Deja-vu?

I guess sometimes we give certain people in the bible a bad rap. Because we know the progression and ending of the bible stories, it's easy to comment that so and so should have had more faith or that he shouldn't have done that etc. But I've realized that if I was in the thick of some of the situations described, I would have reacted the same way; if not worst.

Which is why in the initial glance, the disciples' reaction to Jesus' remark to give the 4000 people something to eat in Mark 8:1-10 hardly surprising. If I were one of them, I would have said the same words, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" Plus, this was in the days pre-Carrefour (or insert your favourite hypermart) where people made their own bread and even if there were shops, none would have been able to come up with 4000 loaves immediately. Of course, the place was remote as well and the disciples weren't exactly swimming in money either.

Yet, if we go back just 2 chapters before, an almost identical scene with 5000 men was recorded in Mark 6:30-44. Again, it was a remote place, with 5000 mouths* to feed. But Jesus performed a miracle and feed all with 12 basketfuls left over.
I don't know about you, but if I actually witnessed someone miraclously multiplying 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed 5000, it wouldn't be something I'd forget for a long time!

And if we tie the two passages together, then it becomes clear that the disciples' remark and lack of faith in Mark 8:4 uncalled for. After all, they have seen Jesus feed an even larger crowd. Didn't it occur to them that He could repeat the same miracle? And it was not as if a long time had passed between the two scenes, it was just 2 chapters away!

I've never looked at both passages this way and the deduction of the disciples' reaction humbled me because I see myself in them. I guess I've been lacking trust in God and it hit me when I was reading an email from a junior about PMS as my thoughts were suddenly transported back to sem5. I was anxious, uncertain yet God came through for me.

God has been faithful before, why won't He be faithful now? He multiplied and fed 5000, why can't I trust that He can repeat the same thing and fed 4000?
Of course, the circumstances are a little more tricky and more grave now, yet...if He cared even for my little whims, surely He cares for even bigger issues.



*To be technical, Mark 6:30-44 records 5000 men. Along with the supporting passage in Matthew 14:13-21, 5000 does not include women and children, which means the total number fed that day was even higher