During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone
get enough bread to feed them?” Mark 8:1-4
The
incident occurred in the Region of Dalmanutha, where archaeologists are unsure
of its precise location, but know it was in Gentile (non-Jewish)
territory. It could be also be known as
Magdala, where Mary Magdalene was from.
The
first feeding of the 5,000 included Jews, which the disciples would immediately
think deserved a miracle and food. The
second feeding was to non-Jews, which the disciples would immediately think
didn’t deserve a miracle and food. The
prejudice was that deep that they would have rejected Jesus’ compassion for
them and not believe Jesus would have repeated the first miracle for them.