people to sit down and blessed the foods and broke the loaves. Then he gave the food to his disciples to distribute to the people. After that, they collected all the left over, and it was twelve basketfuls in the first feeding miracle: seven basketfuls in the second feeding miracle. Then, Jesus and his disciples leave the place by a boat. After both miracles, there are the passages reflect the feeding miracles.

      Jesus blessed and broke the loaves and gave to his disciples to distribute the people (Mk 6, 41; 8, 6). Similarly, Jesus blessed and broke the bread and gave it to his disciples (Mk 14, 22). Perhaps, (Mk 6, 41; 8, 6) are the larger versions of (14, 22). Also, according to (14, 22), bread is his body. Fish is often used as a symbol of Messiah Jesus Christ the Son of God.

     The number seven is usually seen as a holy number, like a week is seven days. The number twelve reminds us the twelve sons of Jacob, the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel, the number of the Minor Prophets, and the number of Jesus' disciples.

     After the story of the Feeding of the Four thousand, the Pharisees ask Jesus to show them a sign from heaven (Mk 8, 11-12). Of course, they are asking for some kind of miracle, but he says, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation" (Mk 8, 12). He said that there is no miracle for this generation, but this statement was made right after he performed the feeding miracle. He denied presence of the miracle for this generation. What it does mean? Perhaps, the Demand for a Sign (Mk 8, 11-13) expresses that the Feeding of the Four Thousand is not the miracle. If it is true that the Feeding of the Four Thousand was not the miracle, most probably that the Feeding of the Five Thousand is not the miracle, either.

     The story continues to the Leaven of the Pharisees. In this story, he told to his disciples, "Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod" (Mk 8, 15). They thought that he said that because they did not have bread. However, he said to them, "Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend?" (8, 17). Then he asks them how many baskets full of fragments they picked up at the first and the second feeding miracles, and they answered "twelve" and "seven." Then again he said, "Do you still not understand?" (8, 21) In Mk, what he wants to them to understand is not so clear, but in Mt, it is presenting much clearly. He said:

     ". . . . Do you not yet understand, and do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? How do you not comprehend that I was not speaking to you about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Mt 16, 9-12)

     This passages explains that the important points are the leavens, which are the teachings, and the number of the baskets full of fragments. Therefore, these stories are not telling about real bread or fish, but the stories are parables. Jesus did used many parables in his teaching.

     Perhaps, the meaning of the first feeding miracle is that holy (the number seven) teaching (leaven) of Jesus Christ (Bread and fish) is given to many (five thousand and four thousand) of those who are hungry for it and satisfies them, but it will not run out, and remain to be holy (seven) and for Jewish (the number twelve). Also, there is another possibility that Jesus Christ (bread and fish) provides himself to those who were pitied by him, and his disciples (the number twelve) will remain. If this interpretation is true, it could mean that the story was the foreshadowing of the death of Jesus Christ.

     There are several historical contexts. 200 denarii of bread is (Mk 6, 37) the one of them. Denarrii was the money, which was used in ancient Rome. At the time of Jesus, Israel was a part of Roman Empire, therefore, it was natural that they used denarii. Also, there are the words ". . . on the green grass" (6, 39), "that would date the event to early spring around Passover" (Mally 35). Donahue also pays attention to the numbers in the feeding miracles. He says:

     Seven, the combination loaves and fish, frequently symbolizes adequacy or perfection; the baskets are enough for the eschatological banquet for the twelve tribes, and the five thousand people may simply be a way of exalting the miracle of Jesus over that of Elijah who feeds 100 people. (992)

     His view is not containing enough material to prove anything. He does not talk about any other interesting thing.

     Mally says that the feeding miracles express the Christian Eucharist. The first miracle is for Jewish Christians, and that twelve baskets full of fragments is "a sign of God's superabundant gifts are enough to feed the 12 tribes of the new Israel" (35). The second miracle is for the Gentiles. In the first miracle, "blesses" god for his gifts, but in the second miracle, "Jesus directly bless the fish, in accord with the practice among Gentile Christians" (39). This view seems good. It does prove that the two feeding miracles are one for Jews and another one for Non-Jewish Christians. However, he talks about the number, only the twelve. That makes his theory one-sided.

     According to Harrington, the first feeding miracle is "the miraculous feeding points back to God's feeding of his people in the wilderness and to Elisha's feeding of 100 men" (610). He also says that this story is an anticipation of the Eucharist. The number twelve may be symbolic to Israel, and the number seven refers to the Gentile: "the 70 nations of the world, undertaken by the seven deacons" (613). As like Mally, Harrington talks about the Eucharist, but Mally's opinion seems better than Harrington because Mally has more evidences than Harrington does.











Works Cited

This page is maintained by Kazuhiko Ranmabayashi (ohnok@yahoo.com) using HTML Author. Last modified on 02/24/98.
1