Minor Differences

As we read the four accounts of the feeding of the 5,000, there were minor variations amongst the different Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke all told basically the same story with the same elements. John differed in several areas:

1. He identified Philip as the disciple who showed concern for the people--the other versions attribute it to the disciples as a group.

2. He identified Andrew as the disciple who found the five loaves and two fishes.

3. John added the crucial detail that this particular miracle was impressive enough to convince the people that Christ was the Messiah.

In my comments in class on October 2nd I discussed the differences between the Gospels. By now, in the places where the same narrative is being described in two, three, or in this case, four different Gospels, we might be tempted to skim over the additional versions, but we do so at the risk of missing something that can add further illumination or understanding. Recall that John's Gospel is different from the other three in that one of his purposes was to supplement and augment what the other three Gospels had reported, and in this particular case, he explained how people were beginning to understand the true mission of Christ.

Prior to this, the crowds simply seem to be amazed at Christ's teaching and miracles, perhaps looking at them as entertainment or diversions from an otherwise dull life. With John's description at the end, the people are starting to comprehend that Christ wasn't just another in a long line of charlatans claiming to be the Messiah, but the real deal. The disciples were getting to that point, but wouldn't fully reach it until the last week of Jesus' life. In our case, we need to be sure that we get to that point, and more importantly, that those around us come to the understanding that Jesus is Lord and that salvation only comes through him. When that happens, we too are fed with loaves and fishes, and just like we read today, we'll also have leftovers to share with others.

Scott