Mark 8:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve."

NIV: When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied.

NASB: when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?' They *said to Him, 'Twelve.'

CSB: When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?" "Twelve," they told him.

NLT: When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?' 'Twelve,' they said.

KJV: When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up They say unto him, Twelve.

NKJV: When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”

At first glance, Jesus sounds like a frustrated dad who walked into the living room to see his sons jumping off of suddenly-broken furniture. However, the lesson He is trying to impart is imperative for the spread of Christianity and the establishment of the church. Some undetermined time before, Jesus and the disciples had met with five thousand men plus women and children in a plain outside of Bethsaida near the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. He healed the sick (Matthew 14:14) and taught them until sunset. When the disciples showed concern that the people had nothing to eat, Jesus took the five loaves and two fish from a boy's lunch and turned it into enough to feed everyone. When the crowd had had its fill, the disciples gathered twelve baskets filled of bread and fish pieces (Mark 6:34–44).

Jesus is trying to warn the disciples to reject false teaching, an essential skill for the men tasked with spreading the gospel. But they also need to know how to trust God for their physical well-being. He has promised that He will give them rest from heavy labor (Matthew 11:29–30), a statement meant in part to ease fears about basic needs while following God's willHe has assured them that God sees their every move (Matthew 10:29–31). And they have seen His power and authority to provide a meal for a mob from next to nothing. They should be able to extrapolate that a generous, loving God (Matthew 7:7–11) will be able to feed them from one loaf.

After Jesus' return to heaven, the disciples will rely on the truth of God's provision as much as they rely on their ability to detect false teaching. They will be beaten (Acts 5:40), imprisoned (Acts 12:3–5), and beheaded (Acts 12:2). As they gain discernment in recognizing false teaching and beliefs, their trust in God will grow to the point where they don't fear death, let alone a hungry boat ride.

Mark 8:14–21 is the fourth of a series of stories about bread and righteousness, in which the disciples again miss Jesus' point. ''Bread'' represents God's provision, whether that be literal (Mark 6:30–44; 8:1–9), or metaphorical (Mark 7:24–30). The Pharisees are careful to ensure nothing, even themselves, make their literal bread unclean (Mark 7:1–5). But Jesus warns that spiritually, their teaching acts as tainted leaven that permeates God's truth and fundamentally changes its constitution. The disciples get confused and think He's scolding them about forgetting to bring rations. Matthew 16:5–12 also records this account. Luke 12:1–3 speaks of the leaven of the Pharisees as hypocrisy.

This chapter describes another miraculous feeding of thousands by Jesus. He also counters the hard-hearted and selfish hypocrisy of the Pharisees in seeking even more miraculous signs. Speaking to the disciples, Jesus rebukes their short memories and reminds them about God's intent to provide for His followers. After healing a blind man, Jesus accepts Peter's proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah. Almost immediately, though, Jesus rebukes Peter for resisting the idea that the Messiah must suffer and die.

Mark 8 continues Jesus' attempts to teach the disciples God's plan for the Messiah. Jesus has not come for the religious Pharisees but for the meek who willingly respond to Him. He has not yet come as the glorious and victorious champion of Israel, but to die for the whole world. And His followers must also be willing to sacrifice their lives. The chapter marks a turning point in Jesus' ministry as His miracles grow fewer and His teaching increases. Interestingly, Jesus also faces a repeat of the temptations He experienced in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11).

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.