Second Time’s the Charm?
Read Mark 8:1-21
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” –Mark 8:4
Many of us have had the experience of déjà vu—that brief, strange feeling that we’ve been in an exact place or situation before. Neurologists suggest that the experience of déjà vu is a “memory glitch” in the brain, where our brain wrongly categorizes a new experience with something that’s happened before. But if you’re reading today’s Bible story (the feeding of the 4,000) and wondering if it’s the same as another story you just read (the feeding of the 5,000), it’s not déjà vu at all. Rather, it’s a literary feature of the Bible!
When we read the gospels, we can see that certain patterns repeat over and over and over again. Many of Jesus’ conflicts with the Pharisees seem repetitive. Again and again, Mark tells us how people flocked to Jesus to seek healing. Twice, Jesus withdraws into the wilderness; both times, he’s followed and interrupted by crowds. There are two “sea scenes” that echo each other (the calming of the storm; the walking on water). You get the idea.
This repetition of stories and patterns is a feature of Hebrew scripture in general. For instance, the book of Genesis contains two scenes where Hagar runs away into the desert, where God meets and comforts her. On multiple occasions, Abraham pretends Sarah is his sister and brings disaster on the ruler who mistakenly tries to marry her. Who can count how many times the Israelites grumble against God in the wilderness, or how many times a poor king leads the people astray and begins worshipping false idols?
The rhetorical effect of this repetition is two-fold:
It illustrates God’s persistent goodness. God does not protect and provide only once. He provides and protects over and over and over again. We can trust in God’s goodness!
It illustrates how slow we are to learn the lesson of trust. The disciples in this story repeat almost verbatim the same objection from the previous feeding story—“Where will we find food to feed all these people?” They’d already seen Jesus feed 5,000 people with just a few fish and loaves of bread. How did they not learn the lesson the first time? In fact, this passage ends with Jesus incredulously asking: Do you still not understand?
We are all sometimes slow to learn the lesson. We tend to see only our present challenges; we forget the history of God’s faithfulness. So the next time you’re in a “desert place,” try not to focus on whatever your present challenges might be. Instead, look back and remember how God has led and provided for you in the past. Remember that He has you in this moment as well!
Thank you, O God, for Your patience. Thank You for your goodness and mercy, never running out, they are new every morning. Forgive me for those times I am slow to learn the lesson, when I forget that my life is safe in Your hands. Give me courage, O Lord. I trust You to provide all that I need for this day, and for all the days to come. Amen.