An Atheistic Bible Study Of The Gospel Feeding Of The 4000

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This is very similar to the feeding of the 5,000 miracle covered earlier and unusually, addressed in all four Gospels. This low key variation is only addressed in two Gospels, with no reference to the preceding version of the same miracle. The feeding of the 5,000 took place in Bethseda, and involved feeding the multitude with just five loaves. The location of the second event is not directly stated but as earlier chapters located Jesus in the region of the Gerasenes, it is assumed by some commentators that Jesus is still there for the events described in these chapters, but that is largely conjectural. Matthew 15:32-39 Jesus has addressed the multitude for three days and suddenly gets concerned that the crowd has never eaten during all the discoursing and other miracle work conducted. It is not stated whether or not Jesus has taken meal break or slept himself. The disciples ask Jesus where they can get enough food to feed so many when they are all out in the Wilderness, (Jesus, Apostles and audience alike). Jesus asks the crowd how many loaves of bread they have between them. Seven loaves and two little fish proves to be the reply. Jesus gets the crowd to sit down on the grass as he takes the food items, breaks them down, and distributes them, successfully feeding everyone present, and having even baskets of leftover bread once the feast is over. We are told that there are 4,000 men, plus all their wives, mothers, sisters and children present. None of the Apostles seem to recall the previous miracle (the feeding of 5,000) following a similar pattern. It is as though this was the first and only version of the miracle, suggesting that the feeding of the 5,000 was an exaggerated translation of the same event, but editors failed to withdraw this other version from the narrative before replacing it. Mark 8:1-9 Not much difference in this account from Matthew’s. Jesus now, as above fears that if the multitude walks home after three days, many might collapse on the journey due to malnutrition. The only difference is that Mark totals the number attending at 4,000. He does not separate the number of men from women. Matthew’s account suggests the numbers could double once the women and children are included. Mark does not. Aside from failing to draw obvious comparisons to the earlier and bigger miracle, why does Jesus leave his audience unfed for three days in the baking desert? Food deprivation might leave many more malleable, attentive and easy to make suggestions too. What however could have stopped anyone watching Jesus from slipping away for food and returning, or the audience requesting an interval? Even the few with bread and fish don’t make use of their food. Was Jesus forcing the multitude to stay against their will? No matter how engrossed I have become in a long weekend music festivals I haven’t forgotten to eat when I get hungry, even though it tears me away from the action. The events surrounding the feeding of the 5,000 all occur in a single day which seems rather more realistic, though the apparent miracle itself is of course, absurd even there. Arthur Chappell