A. Luke
Luke 9: 10 “When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida.” Lukan narrative seems to connect the gap between Matthew and Mark. Lukan narrative provides a more detail account and context such as the rise of Jesus’ popularity. Luke 9:7-9 shows that the news about Jesus is spreading like a wildfire and it draw Herod’s attention. If it is the case, Jesus and His disciples will not have time even for meal just as Markan mentions. Luke 9:9 is parallel to Matthew 14:1-2 and therefore Matthew agrees with Luke in its introduction about the rising popularity of Jesus. In this particular account Mark has a closer similarity with Lukan narrative than Matthew. Luke provides the specific location where Jesus is heading to take solitude time with his disciple. Both Luke and Mark share common understanding that Jesus is trying to take solitude time together with His disciples.
Luke 9:10b-11 “He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.” The setting in Luke seems to be more informative compare to the rest of the gospels. However, intentionally Luke omitted that Jesus had compassion for the crowds as he give more attention on the things that Jesus offers to the crowd. Therefore, Lukan account brings reconciliation between Matthew and Mark in the area of Jesus’ ministry. According to Luke, Jesus do both teaching and healing and it solve the problem between Matthew and Mark.
The account in Luke 9:12-13 similar to both Matthew and Mark. However, Luke also omits some part and adds on some of his own. Lukan and Markan both agree that the day was getting very late and just as in the other books the disciples came to Jesus to remind him about the time and location. Furthermore, in Lukan account the disciples not only suggest to send people away to find food but also to look for lodging as well.[1] It suggests that many of the audient are not local but travel some distance to listen to Jesus.
B. John
John 6:1 “After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).” John does not provide detail account rather he just open the chapter by saying “After these things” which represent many miracles and teaching that Jesus done in John 5. John provided a period of time of the account as “near to Passover.” John does not provide detail accounts of what was happen before the account of feeding 5,000 like the synoptic gospels. However, John recorded the account of Jesus walking on the water which could be also found in both Matthew and Mark except in Luke. According to John, Jesus is trying to reach “the other side” of the river which normally was considered to be the east side, since more Jewish activity occurred on the west side.[2] It seems like the account of John can be understand as Jesus is trying to avoid the crowds just like in synoptic gospels. John described the place as a mountain somewhere near to the sea.
John does not provide any reason for the departure of Jesus and His disciples. However, according to John we understand that Jesus and His disciples cross the Sea of Galilee. According to John, the motivation of the crowd for following Jesus was because they had seen the miracles He had performed. One of the significant reports in John was that Jesus withdraws with His disciples further up the mountain when he saw the crowd. Because of John we could understand that the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 was a distant place from any town and city.
John 6:5-9 is uniquely different from the Synoptic Gospels. The account in John is the second longest after Markan account. The flow of the story in John is more of less similar to Mark. Most significantly, John provides different account of how this miracle is initiated. From the first place Jesus and His disciples withdrawn from the crowd and yet in the story the crowds still trying to come to Jesus. It suggests that the crowds expect or demand more from Jesus. It seems like they want to see and hear more from Jesus. In the account of John, Jesus is the one who initiate the idea to buy something for the crowds; Jesus asks Philip for solution. Philip’s answering by showing Jesus how much of money is needed since Jesus asks his opinion to buy bread. Thereafter, John brings Andrew to the scene as the one who introduce a lad with five loaves and two fishes. In John’s account the scene seem to move from one to one. John also recorded the command of the disciples on inadequacy amount of food that is found for the crowds.
The Performance of the Miracle (see appendix A)
In all the four gospels the context and the setting open a necessary for Jesus to perform the miracle in order to feed such amount of people. Despite of the different setting and context all the four gospels seem to be suddenly agreed almost complete in the performance of the miracle, Jesus feeding 5,000. First, in all accounts, Jesus instructs the crowds to sit on the grassy ground (Matthew: on the grass; Mark: grass was green; John: a lot of grass). Only Matthew recorded that Jesus Himself directly instruct the crowds whereas in the other three gospels Jesus gave instruction through His disciples. In Lukan account Jesus instruct them to sit in groups of fifty and Markan affirm Lukan by saying people sat in fifties and hundreds. Both Luke and John report that there were 5,000 men present. Synoptic Gospels agree that Jesus took the loaves and the fish; Jesus looked up to heaven, blessed and then breaks. Whereas in John, Jesus gave thanks for the loaves and fishes; the bread was not broken to distribute.
Some of disagreements are concerning distribution of the loaves and the fishes. In the account of Matthew, Jesus gave only the loaves to the disciples to hand to the crowds. Whereas in Mark Jesus not only handed the bread to the disciples but divided the two fishes to the people. In Lukan account both loaves and fishes are blessed, broken and given to the disciples to distribute. Therefore, Lukan account can be the answer for the issue between Matthew and Mark. John’s account is similar with Mark in the area of bread and fish are seen as two cycles. Furthermore, John added that the fish were distributed as much as people want.
The four gospels agree on two results, first the crowds was filled and second there are twelve baskets of leftover was collected. The twelve baskets of leftover signify the sufficiency of God’s provision. On the other hand, it seems that twelve baskets match the twelve Disciples of Christ. Luke provide how the leftover was used by the disciples “ So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them (9:17).”
Conclusion
In the gospel of Luke Jesus ask an important question to the disciples about the reaction of the people after seeing such a marvellous miracle (Luke 9:18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"). In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus continues to seek solitude time after performing miracle. Just as in the opening of Matthew, Jesus desiring to have solitude. Therefore, right after the miracle Jesus sends away disciples and the crowds then He climbs a mountain to pray alone. Markan account is the same as Matthew’s account. Finally, John’s account is unique and different from Synoptic Gospels. Right after the miracle the crowds trying by force to make Christ their King. Therefore, Jesus departed from the crowds and takes a time of solitude. All the gospel seem to agree that the disciples cross the sea as Jesus send them away in order to stay back alone to pray.
[1] Darrell L. Bock, Luke (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 1994), 200.
[2] Andreas J. Köstenberger, John (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2004), 60.
| Matthew v19-21 | Mark v39-44 | Luke v14-17 | John v |
| Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. Here were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children. | And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. There were five thousand men who ate the loaves. | (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.” They did so, and had them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people. And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full. | Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. |
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