1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him, and said to them,
2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat;
3 and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.”
“In those days” Mark is pointing out a detail here that informs the reader that this is occurring during Jesus’ short Gentile focused ministry work. This is important as it helps us separate rate todays feeding miracle from the similar sounding one done for the Jews.
A great crowd of the Gentiles have gathered around him, we already know from Chapter 7 that Jesus initially sought refuge from the crowds by going to the Gentile regions but his fame had actually spread so much there too that they also were crowding him. These crowds have witnessed healing miracles and teachings from Jesus and are obviously very impressed with what he can do and say. They let their desire for Jesus to takeover from the necessity to eat so they are following him around without providing for themselves. This is to be admired for a people that have little to no theological preparation of the Jewish messiah.
Jesus calls out to his disciples telling them that he has compassion for the crowds. They have been following him now for three days, again as we noted, setting Jesus as their priority over basic things like food and water. Imagine being so consumed by a persons words and actions that you forget to eat for three days. Quite the feat. He is keenly aware that its their focus on him that is nourishing them in a sense so if he sends them away, without him being a focus they would collapse from the lack of nourishment. Not all of the people following Jesus are local, they cannot make the journey back to their homes to secure food.
4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?”
The disciples, despite seeing his countless miracles even by this point of his ministry, do not assume that he can do much about it. We should perceive their question as a doubtful one, not a question filled with optimism. “How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?” It also indicates that they are in the barren regions outside the cities and towns of the land of the Gentiles. There question is a doubt filled challenge based on their environment.
5 And he asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven.”
He asks his disciples how much bread they have, they answer seven. This detail too separates it from the other miracle similar to this, the feeding of the five thousand. The Gospel writers are not misrepresenting the same event, they are explicitly different events for different people and the numbers involved may have symbolic significance to the receivers of the miracle.
6 And he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.
Jesus commands the crowds to sit down on the ground, this is the typical posture to enjoy a meal, even within the home they would sit on the floor. He takes the seven loaves of bread and “having given thanks” he gives it first to the disciples who then give it out to the crowds. The word for “thanks” is eucharisteō in Greek. This is the origin of our Eucharist. This miracle in itself is a pre-figurment of the the New Covenant liturgical meal of the Eucharist. This is not a miracle of sharing as many modern homiletics might infer, this is a supernatural bread coming from the supernatural being who is Jesus.
7 And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, he commanded that these also should be set before them.
Then Jesus turns his attention to the few fish that are also within the possession of the disciples. Notice here that he does not confer upon it any connotations of Eucharist, he simply blesses them before commanding the disciples to also distribute them out. The entire time Jesus has presided over the meal like the patriarch of a family would. He engages in priestly roles of acting as the intermediary in order thank his Father in heaven and also bless the food before it is distributed. This entire episode of Jesus’ ministry is liturgical at its foundation with him acting as the head mediator. He is the priest and unlike many Jews of the Second Temple period or otherwise, he is incorporating the Gentiles into this liturgy with the disciples acting as his appointed ministers. Consider the image of a priest in the Mass and his altar servers.
8 And they ate, and were satisfied; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
9 And there were about four thousand people.
All four thousand people are able to eat till they are satisfied. The disciples gather up all the leftover pieces amounting to seven full baskets of food, more than they started with so any semblance of “the miracle of sharing” can be left out. The seven baskets might have symbolic significance on top of its literal happening. In the feeding of the five thousand Jews there are twelve baskets full, the symbolic number of fullness of the twelve tribes of Israel, a complete Israel is twelve. Here we see seven baskets, the number of covenant. The Jews lacked (many things) but a particular thing they lacked was the fullness of their own people, Jesus symbolically through his miracles re-establishes that fullness, the Gentiles however lack any covenant relationship with Yahweh at all so we get seven baskets, the number of Covenant that establishes what they are missing.
10 And he sent them away; and immediately he got into the boat with his disciples, and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
After the people are fed he sends them away, they no longer run the risk of fainting on the journey because they are nourished with miraculous bread. He gets in a boat with the disciples and goes on his way to the district of Dalmanutha. This place is actually completely unheard of and all the suggestions of where it is is guesswork. It is obviously on some shore of the Sea of Galilee. Ancient authorities read this as Magdan or Magdala which is a known place that has actually in modern times been dug up and excavated. So many Dalmanutha was an alternate name of Magdala that got lost to time or perhaps Dalmanutha was the name of the region in ancient times that Magdala resides in.
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