The Miracle So Nice He Did It Twice

Let’s Play Two!

“What a great day for baseball. Let’s play two!” That’s a legendary quote from a legendary Mr. Cub. Ernie Banks loved baseball so much, he was ALWAYS ready to play a pair of games in a single day.

But long before Banks ever appeared on his first baseball card, Jesus played His first doubleheader. Okay, it wasn’t really a baseball game. It Mark tells us about the day our Savior serves up a second massive meal on the heels of the first (Mk 8:1-10).

Call it the miracle so nice He did it twice.

The Opening Game

The first thing we need to do is rewind a bit in Mark’s biography of Jesus to that opening game of the doubleheader, the first phenomenal feeding. It all goes down near the shore of a big lake in Galilee. The Twelve has just returned from sharing the love of God without the Lord at their side (Mk 6:30).

Christ wants to get His crew a couple of days off to recharge (Mk 6:31-32). There’s just one problem. A huge crowd spots Him, His heart breaks for them, and He teaches them (Mk 6:33-34).

An Awkward Conversation

At the end of the very long day, the disciples suggest to Jesus that they He send them home so they could grab some grub (Mk 6:35-36). But the Lord tells the boys to pump their brakes and feed the massive audience themselves (Mk 6:37a).

Suddenly there’s an awkward conversation about the cost of catering the huge crowd and how they can only scrape together five loaves of bread and a couple of fish (Mk 6:37b-38).

The Hot New Thing

The next thing you know, our Savior thanks His Dad for what they do have and suddenly transforms the handful of ingredients into an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet for almost 20,000 people (Mk 6:39-44).

Jesus and His team continually try to grab some downtime but it’s just not happening. His combo of awesome teaching and mind-blowing miracles have made Him the hot new thing in Galilee. Crowds gather quickly wherever He goes (Mk 6:54-56). Could He be the Hero from heaven the Jewish people have been waiting for?

More Miracles on Demand

They try heading north across the border into non-Jewish territory but they can’t outrun Jesus’ rep (Mk 7:24-30). They circle back south to another Gentile area call the Ten Towns (Mk 7:31). That just leads to more miracles on demand (Mk 7:32-35; Mt 15:29-31).

That sets the stage for the second game of the doubleheader. While the Lord and the Dirty Dozen are still hanging out near the Ten Towns on the east side of the Sea of Galilee, it starts happening all over again.

Here We Go Again

“About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again” (Mk 8:1). Feel like you’ve seen this movie before? That’s why some skeptics doubt it happened twice. But Mark makes it clear this may seem the same on the surface, but there are some very key differences.

Right out of the chute, the author and the NLT go out of their way to point out this is indeed the second time it happens. “About this time ANOTHER large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food AGAIN” (v1, emphasis added). Here we go again.

Goober from the Son of God

You can bet Jesus’ healing of the hearing impaired man had a lot to do with it (Mk 7:31-37). Folks are certainly buzzing about how the Son of God used supernatural goober to work His latest miracle.

A Punch in the Gut

Jesus and the Twelve huddle up. He lets them know what’s on His heart. “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with Me for three days, and they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance” (v1-3).

I’m not so sure that “feel sorry” has the same oomph as the word we see in the original language. Σπλαγχνιζομαι/splagchnizomai describes have deep compassion. It literally means moved in the spleen. It’s like a punch in the gut.

Christ’s Deep Compassion

It’s not the first time this has happened to our Savior. He has deep compassion for folks who are harassed and abused (Mt 9:36). His heart breaks for a desperate leper (Mk 1:41). For a mom who’s burying her son (Mk 9:22). And it’s that same gut feeling which leads to the first feeding of the 5,000 (Mt 14:14; Mk 6:34)

Whether we realize it or not, Christ cares. Whether we feel it or not, He cares deeply about each one of us. About you. About me. About them. Christ cares. About what we’re going through. About what’s happened to you. About what you’re facing. He cares more than anybody on the planet.

Image Bearers of the Creator

As His followers, we should have that same compassion for others. We may not know someone’s eternal destination. But we can be sure one of thing. God made every person we meet in His image (Gen 1:26-27). Every. Single. One.

Yeah, I know. You’ve heard this tune before. But let that sink in. Every person we encounter is an image bearer of our Creator. The lady in front of you in the express line at the grocery store with too many items. The guy who cut you off on the highway. The politician you can’t stand. The annoying neighbor who talks too much. The homeless person at the exit ramp.

Our Holistic Savior

Christ cares for them. As a matter of fact, He cares so deeply for them that He died to save each one of them. Every. Single. One.

And Jesus cares about the whole person. He cares about what we need. Not just spiritually, but emotionally and physically as well. He left heaven on a mission to bring us overflowing life (Jn 10:10). He’s not just a holy Savior but a holistic one as well.

Three Whole Days

It’s actually the emptiness of the people’s stomach that punches Jesus in the gut this time around. “They have been here with Me for three days, and they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance” (v2-3).

Did you catch that? They’ve hung out with Jesus for THREE WHOLE DAYS! We only find that little nugget in Mark’s Gospel. The last time the Lord served a miracle meal it was at the end of one very long day. If you’re wondering what’s been going on for three days, Matthew sums it up (Mt 15:30-31).

Long Past Hangry

Three days without anything to eat?!? This is like some crazy music festival where the organizers drop the ball all when it comes to concession stands and food trucks. How hungry would you be? I can tell you, I would have been long past hangry a couple of days ago.

Christ knows that nothing less than an encore to that whole five-loaves-two-fish feast back in Galilee will do the trick. But just like last time, His great compassion for the great big crowd confounds His disciples. “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?” (v4).

Not the Brightest Bulbs in the Box

The Twelve kinda feel like folks don’t have to go home but they can’t stay here. Despite all they saw before, these knuckleheads still don’t get it. It’s another reminder that Jesus has exactly handpicked the brightest bulbs in the box.

According to the ESV Study Bible, it’s not that the disciples forgot. They simply can’t wrap their heads around what Jesus is capable of. Maybe they don’t think He’s capable of doing what He did before. One thing for sure, they still haven’t figured out who He is yet. That’s one of the mega-themes in Mark’s story of our Savior.

Are You Kidding?!?

Check out their question one more time. “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?” (v4). Let’s focus on three words. How. We. Wilderness.

They start with a Greek term (Gr. ποθεν/pothen) the NLT translates “how.” Each time this word appears, it raises the question of where, how, what, or why? It always carries the element of surprise. It’s the boys’ way of saying, “Are You kidding, Jesus?!?”

God-Sized Assignments

When they say “we,” they clearly believe the Lord is dumping the responsibility for lunch squarely in their lap. There’s no way they can do that on their own. Jesus is forcing them to place their faith in Him. God continually gives us God-sized assignments in order to rely on Him.

The disciples clearly understand they’re in the middle of the “wilderness” (v4). Despite being called the Ten Towns, this isn’t exactly a major metropolitan area. It’s probably better know as the Ten Tiny Towns out in the Middle of Nowhere. There’s not exactly a Kroger around the corner.

Blanking on the Who

The Twelve are focused on the how and the where of the situation. They’re totally blanking on the Who.  And, no, I don’t mean Daltrey, Townshend, Entwistle, and Moon.

The Who I’m talking about here is One who calls Himself the “Bread of Life” (Jn 6:35). You’re gonna love this. Jesus introduces Himself by that name just after His first feeding of the doubleheader (Jn 6:1-14).

All We Ever Need

By claiming this title, the Son of God isn’t challenging those of us who’ve chosen to go gluten-free. It’s His way of saying He’s totally essential for life. Not physical life. But eternal life. He’s all we’ll ever need.

Most big time Bible experts believe there’s another reason for this supernatural second helping. Since this about to go down in mostly Gentile territory, Jesus will prove that He is the Living Bread for non-Jews too.

What They DO Have

Back in Mark’s story, Jesus gets back to the problem at hand. He asks His disciples if they’ve actually checked on their available resources. “How much bread do you have?” (v5). In other words, boys, go do what you did the last time we were in the same situation (Mk 6:38).

He doesn’t want them looking at what they DON’T have. He wants to understand what they DO have. And no matter what that number is, Jesus makes it more than enough. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The Perfect Number

We’re not sure how long this inventory takes but they come back to Christ with the answer. “Seven loaves” (v5). Numbers are important in the ancient world. For instance, folks see seven as the perfect or complete number. This may just be God’s way of saying He has perfect and complete love for both Jews and Gentiles.

Then the Lord rings the dinner bell. “So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, broke them into pieces. He gave them to His disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd” (v6).

Thanking God for the Good Stuff

After getting everyone seated, our Savior thanks His Father for what they do have. It’s something we’ve seen Him do before (Mt 14:19; Mk 6:41). Jesus’ kid brother wants us to remember that all the good stuff comes from our Heavenly Dad (James 1:17).

Thanking God, breaking bread, and handing it out are all regular parts of every Jewish meal back in the day. Don’t you think we should take a few moments before breakfast, lunch, and dinner to express our gratitude for what we’re about to eat?

Blessing TO Us and THROUGH Us

Notice how Christ multiplies the meal but He involves the disciples in the miracle. He breaks the bread while the boys deliver the goods. God wants to use us to be part of His blessing to others. When we ignore that invitation, we’re the ones who miss out.

Here’s the deal. As the Sovereign God of the universe, He doesn’t need us. But He invites us to be part of His work. He wants us to be part of His work. There’s blessing when we serve others (Jn 13:17). That’s because His blessing TO us is a blessing THROUGH us.

It Just Keeps Coming!

“He gave them to His disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd” (v 6). The grammar in the original Greek here describes the continuous process of the Twelve passing out food. In other words, Jesus keeps breaking the bread and the disciples keep dishing it out. The food just keeps coming!

Serving More than Carbs

Christ is serving more than just carbs to the big crowd. “A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them” (v7). While we don’t have a specific number, Mark lets us know they don’t have many and they aren’t very big.

The word the NLT translates as “small fish” (Gr. ιχθυδιον/ichthudion) certainly doesn’t describe what you’d call keepers. Think bluegill, bream, or tiny tilapia. Remember, the second Gospel is almost certainly Peter’s version of events. This commercial fisherman is anything but impressed with this meager catch.

Passing on Dessert

The size and quantity of the fish might be lacking but the miracle meal certainly isn’t. “They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food” (v8).

Folks are stuffed. Can’t you just picture folks in the big crowd leaning back after this amazing all-you-can-eat seafood buffet? No need to see the dessert menu. They couldn’t eat another bite.

Luggage full of Leftovers

Just like after the last supernatural spread, the Twelve clean up the leftovers. But this time, they use “large baskets” (Gr. σπυρις/spuris). These are bigger than the ones they used back after the first banquet (Mk 6:43).

The term here means a big whicker hamper often used for carrying stuff on long journeys. It’s more like a trunk or a very large suitcase. This is no carryon. They have seven pieces of luggage full of leftovers.

Man-Sized Baskets

In fact, these baskets are actually big enough to hold a man! When the Jews put a hit on the newly converted Saul in Damascus, his friends smuggle him out of the city one night using one of them (Acts 9:25). WAY bigger than your mom’s most monstrous Tupperware.

We’re not just talking about a few scraps and crumbs. This is an absolute overabundance of food. And you think you’re grandma can prepare too much for dinner. It’s nothing compared to what Jesus can do. He’s capable of so much more than we could ever dream of (Eph 3:20).

Seafood for 16,000

Did you notice the number seven again? I didn’t think that would get past you. The perfect and complete meal results in perfect and complete leftovers. This is the meal that keeps on giving!

So just how many folks did Jesus feed with seven little loaves and a handful of small fish? “There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten” (v9). Just counting 4,000 dudes, that puts the probable crowd at somewhere around 16,000!!

Back in the Boat

Just after Christ’s crew cleans up, they’re on the move again. “Immediately after this, He got into a boat with His disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha” (v10). Did you know that Mark is the only writer of Scripture to mention this place?

When you compare Matt’s version of this same story, we find out it’s near Magadan (AKA Magdala) on the northwest shore of the freshwater lake known as the Sea of Galilee (Mt 15:39). It happens to be the hometown of one of Jesus’ most famous female followers, Mary of Magdala. You probably know her as Mary Magdalene.

Setting the Table

As the boat pulls away from the beach, this second seafood buffet really sets the table for what’s to come. Jesus will have another run-in with the religious power brokers once they land (Mk 8:11-13).

When that’s over, the Lord warns His posse about the Pharisees’ leaven (Mk 8:14-21). They think He’s busting their chops about failing to pack a lunch. They don’t realize He’s actually giving them a heads up about falling under their sinful influence.

Back-to-Back Buffets

Despite having front row seats for both of these miraculous meals, Jesus’ closest followers still don’t understand who He really is. They’ve never seen anyone like Him. His deep compassion for others. His ability to provide exactly what they need most when they need it most.

In 1954, Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals played what many baseball fans believe is the greatest doubleheader in history when he it five homers. That’s how you earn the nickname of Stan the Man.

But that’s little league compared to what Christ did with His back-to-back bread-and-fish buffets. The Lord totally knock both of them out of the park. It's

the miracle so nice He did it twice.

©2018

Jay Jennings