Most have heard about Jesus feeding the crowds. In Mark 6:39, five thousand were fed with five loaves of bread and two fish. Everybody was filled and still there were twelve baskets of leftovers. In Mark 8, Jesus feeds four thousand with seven loaves and a few small fish. Examples of powerful miracles certainly. But is there more?
On a show called Love Israel, presented by Dr. Baruch Korman on the Daystar network, the Dr. mentioned a meaning of bread and fish. He said that bread can refer to nourishment and fish can be associated with blessing. This view can put an interesting take on the feeding of the crowds.
The loaves and fish miracle shows that God provides not only for our sustenance but also offers us blessings. Not only survival but a bit extra to make our lives something special. The gospel accounts also show that there can be an abundance of these things. These God given gifts can easily be misconstrued, however. We can become spoiled and be dissatisfied with the nourishment we receive. We can also overlook or not sufficiently appreciate the simple blessings we are granted.
In Mark 8:15, Jesus warned the disciples, "Look out and be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod." This confused the disciples. They assumed Jesus mentioned this because they had forgotten to bring extra bread. Jesus strongly rebuked their misunderstanding saying, "Don't you know or understand yet? Are your minds so dull?" And after reminding them of providing the loaves for the thousands concluded with, "And still you don't understand?"
We probably all wish we could've been one of the thousands to be fed by Jesus. While that's not possible, trying everyday to be aware of the gifts God provides can be an alternative. Always being thankful for our sustenance and appreciating even the smallest blessing can help us sharpen our minds toward God and understand what Jesus wants us to know.
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