Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Ecaterina Curova

BIB 201 INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

MARK - INDUCTIVE STUDY SHEET #6

Mark 6 and Mark 7

Read Chapters 6 and 7 a few times through.

1. Outline the content of these chapters. Use a simple sentence outline, summarizing in a sentence or two each section (you decide how to divide up the material). This will not correspond necessarily to the editor’s decisions.

6:1-6: Jesus emphasizes how people still do not believe in his teachings and that relatives do not believe prophets either.

6:7-13: Jesus gives instructions to his disciples of how to preach.

6:14-16: King Herod heard what was saying about Jesus and realized that Jesus raised John the Baptist from the dead whom he beheaded.

6:17-29: It is the story of how Herod beheaded John the Baptist.

6:30-34: Jesus, disciples and the crowd came to a solitary place. Jesus recognized how many people follow him that he had compassion on them.

6:35-44: Disciples said to Jesus that the crowd needed to eat, and Jesus filled the crowd of 5, 000 with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

6:45-52: Jesus walked on the water, and disciples were terrified about it.

6:53-56: People were so amazed by Jesus that they brought everyone who was sick to Jesus and asked even to touch the cloak, and the people were healed.

7:1-23: Jesus explains what is clean and what is unclean to Pharisees and his disciples.

7:24-30: Jesus healed the demon-possessed Greek girl, because he liked the woman’s reply on his words.

7:31-37: Jesus healed the deaf man and asked not to tell anyone about him. But still people talk about him all the time, and had not kept it as a secret.

2. Which themes already seen in the gospel does Mark here repeat? Cite verses.

- Jesus teaches in synagogue at the Sabbath (seems he disobey the Law)

- Some people do not believe in Jesus

- The issue of clean and unclean

- Jesus drives out demons out of possessed people

- Jesus asks not to tell everyone about him, but people talk about him

3. What NEW information about Jesus is provided through these stories? Cite verses.

- Jesus had compassion to people (6:34)

- Jesus feeds people with a few food (6:41)

- Jesus could walk on the water (6:48)

4. Choose one of the following episodes -- 6:30-40, 6:45-52, or 7:1-23 for an in-depth analysis. Using the inductive method of text analysis, answer the following questions:

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

1. What happens? Jesus had compassion toward the crowd and decided to give food for them. Amazing that Jesus could feed 5, 000 people with 5 loaves of bread and two fish.

Who’s involved? Jesus, the crowd, and disciples

Where does the story take place? In the solitary place when Jesus was teaching those people

What is the conflict/problem? Jesus wanted to feed the people but his disciples had not believed that Jesus could do it with a few food.

Is there a climax? 6:41- Jesus took all food andlooking up to heaven and gave thanks.

A resolution? (Your own paraphrase) Jesus could feed the people and people were satisfied

1. What is Mark “saying” by placing this story in his gospel? What do you think Mark is trying to communicate to his original listeners about Jesus? (This is the hermeneutical part: WHAT did it say or mean then?)

In my understanding, this story is placed in the gospel, because it shows that Jesus could perform miracles as well as this story explains that with the belief the miracles will happen. Mark was trying to say that by following Jesus people would be full with all. Moreover, I understood that with the belief in God, he will help you.

1. Early readers or early believers (one or two generations after Jesus) might have been encouraged by this story OR they might have found it confusing.

· How, in your opinion, would this story offer someone cause for hope or encouragement or belief? This story clearly shows the causes of belief. Jesus believes in God, and believes that God will help him. However, his disciples did not believe that Jesus could feed the crowd. But Jesus with the belief could feed the crowd which proves that things might happen if you believe.

· How would this story be confusing, inaccessible or difficult to believe? When I was watching the film for extra-credit, I asked my friend how is it possible physically to multiply tangible goods? For me it is the most confusing part and I cannot believe that the bread can be multiplied in numbers just if to believe in it.

· What questions would it raise for first or second century readers? In my understanding, early readers would think that Jesus was a demon, because he performed miracles. Moreover, they would hardly believe in him. So, early readers would begin to think about power of Jesus and would think whether to believe and follow him or not.

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