Sermon Tone Analysis

How can we feed these people?

Children, young men, fathers - children, young women, older women - are words often used together in the New Testament to explain the spiritual growth and maturing that should happen when people confess their sin and receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

The Apostle John spoke of those three stages of maturing.

The Apostle Paul reminded Titus, a young pastor those three stages of growth - .

In addition to reminding Titus that believers needed to mature, he also reminded Titus of what he as a pastor needed to do.

Titus 2:

Paul had left Titus in Crete to put things in order.

Titus 1;

Paul’s command was clear.

Preach what accords with, consistent with, leads to sound doctrine.

Maturing in Christ involves more than good teaching.

Those who are being taught need to hear and understand what was being taught.

In the Letter to the Hebrews the writer referred to those who not maturing.

In fact, the words used suggesting that they were regressing, dull of hearing, unskilled in the word of righteousness and unable to distinguish good from evil.

Heb 5:11-

By now, some of you are probably wondering what maturing in Christ and teaching have to do with the feeding the 4,000.

They are much more connected than most of us might initially see.

Wh

To be sure, there is no way that we can get into the heads of the disciples and understand all that they were thinking.

From Mark’s record it would seem that the disciples are not grasping what they should.

Mk 6:

Mk 7:18

In the portion before us, the feeding of the 4,000 that should have served as a gentle faith reminder to how Jesus had fed the 5,000, they asked a question making it very clear that they did not understand.

Because of the similarities/parallels in feeding of the 2 large crowds, some of suggested Mark must have made a mistake in what he recorded.

To those who suggest that it is clear that Mark and Peter who was probably his first hand source, they are painfully honest and transparent.

They did not make the connection.

That is even more obvious later when Jesus warned them of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.

He then asked them 8 pointed questions dealing with their lack of understanding.

Feeding the 4,000 is a huge challenge!

We are tempted to echo the disciples’ question,

Mk

Giving to Jesus what we have and doing what He commands is a excellent place to begin.

Feeding the 4,000 and feeding the 5,000 - ; - similarities & differences.

Similarities:

Much in common but then there are also many similarities between two healings - deaf/mute man - ;31-37 and healing of blind man - Mk 8:22-26

Settings

Rural deserted areas far from where anyone lived.

Both locations desolate - 8:4; 6:32, 35

Far away from homes, might faint if sent home with no food - 8:3

Jesus’ compassion

Jesus’ compassion recorded in the first person with the suggestion that is the framework for the feeding of the 4,000.

What do you have?

Mk

Mk 6:

Commands, process, results, follow-up

Mk 6:

Results

Mk

Mk 6:

Ate and satisfied - same word used in - fed = eat all they want and are satisfied

Leftovers gathered after both meals.

In both instances Jesus dismissed the crowd and a boat trip followed - here - all of them - after 5,000 disciples in the boat, Jesus praying, storm, walking on water.

While there are similarities, there are also differences.

Numbers: family units

4,000 people plus = 12,000 to 15,000

Mk

Matt 15:

5,000 men = 15,000 to 20,000

Mk

Jn 6:

What Jesus blessed:

4,000 - 7 loaves & few small fish - better translated sardines

Mk 8:

5,000 -

5,000 - 5 loaves & 2 fish - word for fish different in both accounts

Difference in bread fish source

4,000- probably the disciples - what do you have?

5,000 - SEND THEM AWAY - Cost if go and buy, how many loaves do you have?

- they found young lad with a lunch

Mk 6:

Leftovers:

4,000 - 7 baskets full - word for baskets differs

5,000 - 12 baskets full broken pieces and fish

Mk 6:

4,000 - Jesus much more prominent

Jesus directs rather then respond to events

4,000 - missing

less help from disciples

5,000

Jesus’ exact dialogue - 1st person - cc Last Supper - - Etched by Holy Spirit in Peter’s mind and heart.

Being first person, Jesus declares his compassion on this Decapolis/Gentile crowd and indirectly on Mark’s Gentile readers.

2. Jesus feeds the 4,000 -

During those days AGAIN- region of Decapolis - 7:31 - in those days - 8:1

Jesus’ compassion for the crowd - 8:1-3

Background/reason - great crowd gathered - Gentile - remained/abide - prosmenein - suggesting a special adherence and commitment to Jesus

prosmenein - stronger abide - than - meno - whoever abides in me - used one other time in NT

Conveys remain with as compared to abide - not suggesting in Jesus but strong pull to remain with Jesus so much so that had been with Him for an extended time.

Although not mentioned, it is safe to assume that Jesus taught them as He had the 5,000 - Mk 6:34

Have been with me 3 days - 8:2 - nothing to eat - no place to be without provisions

Mark’s first point, which was probably what Peter remembered most, was Jesus’ statement and explanation for His compassion.

Called/summoned the disciples - special explanation

COMPASSION - root word - entrails and vital organs - heart, lungs, liver, kidneys = gut wrenching emotion on behalf of the crowd.

“Mark never used this word of people for whom one would naturally feel compassion - friends, comrads but for those who were more removed and perhaps even offensive - lepers - 1:41, revolutionaries - 6:34, Gentiles - 8:2, demon possessed - 9:22

Remembering that the disciples had wanted to send the 5,000 plus away and knowing that they still did not understand, Jesus took the initiative and explained why - some will faint.

The disciples’ question - 8:4

Betrays lack of understanding - How can one - not you - feed these people - with bread - in this desolate place?

HOW WONDERFUL IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THEY HAD BEEN THINKING AND PRAYING AND HAVING AFFIRMED THEIR OWN COMPASSION, EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAD 7 LOAVES PLUS 2 SMALL FISH AND ARE TRUSTING THAT WITH JESUS BLESSING AND HELP, THAT WILL BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO FEED AND SATISFY EVERYONE.

Jesus’ question - the disciples’ answer S- 8:5, 7

How many loaves do YOU - not someone else.

Immediate answer - 7 loaves - later 2 small fish.

Jesus’ directives & actions - 8:6-7

Jesus: