The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages [two hundred denarii]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
Most stories have a point.
The point of the stories that Mark records, report the miracles of Jesus.
For some people this is a challenge.
People often like the idea of Jesus, but some don’t like these miracles. They find them troublesome. People suggest that we now understand so much of how things really work, that it is not possible to believe any of these things actually happened.
This is a familiar story. The feeding of the 5,000 men. So probably many more in total. Five loaves and two fish were multiplied by Jesus to feed this large crowd.
As I have been emphasizing, in Mark's Gospel, the point of what he shares is Jesus.
- First, consider what this story reveals about Jesus. It reveals that he is God. Out of nothing, he created more than enough food for 5,000 men (plus the women and children). Jesus demonstrates his power as God. He creates.
- Second, consider what this story reveals about Jesus’ attitude towards the disciples. He cares about them. He wants them to get away and rest. I expect they are on an emotional high, perhaps wanting to go and do more ministry in His Name. He knows they need rest.
After their rest, I expect he will continue the disciples’ spiritual formation. Then it happens: the crowds. He sees the crowd. If he chose to ignore them, we would understand. Instead, he has compassion. “Sheep without a shepherd,” he calls them.
It is compassion which is the third point. He's with his tired disciples, he wants them to get rest, but his compassion overtakes the moment. Jesus instructs them to care for the people. He wants them to understand ministry must flow from compassion.
Jesus actions flow from his compassion for us.
We learn that Jesus, God come to earth, is moved to action not to show off, or prove he is God. No, Jesus is moved to action by his deep love of humankind.
He knows that we too can only serve in His Name when it flows from our compassion for those we serve.
- Who is God calling you to serve?
- Or, who does God have you serving?
- Or, who is God touching your heart over?
Comments