I'm going to read the first ten verses of this passage to give you attention to the word of God. In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. and some of them have come from far away. And his disciples answered him, how can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place? And he asked them, how many loaves do you have? They said, seven. And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. And they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. Now you might be wondering, have we already read this? And the answer is no. About a chapter and a half ago we read about Jesus feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. This is the 4,000 with 7 loaves. And you might say, well, that seems awfully similar. Are you sure that it happened twice? And as you read Luke and John, Luke and John only mention the 5,000. Matthew Mark mentioned both the 5,000 and the 4,000. Now, if they only mentioned the 4,000, and Luke and John the 5,000, then you'd think it happened once and they got the numbers mixed up. But you got two witnesses, Matthew Mark saying, no, this happened twice. There was the 5,000, and then there was the 4,000. Not only that, but look a little bit farther. If you just turn the page, you see Jesus giving his disciples, you know, rebuking him a bit. He says, when I broke the 5 loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets of the broken pieces did you pick up? And then he says, and the 7 for the 4,000, how many baskets did you pick up? He makes a point of it happening twice. It happened twice. But you might say, well, all right, this would happen twice, but why do we need to know about it twice? I mean, if you can do it once, you can do it twice, right? Luke and John didn't think they had to tell us twice, so why do we hear about both of the feedings from Mark and from Matthew? We need to know about the feeding of the 4,000 in addition to the feeding of the 5,000 because we're Gentiles and because we're human. That's why we need to know about the 4,000. Because we're Gentiles and because we're human. Let's start with being Gentiles, which most of us are. The last place that had been mentioned here in Mark was the region of Decapolis, a Greek word meaning 10 cities. And sure enough, it's on the other side of the Jordan from most of what happens in Israel. It's on the east bank. It's a mostly Greek, that is Gentile, area. So this crowd is presumably mostly Gentile. You'll notice here it says 4,000 people, human beings, it's not specifically males, like the 5,000 had been 5,000 males. That was a Jewish crowd with a potential military, rebellion kind of connotation there, the 5,000 males, soon after John the Baptist loses his head. This is more of a mixed crowd, Jew and Gentile, male and female, old and young. And so the fact that there are most likely many Gentiles there, a majority Gentile, helps us know who Jesus cared about, which has been the issue now ever since chapter 7. We're not to forget that Jesus came to the people of Israel, that he descended from the tribe of Judah, that he grew up in Galilee. Jewish people were his people. That's his family, his village. That's who he is. God sent the Jewish people the prophets and the promises, and of course he sends the fulfillment to them. Here comes Jesus. He is Moshiach. He is Messiah. So as we read it, of course the question needs to be, well what kind of Moshiach, the anointed one, is he? Is he for the Jew first or for the Jew only? Depends who the enemy is. If we're the enemy, then it's for the Jew only. And indeed, if you get into the Jewish mentality of the time, they felt oppressed by the surrounding Gentiles. They wanted to be rid of this occupying force. And Jesus, with the woman from Tyre, really put a point on the issue. When he spoke as if to put her off, and said, let the children be fed first, because it's not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. But you remember that he said, Yes, Lord, it is right. Because even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs. Jesus said, for this answer go your way, your daughter is healed. The crumb fell to her, the crumb of having her daughter delivered from an evil demon. And so since then, we've been seeing the crumbs begin to fall faster and faster. After that, he went to the region of Decapolis and healed the deaf man. And here in a mostly Gentile crowd, as we can assume, The crumbs fall, they're actually crumbs this time, they're actually bread. The crumbs are beginning to fall faster and faster. That helps us to see that it's to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. Not to the Jew only, so as to battle the Gentile. Now you might notice that the numbers are not quite as grand. Instead of five loaves and five thousand men, you have seven loaves and four thousand. Instead of having twelve baskets to gather up, you have seven baskets to gather up. You say, it's just a little bit smaller than the other one. The way of saying it is still to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. But some of you are feeling that's silly to quibble over such a minute difference of such a proportion. It's all vastly miraculous. It's all way into the realm of the supernatural. So what we're seeing is, we see that Jesus cares for both the Jew and the Gentile. He said to the Jew first, but the Gentile very rapidly thereafter. And that means he cares for us, us Gentiles. That's what we need to know about the 4,000 in addition to the 5,000. See, he cares for the Jew, and he cares in the same way for the Gentiles like us. But the other reason that we need to know about the 4,000 is not because we're mostly Gentiles here, but it's because we're all human here. Tell me, have you ever prayed, and then the problem worked out well? Has that ever happened? Let me see a show of hands. Everybody's ever prayed, and then it worked out well? Great! So what that means is the next time you had a problem, you prayed right away, right? Well, at least you weren't anxious, because you knew that you could pray any time you felt like it, right? Nah. Nah, it worked that way a few times. And a lot of times, you were just anxious. You didn't pray at all. It was as if you had never prayed, and as if you had never had a prayer answered, just a little bit later. And that's the second reason why we need to see these feeding of the 4,000 just after the feeding of the 5,000. Because while it's a new crowd, mostly we can assume, it's the same disciples. And the conversation as before begins with the disciples. Jesus is always training his disciples, even if he deals with the crowds. And so once again, he doesn't just start handing out bread. He begins with the disciples. And this time he initiates. He doesn't wait for them. This time he says, you know, I have compassion on these people. It's a Gentile crowd and now he's the one initiating this conversation about their hunger. Previously it had been the disciples initiating. He's beginning. And the disciples don't seem to have learned a whole lot. Though Jesus spells out the conditions and everything, you can think that he's trying to jog their memories, and yet they still stuck on the question, well, how would you feed so many people in such a desolate place? Now, two comments to make as we condemn their stupidity. First, bear in mind that they always had a crowd around them, and Jesus only fed the crowd miraculously twice. So while as we read, and it's only a chapter and a half later, it seems really obvious, it probably didn't feel quite as obvious, given that they've had enough time for a long trip into Gentile territory and around making a circle. They've had enough time that after the feeding of 5,000, Jesus' popularity actually dropped. You can read about it in John 6. But now it's back up again. So it's been a little while. It didn't feel to them like it was just a chapter ago. But of course, they are still stupid. So as Calvin says, the disciples manifest excessive stupidity. And there is not a day on which a similar indifference does not feel upon us. They're stupid. And there's not a day when we're not just as stupid. Think about the times when you could have prayed. But instead, you chose to be anxious. Perhaps for an hour, perhaps for a day, perhaps for a month. Yes. As we see their stupidity, let's not miss the stupidity, but let us also see ourselves in it. And see that, nonetheless, Jesus said that. Yes, we need both the 4,000 and the 5,000 because we're human and we learn slowly. We don't apply the lessons. We're wrapped up in the problem of the moment and the things that we can see. And we need it because the devil often comes and grabs hold of us right then and says, you need help again? You sinned again? You forgot to pray again? Boy, Jesus has no more time for a useless servant like you. He's going to find himself a better disciple than you. We need this again, so that we can also see what follows on it. The devil will blend truth with a lie and say, Jesus doesn't need you, you can't go to him. And the truth is, Jesus doesn't need you. That part was true. But the relationship with Jesus is not based on his need, it's based on our need. So the whole comment that you are a useless servant. Well, yes I am, devil, but guess what? That's not really the point of me being a servant, that I will be useful. The point is that I would be faithful in turning back to him again. You need to remember that, again, the disciples are slow, but he is patient. So we are disciples and we are slow, but he is patient with us. As you'll see later on, he does rebuke him a bit, a little further on in that part that I began to point out to you, but he doesn't throw them overboard. They're in a boat at that point. He doesn't throw them overboard, contrary to what the devil will tell you. Nor does he jump out of the boat and walk away over the waves from them. The only time we see Jesus walking on water is coming to his disciples. He's not walking away from his disciples. We need both of these because we're Gentiles. We're reminded that the Jew first but also the Gentile with equal compassion. We need both because we're human and we're slow to learn as they are slow. Notice how compassionate Jesus is. He initiates. He is alert. He does know what's going on. He knows it's been three days and whatever they had, perhaps brought, is long since gone. He's aware, however He's aware, that some of them have come from far away. Maybe it's obvious if you knew accents or clothing or something. Anyway, he knows that some of them have come from a long way. He's not so wrapped up in himself or in what he has to say that he's not noticing who these people are and what's going on. And yet doesn't put it on them. Well, they could have brought more food. They could go home. They're foreigners anyway. He doesn't put it on them. And he doesn't put it on them because he knows our frame, that we are but dust. In case we doubt that, well, he took on the dust. He is still clothed with the dust. He is still God of man. He knows our friends. And he sees people who are doing the right thing. They're not just seeking bread. They know that to go to Jesus is to have the better portion. Later on, there's Mary and Martha. Martha wants to prepare the food and Mary wants to listen to Jesus. And Martha tells Jesus to send Mary into the kitchen. And Jesus doesn't play along. He says, no, Mary's chosen the better portion. And here you have a crowd of those who've chosen the better portion. Chosen to stay with Jesus over getting food. They're seeking first the Word of God. Trying to live by the Word of God, not by every word that comes. Trying to live by God's Word and not by bread. So he has compassion on them as they seek him. Notice how he rewards those who seek him. It's key to faith. Those who would please God by faith must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him. And so here he is. They have sought him. And so he rewards them. He adds the bread to them. They seek him first, the kingdom of God. All the other things are out of him. He gets the bread later on. As we apply this to ourselves, you see that the Lord's compassion means that our prayers are always welcome. Jesus says, I stand at the door and knock. If anybody opens to me, I will go into him. Our prayers are welcome as we come in humility. Let us pray humbly and the Lord is near to you. Let us pray with humility and with repentance. And we don't have to listen to the devil saying, not again, not for you. Chase the devil away, and you go to the Lord in prayer. His compassion means that prayers are welcome. But it's also his power. He has made enough food out of five loaves for 5,000 grown men. Now he makes enough food to feed the 4,000, and I have no doubt if it had been 8,000, he'd have managed that as well. He's not like a superhero that can't spin another web because he needs to eat or plug in or something. He has an infinite supply. There's no problem. Whatever is needed, he can supply. And he can do it outside of Israel. He's not dependent on location. He can do it in a Gentile crowd. He's not dependent on a Jewish crowd. He's not a localized deity. He's the creator of heaven and earth. Notice how in control he remains. He commands the foreign crowd to sit and they sit. He commands the foreign crowd to go and they go. He has this power of both nature and people. You'll notice of course, I've pointed out that in some ways the ratios are not quite as supernatural as before, but he feeds 4,000 from seven loaves and a few small fish. Again, a stupendous miracle. Because nothing is too hard for the Lord. So just as the Lord's compassion makes prayer welcome, the Lord's power makes prayer useful. He can do whatever it is that we are asking Him to do. He will do as His best for us, not necessarily in accord with how we ask, but He can. There is nothing that is too hard for Him. But of course generosity can be dangerous. Give somebody a gift once, twice, now they expect it. They become entitled and demanding. Laziness kicks in. People are coming for the wrong reason. Thirdly, the wisdom of Jesus. Notice how he did wait until the third day to feed them. This was not exactly like going through the drive-thru at the fast food place. He did have to suffer a little bit first. They did have to exhaust their own supply if they had brought anything. Not till their need is beginning to bite, that he then provides for them. And notice also that once he feeds them, then he sends them away. You say, well, they can come back. Well, actually no, because then he goes away. He sends them away by land, and he jumps in the boat and goes away by sea. They can't just circle back and say, again, again. He's not there anymore. He's gone across the lake. The normal order of things is that we are to work and so eat. That's God's regular way. We're to work, earn our bread, and then eat. That's why it says in the New Testament, if anyone does not work, neither let him eat. The verse that was key to the survival of Jamestown, the first lasting English settlement here in the Americas. They all wanted to run around for gold and not plant food. Finally, the boss said, the Bible says if you don't work, you're not going to eat. I'm going to enforce it. Start planting. If he hadn't done that, I would have died out like the previous settlement that died out. That's God's normal way is we work and so we eat. Once he fed them, he sent them away. The point was that they were supposed to get used to this. No, we don't have to eat. No need to work. Just stay close enough to Jesus and you'll constantly get bread. Now the point is not that we get to step out of the ordinary cycle of working and eating. The point is that God's power and compassion are infinite. Go to Jesus first. Seek first his kingdom. And he will supply what is needed. And Jesus here is wise to meet their needs. without creating a culture of dependence or entitlement. And you notice also that Jesus does what is needed. He does not say there's too little. He does not say, well, the numbers won't match last time. He just does what is needed. He uses what is available to meet the need that is there. In the same way, when we show hospitality, we should use what's available and meet the need that is there. and do what we can do. We should look at the Lord's wisdom. Remember that our prayers to Him are always a humble request and are never a demand or an entitlement. We can plead His compassion. We can plead His promises. We can't plead our righteousness. We can't plead what we've earned. We can't plead our rights. But He's gracious to receive us and kind to welcome us. So look at the mercy and wisdom of God here. It's an exciting point in world history right here. Because God's grace to the world had been directed at Israel for 2,000 years. And at this point in history, it was bulging at the seams. And the crumbs were bursting out and falling out. All preparatory to when he would ascend to heaven and pour out his Spirit on the Church. And the Gospel would go out to all nations. Here it bulges at the seams. and the grace comes dripping out. Which had to be done, because the one God has made all of us. The one God is the maker of heaven and earth. The one God will be victorious over the devil. He had promised, he said the descendants of Eve will be at enmity with the descendants of the serpent. So there has to be enmity. He has to call people out of the devil's kingdom all over the world to oppose the devil and to be saved by his son. This is how God answers the devil. When he brings us back to himself, when he leads us not to malign him, as the devil would have, but to praise his compassion and his power and his goodness, and say, yes, to follow God, this is how to live, because God has our best interests at heart. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, help us to know and to trust that you are good, that you are full of compassion and power and holiness, and so help us to follow after you and to trust you. And Lord, we pray that you would forgive us for our excessive stupidity. Help us not to be stupid any longer, but to turn to you and to cling to you, to be humble before you and yet rejoice, because you are a great and gracious Heavenly Father. We pray this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.