Seven Bags Full

At that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way." The disciples said to him, "Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?" Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" "Seven," they replied, "and a few fish." 

He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over – seven baskets full. (Matthew 15:29-37)

I never know where a Gospel reading will take me.  What memory does it trigger?  For me it is the following nursery rhyme:

Bah, Bah a black Sheep,

Have you any Wool?

Yes merry have I,

Three Bags full,

One for my master,

One for my Dame,

One for the little Boy

That lives down the lane.

Three bags full, not seven baskets full.  This is the original version of “Baa, Baa, Black sheep” dating back to 1744 first published in Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book.  The modern version that I remember went:

Baa, baa, black sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes, sir, yes, sir,

Three bags full.

One for my master,

One for my dame,

And one for the little boy

Who lives down the lane.

I never realized this rhyme was controversial.  I have read: As with many nursery rhymes, attempts have been made to find origins and meanings for the rhyme, most of which have no corroborating evidence. Katherine Elwes Thomas in “The Real Personages of Mother Goose” (1930) suggested the rhyme referred to resentment at the heavy taxation on wool. This has particularly been taken to refer to the medieval English "Great" or "Old Custom" wool tax of 1275, which survived until the fifteenth century. More recently the rhyme has been alleged to have a connection to the slave trade, particularly in the southern United States. This explanation was advanced during debates over political correctness and the use and reform of nursery rhymes in the 1980s, but has no supporting historical evidence. Rather than being negative, the wool of black sheep may have been prized as it could be made into dark cloth without dyeing.

Just with nursery rhymes, the meaning of many of our Gospel readings is hard to find, and we must make educated guesses.  Why seven baskets full with fragments? Here is one interpretation: (begin) The feeding of the 4000 resulted in seven baskets of leftovers (Mark 8:8). To the Jews, the number seven represented perfection. The perfect number of baskets leftover certainly would be the “perfect” end to a miracle where so many were fed. (end)

Here is another explanation: (begin) Both the Gospels of Matthew and Mark record the miraculous feeding by Jesus of the 5000, and then later, the 4000. These separate miraculous feedings have profound significance regarding the international dimensions of Jesus’ Kingdom. The feeding of the 5000 is to Israelites living within the Promised Land. Thus, there are 12 baskets of leftover food symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel. The Gospel is taken first to the chosen people. See Matt. 14: 13-21 and Mark 6:32-34.

The feeding of the 4000 is to Gentiles living outside the promised land (in the Decapolis; see Mark 7:31). Thus, there are seven baskets of leftover food representing the seven Gentile nations that once occupied the land of Canaan. 

The significance of these two miraculous feedings is clear: the Kingdom established by Jesus is catholic – that is to say, universal, international, for all peoples, for all nations. [Scott Hahn interpretation] (end)

Who knows what Matthew and Mark really meant, but it’s fun to guess.

Deacon David Pierce