01-08-2022, 04:20 PM
The crowds were growing again. Jesus left His home area and headed far outside the country, into the area of Tyre and Sidon. He was trying to take a break, but even this far away, people had heard of Him and He was constantly besieged by crowds in need of healing and deliverance. He was trying to restrict His miracles to His own nation, but the sagacious words of a local woman moved Him to compassion and He delivered her daughter from a demon. The crowds exploded and there was no rest.
Jesus took a roundabout route through the Tetrarchy of Philip and around the east side of the Sea of Galilee in the highlands. Eventually, He came to the coast through Decapolis, putting Him on the southeastern shore, far away from any towns. As usual, He was spotted and crowds of people came for the miracles. He healed a deaf man. No matter how He tried to keep things quiet, it just kept getting worse, with people herding toward Him like iron filings to a strong magnet.
After three days of this, the huge crowd was getting a little restless from hunger. He announced to the Twelve that He intended to send them away, but wanted to feed them, since so many of them had came a great distance. Despite all the miracles they had seen in the past few weeks, the disciples still saw no way to do this. They managed to produce seven flat cakes of pita between them.
Once again, Jesus had the people organized in groups sitting on the ground. Then, as before some ten miles to the north on the same shore, He performed the ritual of thanksgiving, and began tearing the cakes, passing them to the Twelve to distribute, and never running out of bread. Someone kicked in a few small fish, and these were handled the same way. Everyone in the crowd ate their fill, and the disciples managed to collect back enough to fill seven baskets -- from seven cakes to seven picnic baskets full.
It had been roughly four thousand, and Jesus sent them away full.
If you visit the Sea of Galilee today, on the far westernmost point of the shore, you'll encounter a small town sporting archaeological digs identifying this as the site of Magdala. It was also called at times Dalmanutha and by the Roman name Tarichaea. Just to the south rises Mount Arbel, and the site of Magdala sits in a fairly large flat plain. Jesus loaded His crew into a boat and directed they sail to this place.
As usual, this small village was overwhelmed by the crowds that soon gathered. There was at least one decent sized city nearby, Arbel, and Tiberias was just down south along the shore. From the synagogues of these bigger cities came yet another delegation of Pharisees. They regarded healing and demon deliverance as rather mundane, perhaps easily faked. They demanded that He perform a sign that was clearly from God, something that couldn't be faked.
In exasperation with their intransigence, Jesus refused. For one, there had already been several such miracles, and they had refused to take note. It was never good enough for them. Wasn't it odd that the crowds of peasants had heard plenty about the miracles, and came running by the hundreds, but the Pharisees acted like it was nothing? Jesus' choice of words at this point indicated His condemnation for those who ruled His nation. This "generation" had become so hardened against divine truth that there was no hope for them. Even if Jehovah spoke for them in His own thundering voice, they would not listen.
When Jesus decided it was time to go, they embarked in their boat and headed across the sea toward the far shore. As they sailed along, He dropped another one line parable on the disciples: Take head of the leaven of Pharisees, and of the royal court. Each had their own kind, obviously. But the Twelve were obtuse as usual, wondering if He was onto them about having forgotten to pack some food.
How could they possibly have made that leap of logic? What does the impurity of the ruling class have to do with packing a lunch? In the Law of Moses, it was clearly a symbolism to yearly toss out all the sourdough they had kept working through the year, and start from scratch to grow a fresh batch. This was part of the Passover, celebrating how they didn't have time to let their bread rise that night, but must be ready to travel into the wilderness. So they had to make it a concerted effort to remove all leaven from the household and eat unleavened bread for the next seven days. It came to symbolize removing corruption, as if it were baggage that would slow them down. (It wasn't hard to restart a fresh batch of sourdough leaven, but it was inconvenient, taking several days.)
Just about everything the Pharisees did was rooted in materialism. Their whole approach was that material prosperity was the birthright of their particular brand of shallow ritual "holiness". But it was obvious that everything they did was calculated to keep power and wealth in their few hands. The royal dynasty was no different; they simply had their own methods. But it was a synergistic atmosphere. The Pharisees and Herodians were simply competitors for the same wealth at the expense of keeping the whole nation in grinding poverty. Somehow it was a "blessing" to the people that they be starved to keep the ruling class fat. They were agents of Satan, always abusing the sheep to deny them the blessings of the Covenant. So, even the feeding miracles were simply a restoration of Covenant shalom.
Jesus rebuked His disciples. How many of their picnic baskets were filled from the five thousand they fed a while back? And how many baskets were filled just recently from the four thousand? Each time, they were fed from almost nothing, and there was always plenty left over. Even those who were deeply pickled in the false Messianic Expectations would have understood that these miracles of abundance signified the riches of God's provision. Jesus could have called down bread from Heaven, and fish from the sea would jump into their boat, if food was critical to their mission.
Restoring the Covenant is everything. Nothing else warrants much attention. But if you suffer need to the point it hinders the mission, trust the Lord to provide. He never fails.
Jesus took a roundabout route through the Tetrarchy of Philip and around the east side of the Sea of Galilee in the highlands. Eventually, He came to the coast through Decapolis, putting Him on the southeastern shore, far away from any towns. As usual, He was spotted and crowds of people came for the miracles. He healed a deaf man. No matter how He tried to keep things quiet, it just kept getting worse, with people herding toward Him like iron filings to a strong magnet.
After three days of this, the huge crowd was getting a little restless from hunger. He announced to the Twelve that He intended to send them away, but wanted to feed them, since so many of them had came a great distance. Despite all the miracles they had seen in the past few weeks, the disciples still saw no way to do this. They managed to produce seven flat cakes of pita between them.
Once again, Jesus had the people organized in groups sitting on the ground. Then, as before some ten miles to the north on the same shore, He performed the ritual of thanksgiving, and began tearing the cakes, passing them to the Twelve to distribute, and never running out of bread. Someone kicked in a few small fish, and these were handled the same way. Everyone in the crowd ate their fill, and the disciples managed to collect back enough to fill seven baskets -- from seven cakes to seven picnic baskets full.
It had been roughly four thousand, and Jesus sent them away full.
If you visit the Sea of Galilee today, on the far westernmost point of the shore, you'll encounter a small town sporting archaeological digs identifying this as the site of Magdala. It was also called at times Dalmanutha and by the Roman name Tarichaea. Just to the south rises Mount Arbel, and the site of Magdala sits in a fairly large flat plain. Jesus loaded His crew into a boat and directed they sail to this place.
As usual, this small village was overwhelmed by the crowds that soon gathered. There was at least one decent sized city nearby, Arbel, and Tiberias was just down south along the shore. From the synagogues of these bigger cities came yet another delegation of Pharisees. They regarded healing and demon deliverance as rather mundane, perhaps easily faked. They demanded that He perform a sign that was clearly from God, something that couldn't be faked.
In exasperation with their intransigence, Jesus refused. For one, there had already been several such miracles, and they had refused to take note. It was never good enough for them. Wasn't it odd that the crowds of peasants had heard plenty about the miracles, and came running by the hundreds, but the Pharisees acted like it was nothing? Jesus' choice of words at this point indicated His condemnation for those who ruled His nation. This "generation" had become so hardened against divine truth that there was no hope for them. Even if Jehovah spoke for them in His own thundering voice, they would not listen.
When Jesus decided it was time to go, they embarked in their boat and headed across the sea toward the far shore. As they sailed along, He dropped another one line parable on the disciples: Take head of the leaven of Pharisees, and of the royal court. Each had their own kind, obviously. But the Twelve were obtuse as usual, wondering if He was onto them about having forgotten to pack some food.
How could they possibly have made that leap of logic? What does the impurity of the ruling class have to do with packing a lunch? In the Law of Moses, it was clearly a symbolism to yearly toss out all the sourdough they had kept working through the year, and start from scratch to grow a fresh batch. This was part of the Passover, celebrating how they didn't have time to let their bread rise that night, but must be ready to travel into the wilderness. So they had to make it a concerted effort to remove all leaven from the household and eat unleavened bread for the next seven days. It came to symbolize removing corruption, as if it were baggage that would slow them down. (It wasn't hard to restart a fresh batch of sourdough leaven, but it was inconvenient, taking several days.)
Just about everything the Pharisees did was rooted in materialism. Their whole approach was that material prosperity was the birthright of their particular brand of shallow ritual "holiness". But it was obvious that everything they did was calculated to keep power and wealth in their few hands. The royal dynasty was no different; they simply had their own methods. But it was a synergistic atmosphere. The Pharisees and Herodians were simply competitors for the same wealth at the expense of keeping the whole nation in grinding poverty. Somehow it was a "blessing" to the people that they be starved to keep the ruling class fat. They were agents of Satan, always abusing the sheep to deny them the blessings of the Covenant. So, even the feeding miracles were simply a restoration of Covenant shalom.
Jesus rebuked His disciples. How many of their picnic baskets were filled from the five thousand they fed a while back? And how many baskets were filled just recently from the four thousand? Each time, they were fed from almost nothing, and there was always plenty left over. Even those who were deeply pickled in the false Messianic Expectations would have understood that these miracles of abundance signified the riches of God's provision. Jesus could have called down bread from Heaven, and fish from the sea would jump into their boat, if food was critical to their mission.
Restoring the Covenant is everything. Nothing else warrants much attention. But if you suffer need to the point it hinders the mission, trust the Lord to provide. He never fails.