A synopsis of the sermon delivered by the Rev. David L. Hicks at St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church on Sunday, August 3, 2003, Trinity VII. Please read St. Mark 8:1-12.

For readers of Mark’s Gospel, the story of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fish is an intriguing one - not only because of the miraculous nature of the deed itself, but also because Mark records two such miracles in his Gospel. The first is found in chapter six where 5,000 people are fed, and now this one in chapter eight with the feeding of 4,000. Scholars have puzzled over these two very similar events. Some have conjectured that they are two differing accounts of the same single event; and Mark, not knowing which to choose, places both in his account of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The overlap between the two stories does give some weight to this opinion. Also, the reader might expect that the disciples, after witnessing the first miracle, would expect Jesus to do something much the same under similar circumstances. Yet, when Jesus says, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me three days and have nothing to eat,” the disciples do not prompt Jesus to do what he did before by multiplying loaves of bread. They seem to be unaware of Jesus’ ability to do that kind of thing.

Let me suggest that the disciples’ ignorance, rather than indicating two versions on the same event, really fits with one of the concerns of Mark’s Gospel. Mark frequently shows us how the disciples fail to comprehend the full significance of what Jesus is doing in his miracles. They were astounded at Jesus’ ability to walk on the water (6:45-50), because they did not understand the first miracle of the loaves and fish (5:51-52). Perhaps the disciples needed a repeat lesson in order to grasp the importance of this feeding miracle. Jesus certainly repeated other miracles such as healing the blind or sick, so it does not seem far-fetched to believe that Jesus would do something like this on more than one occasion. This position is supported by the disciples’ reaction to our Lord’s warning, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod” (8:15). Rather than understanding the metaphor, the disciples think that Jesus is chastising them for not bringing enough bread along with them (8:16). Jesus responds,

Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up…and the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up…and he said to them, Do you not yet understand? (8:17-21).

I do not think we are very different from Jesus’ disciples in Mark’s Gospel, for we need to learn some of the same lessons they did and in the same way - through repeat performances. How often have we failed to remember God’s past provision and guidance that he given us? How often do we participate in the miracle of the Lord’s Supper, which we are about to do today, and fail to see the significance of the bread and wine? Thankfully, Jesus did not give up on his disciples for their dullness of understanding, nor does he give up on his present-day disciples when we fail to understand. God loves us enough to repeat the lessons in life that we need to learn in order to grow in grace and our knowledge of him.
 Amen.