1a. Some background information comes from BibleAtlas.com and BiblePlaces.com
1. Luke omits a second mass feeding miracle, as does John. In the case of Luke, we are aware that its author used Mark as an important source, as did Matthew's author. In the case of John, the similarity to Mark's account is close enough that we may assume John's author either took the episode from Mark or that both writers used the same source.
It seems very plausible that Mark records two variants of the same event, though we cannot be sure Jesus did not perform two feeding miracles. We may notice that in the first feeding of the 5,000, five loaves and two fish were brought forward. That is, there were seven items of food, with seven being a number thought by many Jews of the period to imply some sort of divine completion. In the case of the feeding of the 4,000, offered were seven loaves of bread and a few (no number specified) fish, with the number seven again being highlighted. That certainly sounds like two tellings of the same event.
But clearly the author of Mark, followed by the author of Matthew, saw significance in the two separate feedings. (See xxx.)
Also, the second feeding permitted the Marcan writer to use a favorite literary device: the "sandwich." If you read Mark separately, you may notice that he will "sandwich in" material between one passage and its associated passage. Thus, he placed a group of teachings and miracle episodes between the two mass feedings.
In any case, this book accepts the lead of Luke and John, focusing on one mass feeding.
2. The poverty of a typical poor person in Jesus' time is almost unimaginable to the modern American mind. We tend to lose sight of how really wonderful was Jesus' declaration that poor people, who counted for nothing back then, would be given great things.
3. We cannot be altogether certain that more than one recollected episode has not been sewn together here, principally by the writer of Mark. That is, the walking on water may not have occurred on the night of the feeding miracle. Perhaps on one night they were headed back to Bethsaida, and another time they sailed for Gennesaret, an ancient port town.
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