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BREAKING BREAD BETWEEN BROTHERS & SISTERS
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Isaac born - Ishmael banished.
Of all the miracles recorded in the Gospels, there is only one miracle that is recorded in all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. That miracle is the Feeding of the Five Thousand - which doesn’t count the women and the children who must have been there. Counting them, some estimate the number could be closer to ten thousand - which is, anyway you look at it - a lot of people.
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Then there is another miracle that only Matthew and Mark record and that is The Feeding of Four Thousand. Some think that both these miracles are the same, but on closer inspection they are very different, each serving a different purpose.
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The Feeding of the 5000 occurred at a place called Bethsaida, which is on the Sea of Galilee, and the word that is translated ‘basket’ means what we might consider a ‘lunch box’ as the orthodox Jew carried around such a basket so that they would always have ‘kosher’ or undefiled food to eat. In this story it is a young boy who has 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish. There were twelve basketsful of pieces of bread gathered up and the reason for the 12 baskets is simply that each disciple would have their own lunch box (basket) with them.
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Also the grass was green which means it was late spring when this happened and Jesus then had the people sit down in groups. This miracle shows us how Jesus saw the people’s need and met both their physical and spiritual hunger.
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The Feeding of the Four Thousand occurred at a place called Decapolis, which was on the other side of the lake known as the Sea of Galilee. This area was Gentile territory. The baskets used in this story were much bigger and there were only seven baskets of pieces of bread gathered up afterwards. Perhaps the reason for such a large crowd - remember only the men were counted - was that Jesus had been there before and healed the man Legion, who then went and told everyone about this man Jesus and how he healed him.
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In this feeding the grass is no longer green, as the people sat on the ground, indicating that it is late summer / early fall and the grass has withered and the ground hard and bare because of the heat and dryness of the past summer.
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The key to both miracles rests on the two different words that are translated into our word ‘basket’. In the 5000 Miracle Feeding the word used translates into the Jewish Lunch box type basket, and in the 4000 Miracle Feeding the word used means simply a ‘large wicker basket. According to William Barclay, these two different types of baskets show us how Jesus first went to the Jewish people and then later went to the Gentile people. In both instances, Jesus offered himself as the Bread of Life, showing compassion to both Jew and Gentile. Christ died for all people. We share in his one, sufficient, and perfect oblation.
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M. MARK 6:30-44 ..................THE FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND
T. MARK 8:1-13 .......................THE FEEDING OF FOUR THOUSAND
W. MATTHEW14:13-22 .........THE FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND
T. MATTHEW 15:29-39 ........THE FEEDING OF FOUR THOUSAND
F. LUKE9:10-17 .......................THE FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND
S. JOHN 6:1-13 .........................THE FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND
Of all the miracles recorded in the Gospels, there is only one miracle that is recorded in all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. That miracle is the Feeding of the Five Thousand - which doesn’t count the women and the children who must have been there. Counting them, some estimate the number could be closer to ten thousand - which is, anyway you look at it - a lot of people.
.
Then there is another miracle that only Matthew and Mark record and that is The Feeding of Four Thousand. Some think that both these miracles are the same, but on closer inspection they are very different, each serving a different purpose.
.
The Feeding of the 5000 occurred at a place called Bethsaida, which is on the Sea of Galilee, and the word that is translated ‘basket’ means what we might consider a ‘lunch box’ as the orthodox Jew carried around such a basket so that they would always have ‘kosher’ or undefiled food to eat. In this story it is a young boy who has 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish. There were twelve basketsful of pieces of bread gathered up and the reason for the 12 baskets is simply that each disciple would have their own lunch box (basket) with them.
.
Also the grass was green which means it was late spring when this happened and Jesus then had the people sit down in groups. This miracle shows us how Jesus saw the people’s need and met both their physical and spiritual hunger.
.
The Feeding of the Four Thousand occurred at a place called Decapolis, which was on the other side of the lake known as the Sea of Galilee. This area was Gentile territory. The baskets used in this story were much bigger and there were only seven baskets of pieces of bread gathered up afterwards. Perhaps the reason for such a large crowd - remember only the men were counted - was that Jesus had been there before and healed the man Legion, who then went and told everyone about this man Jesus and how he healed him.
.
In this feeding the grass is no longer green, as the people sat on the ground, indicating that it is late summer / early fall and the grass has withered and the ground hard and bare because of the heat and dryness of the past summer.
.
The key to both miracles rests on the two different words that are translated into our word ‘basket’. In the 5000 Miracle Feeding the word used translates into the Jewish Lunch box type basket, and in the 4000 Miracle Feeding the word used means simply a ‘large wicker basket. According to William Barclay, these two different types of baskets show us how Jesus first went to the Jewish people and then later went to the Gentile people. In both instances, Jesus offered himself as the Bread of Life, showing compassion to both Jew and Gentile. Christ died for all people. We share in his one, sufficient, and perfect oblation.
.
M. MARK 6:30-44 ..................THE FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND
T. MARK 8:1-13 .......................THE FEEDING OF FOUR THOUSAND
W. MATTHEW14:13-22 .........THE FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND
T. MATTHEW 15:29-39 ........THE FEEDING OF FOUR THOUSAND
F. LUKE9:10-17 .......................THE FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND
S. JOHN 6:1-13 .........................THE FEEDING OF FIVE THOUSAND
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posted by vesuvius2 at 8:30 AM
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