Crafting from four stories of feeding of 5000 (Draft)

Mt. 14:13-21 (8) Mk. 6:30-44 (14) Lk. 9:10-17 (7) Jn. 6:1-15 (15)
News of John—Jesus leaves in boat for solitary place Disciples return, meet Jesus and tell what they did Apostles come back to Jesus  and tell what they did Jesus crosses Lake Galilee (Lake Tiberius)
People hear and follow by land So many people coming and going that Jesus and disciples have no time to eat Takes disciples to a town called Bethsaida. Crowds learn and follow them Crowd follows because he healed the sick
Jesus arrives finds people there and is sorry-heals Jesus says let’s go to a quiet place and get some rest Jesus goes to a hill and sits with the disciples
Disciples arrive in the evening and are worried about hungry people Jesus says lets go off by boat for a lonely place He welcomes them, teaches of the Kingdom, heals people
Asks Jesus to send crowds away to villages to buy food People from all the towns see them leaving and run ahead and arrive first Sun is setting so disciples come to J (Passover near) Jesus sees large crowd coming
Jesus says no and tells the disciples to feed them Jesus gets out of boat sorry for people and sees them as “sheep without a Shepherd .They say send people for food and lodging from this lonely place Jesus already has in mind what he wants to do
Disciples say they have only 5 loaves and 2 fish Jesus begins teaching them many things Jesus says you feed them Jesus asks Philip where to buy food (testing him)
Tells disciples to bring them and seat people on the grass Late so disciples go to Jesus and tell him its late and a lonely place Disciples say we have only five loaves & two fish
Takes 5+2 and gives thanks to God for the food Disciples want to send the people away to villages to look for food Disciples say do you want us to buy for 5000 men Philip says even for everyone to have a little need 200 coins for bread
Gives food to disciples to disciples who distribute to the people Jesus says you feed them Jesus says tell them to sit down in groups of 50
All eat; disciples collect 12 baskets of leftovers Claim it would take 200 coins—8 months of wages. Disciples do so and everyone sits down
Jesus asks them how much bread they have. Five loaves and 2 fish Andrew (Peter’s brother) notes a boy with 5+2 (not enough)
Jesus says divide people into groups and rows of 100 and 50 Jesus says to have people sit down (lots of grass and 5000 men)
Jesus thanks God, breaks bread—gives to disciples to distribute; also the fish Jesus takes 5+2, thanks God and gives to disciples for the people Jesus takes bread, thanks God, distributes it (and fish)
All have enough and there are 12 baskets of leftovers All eat enough. Disciples pick up 12 baskets of leftovers All have enough. Jesus says no waste so disciples pick up 12 baskets of leftovers
People see miracle and say this is the prophet who was to come
Jesus knows they want to seize him and make him king
5000 present, not counting women and children 5000 men were present and eat Jesus goes off to hills by himself

 

Common elements:

  • 5000 men (all)
  • five + two (all)
  • all have enough (all)
  • Jesus thanks God (all)
  • 12 baskets left over (all)
  • boat and lake (all—implied in Lk and Jn)
  • you feed them (all—implied in Jn)
  • 200 coins (Mk and Lk)

Unique elements:

  • Bethsaida named (Lk)
  • Passover and Philip named (Jn)
  • Jesus related to prophet (Jn)
  • want to make Jesus king (Jn)
  • boy with fish and bread (Jn)

Other elements:

  • lonely place
  • late in day
  • people tired and hungry
  • grass, hills

[Karl Franklin]