The only miracle that Jesus performs
that appears in all four gospels is the one in which he feeds a huge crowd of
people with almost no food. In fact, this story appears twice in Mark,
once in chapter 6:34-44 and again in chapter 8:1-10. Some of Mark's sources
were no doubt oral and he may have heard this story from two different people.
The story had changed enough in the telling and retelling that he mistook
them for unique stories so included them both in his gospel. However, his
editing skills left a little to be desired. In the second version
that appears in chapter 8, Jesus' disciples don't seem to know what he's
talking about, even though they had fed thousands with a few loaves and a fish
or two a short time ago. One can imagine Jesus saying to them, "What
do think we're going to do, you idiots, the same thing we did last week when we
fed the 5,000 men? Were you guys sound asleep when you were passing out
the food then?" Of course, he didn't. He patiently tells them
the same thing he did last time. If Mark's author had read these two
stories more carefully he might not have included them both. Matthew
picked up both versions of the story from Mark and included them in his gospel
(14:13-21 and 15:29-39). The other gospel writers were more circumspect
since they both failed to pick up the extra version.
In Mark's chapter 6 version, Jesus
tells the disciples to give the people some food. They ask him if they
should buy some. He asks them what they've got. They check and tell him
they have five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus blesses the food and
the disciples pass it out. When everyone is finished eating they collect
all that's left over. There are twelve baskets of food left. We are
told that there were 5,000 men who ate the food. This all took place
during one day of preaching.
In Mark's chapter 8 version, Jesus
says the crowd has been with them for three days and have nothing to eat.
The disciples ask Jesus, "How can one feed these men with bread in
the desert?", as if they'd never done this before. Jesus asks them
what they've got and they tell him they've got seven loaves and a few small
fish. Jesus blesses the food and they pass it out. Everyone eats
their fill and they have seven baskets left over. We are told that about 4,000
people were fed. The various numbers involved are different from the
chapter 6 version making Mark's author think this was a different story, but
the disciples' seeming lack of knowledge of their recent experience says
otherwise. They've never done this before.
Matthew's author borrows both of
Mark's versions of these events. The
only changes he makes in them concerns the makeup of the people involved.
We are told that there were 5,000 men in the first version and 4,000 men
in the second, but he adds in both stories that there were also women and
children present. This would inflate
the numbers and put him out of sync with Mark’s numbers.
Both Luke's and John's author borrow
Mark's chapter 6 story. This is a one day event. They have five loaves
and two fish to work with. There are 5,000 men, and they have twelve baskets of
food left over.
The version that has this story
taking place on one day seems more believable than the one in which the
multitude is with Jesus for three days. Talking to four or five thousand
people over three days without voice amplification capabilities seems
impossible. To make oneself heard to a group this large would take
constant shouting. No human voice could do this. I suppose an
apologist could just claim Jesus had a super voice and could shout for days
without losing it.
Only Matthew's version of this story
acknowledges that there were women and children in the multitude, although
John's author refers to there being 5,000 men there, but then states that it
was a boy who had the five barley loaves and two fish. It seems almost
impossible that only men were there. This seems like a family affair for
all to participate in. It seems strange that only Matthew clearly states
this. The others only refer to men being present. Mark's chapter 8
version states that 4,000 people were present which would allow for women and
children to be there, but of course, they would be included in that number.
There are lots of discrepancies
here. Was this a one day affair or a three day affair? Did they
start with five loaves or seven? Did they have two fish, or a few small fish?
Did they have seven or twelve baskets of food left over? Did the
disciples have the starter bread and fish, or did a young boy have it? Were
there 4,000 or 5,000 involved? Were they all men, or were women and children
present?
Some biblical scholars believe that
this miracle was borrowed from the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 4:42-44 a man brings twenty loaves of barley and fresh
ears of grain to Elisha, who tells his servant to give it to the men. His
servant says, "How am I to set this before a hundred men?"
Elisha says to him, "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for
thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left.' ". The men
ate and had some left. Jesus' miracle, of course had to be bigger and
better than Elisha's. He fed thousands with even fewer loaves.
