All four gospels recount Jesus’s feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15), but two of the gospels also mention a very similar miracle – the feeding of 4,000 (Matthew 15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-10). Since we know the gospels are selective in that they could not record everything that Jesus did (see John 20:25 – “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them was written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written”), I think it is a fair question as to why Mark and Matthew included this miracle, especially since it could be viewed as a bit less impressive than the first miracle. What new lessons or significance arise in including this report?
What Happened – Details that Make the 5,000 the More Impressive Incident
When you compare the details of the feeding of the 5,000 to the feeding of the 4,000, the feeding of the 5,000 seems to be the bigger miracle for a number of reasons.
The first is probably the most obvious; 5,000 is greater than 4,000! Both miracles were actually for a crowd greater than those figures, as neither count included women and children (Matthew 14:21; Matthew 15:38). While there is a possibility that there were 1,0001 more women and/or children present with the 4,000 men, it would seem from the fact that they measured the crowd in the same way that we should assume that the crowd for the first miracle was greater than the crowd for the second.
A second way that the feeding of the 5,000 is a bigger miracle is that Jesus started with less material to perform the miracle, as there were five loaves of bread (and two fish) at the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:17; Mark 6:38; Luke 9:13; John 6:9) but seven loaves to feed the 4,000 (Matthew 15:34; Mark 8:5) and likely more than two fish (as Matthew 14:34 mentions a few small fish). Jesus feeds more with less in the feeding of the 5,000!
Both miracles feature leftover food and the differing amounts are a third way the feeding of the 5,000 seems a greater miracle. The disciples collect twelve baskets of food at the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:20; Mark 6:43; Luke 9:17; John 6:13) but only seven baskets at the feeding of the 4,000 (Matthew 15:37; Mark 8:8). The word describing the baskets is different between the feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000. Because the same word used for the basket of leftovers at the feeding of the 4,000 is used to describe the basket that the Apostle Paul was in when he was lowered down a city wall (see Acts 9:25), we know that the baskets of leftovers at 4,000 are large baskets. These baskets may be larger than the ones used to collect the leftovers at the feeding of the 5,000, but the word used for basket there could refer to many different sized baskets, so we don’t know for sure. That Matthew and Mark both include the exact number of leftovers seems significant, and the most natural understanding would be that there were more leftovers at the feeding of the 5,000. While having less leftovers the second time through could point to Jesus becoming more efficient in multiplication, I highly doubt that this was what we were to glean from this report.
Having more leftovers to feed more people with less food makes the feeding of the 5,000 seem more amazing. So, why include this second miracle if it was less impressive, especially if one has already seen the greater miracle because the feeding of the 5,000 occurs first?
Who It Was For – 5,000 Jews and 4,000 Gentiles
That detail about the different words used for the baskets noted above may point us to a good answer. The word used in the feeding of the 4,000 refers to a common basket in the Greco-Roman world that was used for food. The word used for baskets, however, in the feeding of the 5,000 seems to have been connected to the Jewish people, as the Roman writer Juvenal used it in his discussion of the Jewish people. This detail points that the 5,000 people were Jewish people, which is why Jesus views them as sheep without a shepherd. While the word for baskets at the feeding of the 4,000 would not inherently be associated with Gentiles (or non-Jewish) people, the context in which this miracle occurs points to the audience being Gentiles. Confirmation of the Gentile identity of this crowd is that both Matthew and Mark mention this miracle in the midst of Jesus’ travels into Gentile territory following a dispute over purity laws with the Pharisees and after an encounter with a Gentile (see Matthew 15 and Mark 7).
Interestingly enough, when we go back to the story of the feeding of the 5,000, we see that the numbers mentioned are all common and important numbers in Jewish circles, which hold to the 5 books of Moses and the 12 tribes of Israel. The numbers in the feeding of the 4,000 may have connections to the whole world, as there are 4 corners of the earth and 7 (or 70) was the number of nations. While I think we need to be cautious when looking at numbers in the Bible and try to find spiritual significance (as sometimes it might just be recording the details of the event), I (and many others) can’t help but wonder if the numbers in these two particular stories might be further windows into the different audiences of these miracles. The numbers here support – but aren’t the only or primary reason – seeing the feeding of the 4,000 being for a Gentile audience.
Why It Is Included – The Son of God Feeds The Whole World
In the midst of the different details of these two events, we should not overlook the remarkable similarity between them. Both miracles focus on the fact that Jesus has great compassion on the crowd (Mark 6:34 and Mark 8:2) and that it is in a “lonely” or desert place (Mark 6:32, 35; Mark 8:4). In both, the disciples wonder how they could possibly feed the great crowd in that place (Mark 6:37; Mark 8:4), with Jesus pointing them to the resources they have (Mark 6:38; Mark 8:5). Both times, Jesus proceeds to sit them down, speak to God by blessing or giving thanks, and give the food to the disciples (Mark 6:41; Mark 8:7-8). Finally, in both cases, the people are satisfied as they eat with the noted leftovers showing the abundance of food that was available (Mark 6:42; 8:8).
These parallels show that Jesus cares for and provides for Jews and Gentiles in the same way. This second miracle shows that Jesus is even greater than the disciples or others thought because he doesn’t care only for the Jewish people, but for all the people of the world, feeding them the same way. May these twin miracles remind us that God will take care of His people and that this promise and His abundance of goodness is not confined to one nation or group, which means we should share this good news with the whole world. He gives more than enough to go around, and he distributes this bread through his people to those in need.
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