The Feeding of the Multitude - Essay Example

of The Feeding of the Multitude The Holy Bible is an important text and document, not just from a theological point of view but also from historical and political perspectives. It helps one understand the histories of events and peoples that are spoken of in it and the story of Jesus Christ is no different. The feeding of five thousand people by Jesus using a meager quantity of food is one such incident. Not only does it speak of an early Christian attempt at the alleviation of poverty in Israel, it also speaks of the social character of the reformation that Christ sought to bring about. Christ’s actions can also be interpreted as a protest against Roman Imperialism that caused widespread misery in the areas surrounding Jerusalem and Nazareth. The variations in the descriptions of this event in four books of the Bible shall form the subject of this paper. It shall argue that this was due to varying degrees of censorship owing to increasing political power for the Christians in the later centuries. It shall also argue that other factors such as unavailability of documents and losses during translation that the Bible went through. According to Richard A. Horsley, Christ’s contribution to the precipitation of resistance movements against Roman imperial rule cannot be overlooked. The community that Christ was a part of was involved mostly in agriculture for survival and livelihood. Horsley argues that at the point of time that Jesus lived, religion was an intrinsic part of the socio-political life that was led by the Judean and Galilean peasantry (1202). Christ’s protest against the Temple was thus, equally a protest against the religious and political structures of the time. It is in this context that one needs to read the miracle that Jesus performed in the desert. It is an acceptance of the fact that religious reform needed to be accompanied by economic and social welfare as well. Even while Christ’s disciples speak of the constraints of feeding the multitudes, he insists on it. Another aspect of this miracle lies in the indications that it gives of the constitution of the multitude that followed Jesus. They are poor and follow Jesus also because of the reformist nature of his cause. Religion at that time had drained people of their resources without possessing any spiritual value and this causes them to follow him. Unlike the other miracles that result in metaphysical events such as curing the sick, keeping faith and repelling the advances of the devil, this miracle results in people’s hunger being satisfied. Despite this, it is no less important. In fact, it emphasizes the communal nature of Jesus’s mission. This is often obscured owing to the individualistic nature of many theological arguments that took shape in Early Christian movements. Another significant aspect of the passages from the Bible that discuss the Feeding of the Five Thousand is the fact that the number of people is synonymous with the number of men. In the Books of Mark, Luke and John, only the number of men are mentioned as five thousand whereas there is no mention of women or children. In the Gospel according to Matthew, however, there is a mention of women and children if not of their specific number. The ascription of an inferior status to women possibly owes itself to the absence of women in the clergy or in the groups of people who compiled the books of the Bible. This absence probably led to the underrepresentation of women and their number. Another reason for this could be the condition of women during this period. They were ritually as well as socially considered to be of an inferior order than the men. This reveals continuity with the old Judaic order as well. Thus, one gets to see in this miracle an instance of the conditions that faced different sections of the society, something that is not characteristic of the other miracles that the Bible speaks of. One also needs to see whether there are any differences among the different versions of the event. The very fact that there are four versions of the incident points to its importance in the larger scheme of things. The similarities are equally important. As mentioned earlier, the similarity in the way in which women are referred to point to the conditions that they faced. In the Book of John, there is a clear reference to Philip’s understanding of the cost of feeding thousands of people. Even in the other gospels, the disciples are surprised at the decision to feed the multitude. The difficulty of performing the miracle is thus, one that all the gospels hint at. Apart from this, the gospels also focus on Jesus relegating the actual performance of the task to his disciples. This is significant since it points to how Jesus would have wanted his disciples to continue his work in his absence. The establishment of the church and the role that was envisioned for it is spelt out in this delegation of responsibility. The loaves and the fish are picked up by Jesus and he then commands his disciples to distribute them to the members of the multitude. The fact that Jesus does not perform the miracle himself points to the future of the message that he sought to pass on. Apart from this, it also makes clear the fact that he was completely aware of his personal future. The provision of food along with spiritual messages also affirms the idea of the inseparability of the physical from the spiritual. This once again points to the novelty of the message that Jesus had to offer. It also separates this miracle from the others through its emphasis on events similar to the New Testament. The miracle is an instance of God’s love and benevolence rather than his power. Jesus is arguably the most important figure of the New Testament and this incident separates him from the other figures of the Holy Trinity. He represents mercy and love rather than omniscience and omnipotence. He is not wrathful but is forgiving and this represents a shift in paradigm for the figure of godhead. This miracle positions Christ’s priority as the well-being of his flock, both spiritual and otherwise. The resources at God’s command are not employed for the purpose of smiting anybody but for the less sensational purpose of feeding people. This miracle thus, also, in many ways sets the tone for the way events in the New Testament would unfold. This incident is narrated at the beginning of the New Testament itself. It is also referred to in more places than one. With minor variations, the details of the event remain the same. This points to the importance of the event as far as the compilers of the Bible were concerned. It strikes the keynote for the New Testament and the way in which the figure of Christ would loom large over its proceedings. The Early Christian Movements are also prominent in the way the events are narrated, with lesser importance, if any, being given to women and children. This indicates the gender-based inequities within such movements and also in the conditions that women had to face during the early stages of Christianity. More than anything, the miracle also highlights the socio-political nature of Jesus’s mission and his commitment to the spiritual and material welfare of his followers. He also realizes the ephemeral nature of human life and the permanence of godhead, seen in the delegation of responsibilities to his disciples. The miracle is thus, a significant event in the Bible. Works Cited Horsley, Richard A. “Early Christian movements: Jesus movements and the renewal of Israel”. Web. 20 July 2014. The Holy Bible: King James Version. New York: Ivy Books, 1991. Print. 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