Inflation in Brazil reached an astonishing 2,000 percent in 1993. Prices for everything were increasing overnight, literally. It’s a phenomenon known as hyperinflation. Paychecks were immediately cashed and spent, since they would be worth significantly less the next day. Planning for the future was impossible.
Mark 8 includes an interesting postscript to the narrative of the feeding of the 4,000. Like Matthew, Mark follows the story immediately with the discussion among the disciples about not having any bread — ironic in the extreme, given the circumstances. After all, He had just provided an enormous amount of food with practically nothing to work with — for the second time!
