Mark 8:19-21, The Mission

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect? They said to him, "Twelve." And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect? And they said to him, "Seven." Then he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

These three verses from Mark are one of the many themes in Another 50 Parables. The two meals describe the two missions given by Jesus to his disciples (to the Jews and to the gentiles.) It is the reason that Mark's gospel consists of 31 Stories, for the words of Jesus presented by Mark in his 31 Stories is what will be used by the disciples of Jesus in the mission that Mark's gospel describes.

John's gospel has 31 Stories, for it is a book-end to Mark's gospel.


(Another 50 Parables is under revision, and will be out in early 2006.)