Why did the feeding of the 5000 mark Jesus' earthly ministry?

Answer 1

A:Although apparently a trivial miracle compared to others in the gospels, the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 creates a landmark in the earthly mission of Jesus. The reader of the gospel is impressed by this miracle as much as any other event prior to the resurrection. Perhaps it is the way the miracle is reported, as much as the miracle itself, that most impresses the reader. In Mark's Gospel, where the story first appeared, this account begins a contiguous set of miracle stories and discourses that include a total of ten references or allusions to food (Mark 6:33-8:21 ), with a minor theme of the disciples not understanding:

• Jesus and the disciples had no leisure so much as to eat, so they went into a desert place
• Feeding the 5000
• When Jesus walked on water the disciples were amazed, for they considered not the miracle of the loaves
• Pharisees complain about the disciples eating with unwashed hands
• Discourse - what goes into a man goes into his belly and does not defile
• Greek woman metaphorically begs for crumbs from the table
• Feeding the 4000
• Disciples are hungry and have only one loaf of bread
• Jesus warns the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and they reason, "It is because we have no bread," showing they do not understand
• Summary by Jesus of the two feasts

These in turn form one part of a pair in the framework chiastic structure of Mark, with the Last Supper as the matching event (a chiastic structure is a circular sequence in which an opening set of events is contrasted with another set of events that mirrors the first):AJohn explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)BThe baptism of Jesus (1:9)CThe voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)DThe forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)EThe people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)FJesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)GPharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)HDemons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)IJesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)JJesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)KJesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)LThe demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)MJesus comes into his own country (6:1)

- Where he was brought upNThe people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)OJesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)

- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authorityPHerod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)QHerodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)RFeeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)SWho do people say that I am (8:27)TPeter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)UWhosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)VThe Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)WBe killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)XProphecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.B'The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)C'The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)D'Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)E'A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)F'Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)G'They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)H'Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)I'Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)J'Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)K'Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)L'Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)M'Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)

- Where he will dieN'Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)O'Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)

- Jesus is asserting his authorityP'Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)Q'Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)X'Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speakingR'The Last Supper (14:17-25)S'Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)T'Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)U'And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)V'The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.

- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribesW'Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)A'The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

The purpose of a chiastic structure in ancient literature was to link two events by association and thereby create emphasis or a theme that was not otherwise apparent. By verse 8:21, the reader is asking, "Why don't they understand?" Later, at the Last Supper (chapter 14, the matching event R'), the reader understands, but knows that the disciples do not. We subconsciously understand the link between the passages including the feeding of 5000 and the Last Supper, but only by recognising the chiastic structure of the gospel do we begin to see why the miracle of the 5000 was such a landmark in the gospel.