Am I Counting Loaves or Baskets?

Mark 8

January 16, 2013

Am I Counting Loaves or Counting Baskets?

What strikes me in this chapter is the feeding of the 4000.  That’s right – 4000.  In Mark chapter 6 it was the feeding of the 5000, so this is not Mark having a senior moment and retelling the same story again, and it is not Mark and Matthew differing on how many there were in that remote location.  It was two different times and two different miraculous feedings. 

So what do I get out of the fact that there were two different times?  Plenty!

It reminds me how slow I am to learn things and how quick I am to pass judgment on others who mirror that same snail-like learning curve.  I mean … just think about it. 

For those disciples of Jesus, it really hadn’t been that long since Jesus took five loaves and two fish and fed 5000 – with twelve baskets leftover to share – one for each of them who were dumbfounded when Jesus told them: “Feed the people.” 

And now it’s a similar scenario.  A large crowd (4000 this time) gathered in a remote location with not even as much as a McDonalds or Denny’s nearby.  Jesus is reflecting on how hungry they and their need for sustenance.  Still there is not a disciple who comes up with the idea: “Hey Jesus, what if we could scrounge up a few loaves of bread and maybe a couple of fish.  Could you do that whole multiplying of the loaves and fish again?” 

Instead Jesus has to lead them through this whole process a second time.  And in the midst of this second miraculous feeding, the stubborn unbelief of the Pharisees displays itself as they come up to Jesus - demanding a miracle in the very midst of this miraculous event.  No wonder it says Jesus “sighed deeply.” 

This whole account reminds me that I too tend to count the size of problems more than I count on the One who can bring me through every one of them.  I tend to count the lack of resources (loaves) instead of the abundance of blessings that surround me (baskets). 

My prayer right now is that I would begin to count baskets instead of loaves.

So what impacted you in this chapter?