Feeding the 4000, signs, and leaven
text: Mark 8:1-21
Outline:
A. 8:1-10, Bread of Jesus feeds 4000 (no bread, 8:2)
B. 8:11-13, Demand of a sign
A'. 8:14-21, Leaven of Pharisees and Herod (no bread, 8:14)
Comments: Unlike the story of feeding of 5000 this story is presented in another context. Feeding of 5000 was done in the contrast to Herod's [deadly] birthday party. Here, the feeding of 4000 is a starting point for the future discussion of pharisees' leaven that followed by their demand of a sign. What other sign they want to receive but the bread coming from heaven?? That's the focus of the story as a whole.
