The Gospel of MarkSample

This week we’re studying chapter 8 in Mark. As you read today, we’ll focus on the miracle of the feeding of the 4000. This story is similar to the feeding of the 5000 that we just read about in chapter 6.

Jesus had compassion for the crowds. He calls over his disciples to highlight the needs of the people. This was an opportunity for his disciples to remember the previous (very similar) miracle Jesus had just done, to provide faith for their current circumstances.

This time Jesus uses the food that the disciples had. This was an opportunity for the disciples to not just collect resources from others, like they did with the boy's fish and bread from chapter 6, but to use what they already had to give to others.

What’s important to note is Jesus did the miracle that only He could do- a creative miracle. But he let the disciples do what they could do- distribute to the people.