Mark 6: Feeding the Five Thousand - A Fractal Event
Mark 6: Feeding the Five Thousand - A Fractal Event
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.
36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37 But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take more than half a year's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
38 "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."
Jesus, seemingly mismanaging the revival meeting's schedule, ended up having to provide dinner for the 5,000 attendees. Despite knowing the financial state of his team, a part of him wanted to offer a meal to the participants. Five loaves and two dried fish were hardly enough for a modest meal for the thirteen of them, let alone a crowd. Yet Jesus declared that they should try to make do, even if it was with the equivalent of a single dollar from our wallets. This was a declaration devoid of any practical sense.
However, Jesus's bold proclamation reflected his desire to feed the people. Eventually, God acknowledged the prayer filled with Jesus's intent. With the meager five loaves and two fish, which were insufficient even for Jesus and his disciples, 5,000 people were filled. Did the five loaves increase a thousandfold and the two small fish 2,500 times in a divine response akin to a miracle?
While unrealistic and unscientific, it's plausible that the feeding of the five thousand multiplied beyond a thousand times. For the one who created all, increasing the number of created beings is a trivial task. Yet, those who critically analyze history and read the Bible see such multiplication as irrational. They prefer to reason that the revival attendees might have pooled their individual lunches together in a more logical explanation.
The real miracle in the feeding of the five thousand is the transformation of human hearts. The hearts of people, often considered the hardest in the world, softened. At least two prophecies were fulfilled at the scene of the event. The promise of a new heart from Ezekiel 36 was realized, and the promise of a new covenant written on their hearts from Jeremiah 31 was activated. The hearts of the 5,000 turned from stone to the tender clay of creation. This is the miracle that we cannot help but perceive. Reading the account of the feeding of the five thousand, we witness the miracle of God softening the hearts of all humanity.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.
36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37 But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take more than half a year's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
38 "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."
Jesus, seemingly mismanaging the revival meeting's schedule, ended up having to provide dinner for the 5,000 attendees. Despite knowing the financial state of his team, a part of him wanted to offer a meal to the participants. Five loaves and two dried fish were hardly enough for a modest meal for the thirteen of them, let alone a crowd. Yet Jesus declared that they should try to make do, even if it was with the equivalent of a single dollar from our wallets. This was a declaration devoid of any practical sense.
However, Jesus's bold proclamation reflected his desire to feed the people. Eventually, God acknowledged the prayer filled with Jesus's intent. With the meager five loaves and two fish, which were insufficient even for Jesus and his disciples, 5,000 people were filled. Did the five loaves increase a thousandfold and the two small fish 2,500 times in a divine response akin to a miracle?
While unrealistic and unscientific, it's plausible that the feeding of the five thousand multiplied beyond a thousand times. For the one who created all, increasing the number of created beings is a trivial task. Yet, those who critically analyze history and read the Bible see such multiplication as irrational. They prefer to reason that the revival attendees might have pooled their individual lunches together in a more logical explanation.
The real miracle in the feeding of the five thousand is the transformation of human hearts. The hearts of people, often considered the hardest in the world, softened. At least two prophecies were fulfilled at the scene of the event. The promise of a new heart from Ezekiel 36 was realized, and the promise of a new covenant written on their hearts from Jeremiah 31 was activated. The hearts of the 5,000 turned from stone to the tender clay of creation. This is the miracle that we cannot help but perceive. Reading the account of the feeding of the five thousand, we witness the miracle of God softening the hearts of all humanity.