¿ARE WE BASKET OR BASKET?

By: 

Shepherd RVC

Many times we have read in the Gospels regarding the multiplication of fish and loaves.

Perhaps we know about this multiplication that thousands of people look for Jesus, that Jesus Christ, still tired, takes the opportunity to tell them about the Kingdom and that at almost dusk the thousands of people are hungry, that there are a few fish and loaves and that, starting in the hands of Jesus and then passing through that of the disciples, these foods begin to multiply to the point that everyone is satisfied and even left over.

With just this brief summary we already have enough information to develop various topics such as the overflowing love of Jesus, learning to the disciples that their mission is to serve and not seek to be served and other important topics.

I am not a follower of biblical cabals consisting of seeking some meaning to be given to a biblical passage in relation to an event or circumstances of daily life but linking both events by the date the event occurs on earth with the numeral of the verse and chapter to which the biblical passage corresponds; But I do believe that God knows how to use numerals within the text to give us a profound teaching.

Let us confine ourselves to the subject of the multiplication of fish and loaves.

We might believe that this multiplication event of fish and bread is only one in the story of Jesus, but no, there really are two. One, the first happened chronologically speaking, is with 5,000 men plus women and children and the other, the second, is with 4,000 men plus women and children.

If you read John 6: 1; Mark 6:53, Mark 7:24; Mark 7:31 and Mark 8: 1 with the help of a map of Palestine in Jesus' time we will see the journey that Jesus made with his disciples from the miracle with the five thousand men to the second miracle with the four thousand men (in both more women and children) we will realize that the multiplication of fish and bread with the five thousand men plus women and children was in the land of Palestine, properly in the Province of Galilee or what we call the holy land and that of the four thousand more men Women and children was in Decapolis (means ten Greek cities), land of Gentiles or non-Jews after a great journey from north to south through lands outside the Holy Land that lasted several months (it is estimated that it lasted several months because in the miracle of the five thousand men the Jews sat on green grass (Mark 6:39) while in the miracle of the four thousand men they sat on the ground (Mark 8: 6), that is to say in the first miracle it was spring and in the second was to see years for a period of time of at least six months). And analyzed, let us see all the beauty of this passage: A miracle with five thousand men and another with four thousand.

The first is a five and the second a four, the zeros on the right represent crowds. The 5 represents the same as the pool of Bethesda (John 5: 2) which has five porticos or columns.

The five porticos represent the T orah or the first five books of the Bible in allusion to the Old Testament and therefore in allusion to the physically speaking Israelite race, as well as to the law.             

The 4 is significant of (apocalypse 8: 9) nations, towns, tribes and languages, that is to say of people of all the earth (north, south, east and west including the Jewish race physically speaking). It speaks of the new covenant and therefore of the new spiritual Israel.

The first miracle was performed, I reiterate, only with race Israelites (Jewish and Galilean) as it happened with the first covenant, the second miracle was with all the races of the earth and represents the covenant of Grace.

Once everyone ate in each of the two miracles, in the first miracle there were 12 baskets left over (Mark 6:43) and in the second miracle, the one representing Grace, there were 7 left over.

Baskets (Mark 8: 8).

Let's not look at the numbers of what was left but the utensil used in each miracle, because they are totally different from each other. This idea is reiterated and highlighted through Jesus in Mark 8:19 and 20.

Baskets (kofinoi in Greek) in the first miracle and baskets (sfyrides in Greek) in the second miracle.

The kofinoi was the utensil that the Jews used to carry their food. It was shaped like a bottle or a small song but larger. It ends up then with a "bottleneck". The purpose of this form of utensil was to prevent the air contaminated by the Gentiles from entering the kofinoi and "contaminating" the food.

The sfyrides was a kind of basket like the one used by coffee bean harvesters but larger. They were used by the Gentiles to transport their food and it was large enough to fit a person inside it.

Now let's focus on the numbers: In the first miracle there were 12 baskets left over and in the second miracle 7 baskets. 12 in the bible means complete and 7 means perfection. The 12th, which also speaks of twelve tribes, refers to the old covenant with the Israelites physically speaking and is a complete plan, which is good since it comes from God and necessary to make way for Grace. In fact, from the tribe of Judah Jesus Christ descends familiarly speaking (not in a genealogical sense since Christ is the only begotten Son of God, the only (uni) with the genes (genite) of God.

But the number 7 means perfection. The New Covenant is perfect because it is from God and is necessary to make way for true forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ (the sacrifice of lambs did not really forgive sins), to make way for Salvation guaranteed by receiving the Holy Spirit in our lives and Eternal Life. All this is impossible without Jesus Christ and therefore was not something accessible in the old covenant.

Okay, now let's look at the passage from Mark 8 ; 14 -21 King James Version:

Mark 8: 14-21 New King James Version (RVR1960)

The leaven of the Pharisees

14 They had forgotten to bring bread, and they had but one bread with them in the boat. 15 And he commanded them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

16 And they argued among themselves, saying: It is because we did not bring bread. 17 And Jesus, understanding it, said to them, What are you arguing about because you have no bread? Do you not understand or understand? Have you still hardened your heart? 18 Having eyes, do you not see, and having ears, do you not hear? And don't you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves out of five thousand, how many baskets full of the pieces did you collect? And they said: Twelve. 20 And when the seven loaves among four thousand, how many baskets full of the pieces did you collect? And they said: Seven. 21 And he said to them, How do you not yet understand? Beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the doctrine of Herod. We could   develop this topic widely but what is interesting to rescue in this passage is the following: -The plan of God with the Israelites of race is a plan of 12, that is, complete, but in the miracle of the 4,000 where there were Gentiles and also race Israelites (perhaps these race Israelites lived with the Gentiles in Decapolis and already had the same lifestyle as them) but all using baskets constitutes the PERFECT plan of GOD where he provides all the blessings of Grace to all the men of the earth who believe in their beloved son Jesus Christ.                            

God's covenant with the Jews was only with them, a narrow covenant like a kofinoi (basket ), but now it comes to establish a new covenant, an open covenant , for all humanity where we all fit in the same basket. But Jesus Christ also wants us to be basket and not basket. May we be in addition to books open to all people, that we have our talents, ministries, gifts in harmony with the fruit of the Holy Spirit (love which generates joy, peace, faith, meekness ...) in a basket available to all all others who need you.

Jesus Christ wants to turn your basket into a basket through the regeneration of your mind and heart so that we use everything that God has given us with giving for the benefit of others.

The kofinoi was tiny. When we are not willing to give that is what we have, but if by loving God we are filled with his love what we will have in our hearts in a whole basket full of all kinds of blessings to give.

Now comes the question:

Are we basket or basket?

Let's be honest with ourselves.

If we consider that we are a basket, we must know that Christ can change us, that is why he brought us, when he came to earth through his incarnation, the covenant of Grace, to change our basket for a large basket full of fruit. That fruit is already ours, what we need now is to share it.

If you fill yourself with the love of God crying out to Him every day on your knees ( I don't mean so much the physical position as an attitude of humility before God) in the name of his beloved Son and being fully aware that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he was resurrected on the third day (this consciousness is not a simple declaration but a total understanding of it), God will turn you into a basket. The basket is always available to others.

May God bless you very much!