Article for July 21, 2024
Mark 6:30–32 30The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
No rest for the weary, no rest for the wicked, no rest for those who do good works because of our Lord and are noticed by the crowds. Everyone needs rest and sometimes we feel that we do not get that rest as we feel we’ve earned. But our rest might not be in this life, rather it will come in our new life.
Not that we won’t have time to rest now, but that our rest we really did not earn will come in the new life that we too did not earn. It is so hard for many to understand that God gives us our new life out of His grace and mercy through Jesus dying for our sins to forgive us for our sins. Although we do not earn our way into our new life, God has prepared us for good works. (Ephesians 2:10).
The Apostles who are close disciples of Jesus are learning that rest does not always come as they follow Jesus. Just when they thought they would get a break the crowds follow to get fed more of what Jesus was teaching. So starved for hope and salvation, these people could not overcome their passion to receive more of Christ’s saving words.
After all, this is the savior they have been waiting for. Some were there for those saving words, some were there for healing, and some even might have been there just to receive something. Which do you think these people were thinking with, their brain, their flesh, their spiritual being, or maybe all the above?
Mark 6:33–34a 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
The starving crowds were watching and eager to receive more. Maybe they knew what they were hungering for. Maybe they did not know what they were starving for. Either way, the crowds were attentive to the motions of Jesus and His apostles. All they might have known is that this Jesus was tugging them out of their mondain lives into something much better. What was happening was a gift of hope and they could feel it growing in them.
Here Jesus sees the crowd hurrying toward them as they all came by foot to the place Jesus and His apostles arrived by boat. Jesus saw this crowd as being hungry not for food but for God’s word and promises fulfilled. What else could a loving God do but to have great compassion on those who seek Him.
Mark 6:34b–36 And he began to teach them many things. 35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
Jesus teaches these people; He feeds them the word and promises of our God that they heard before from the priests and the written word of the Old Testament. Though I don’t think they called the word of God old, but surely, they knew of God’s Testaments. How long did Jesus teach these people? Long enough that it was getting too late to just send them packing.
Jesus knew the crowd was going to sit where they were as long as He was there. Jesus knew of their hunger not for food but for hope. Jesus knew of their needs and Jesus knew how to satisfy those needs as He fed the crowd with God’s word.
Mark 6:37–38 37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”
Jesus tells us to feed the crowds around us. Like the apostles we might think that the crowd should go and feed itself. Like the apostles we might think it is impossible to feed the crowd with what little we have. Like the apostles we might think that Jesus is not going to provide. Like the apostles, we put our faith in what we think we have instead of putting our faith in what God has for us to give.
Are we too small, too old, too crippled, or wanting to die? No, let me introduce you to our congregation of those who continue to put their faith in God and allows God to give through them. We are not old, we have many ages among us, we are not crippled, we have many overcomers, we will not die because we have Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ will provide all we need to feed the community around us.
We have a crowd in our community that is looking for hope. We have been gifted by God to meet that need. We have even received a gift from our youth who are going to feed the hungry crowd we call members as well as help us feed our community around us.
Mark 6:41–42 41And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42And they all ate and were satisfied.
Jesus showed the apostles that with Him everything is possible. The crowds were fed, and they were satisfied. We have been feeding the community and some are satisfied, yet there are others who need more than food for the belly. They also need the word of God, the word of God’s hope for all. These people are looking for food that satisfies their hope in salvation. Jesus gave us hope from the cross, from the grave, and from His resurrection.
Mark 6:43–44 43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Here five loaves + two fish + five thousand families = Twelve-bushel baskets of leftovers. This math only works with God. There is no numerology in these numbers, no mystic formula, and no magic. This is Just the power of God. However, Jesus on the (1) cross, held up by (3) nails do equal (4-given) and forgiveness equals salvation, life everlasting, and eternal relation with God our Father in heaven. Amen.
Written by Pastor Curtis A. May
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