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Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat." But He answered and said to 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 them something to eat?" But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish." Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
- Mark 6:30-46
In yesterday's reading, we learned about Herod. Herod heard of Jesus and the great power expressed in His ministry. And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." Others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets." But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!" For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom." So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. We remember that in Tuesday's reading, we read that Jesus sent out the Twelve two by two, on their first mission. My study bible says, "The word apostle (meaning 'one who is sent,' a messenger) is used frequently in the epistles but is rare in the gospels. It designates an official representative authorized to carry out a specific mission."
And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. A note here reads, "Jesus gives the disciples time to rest a while. they have just returned from a demanding assignment -- preaching, healing and casting out demons -- and it is time for solitude." Mark's gospel constantly speaks of Jesus' action of going to and fro on a boat in His ministry, across the Sea of Galilee. He has been in Gentile territory, and back among the throngs of people who follow His ministry in Jewish territory. Here, He gathers His disciples and takes them in a boat for rest, to a deserted place. It's an important note to us, as well, about what God may expect of us, always knowing we need and must have time for rest and reflection and prayer.
But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. Here the people are so intent on following Jesus that they run on foot toward where He has headed in the boat with the disciples. I think the key phrase of Jesus being moved with compassion tells us so much about His character, and it is a personal characteristic that we will find repeated in the Gospels. His intention was different, to take His disciples apart by themselves, to talk and to rest and to discuss what they've so recently completed. But He is moved with compassion; the crowds are "like sheep not having a shepherd." They are lost and need guidance. What is most striking here is that the first thing they need, the need He fills first, is their need for teaching. And so this first thing He feeds them is to "teach them many things." This is how He responds with compassion.
When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat." But He answered and said to 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 them something to eat?" But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish." Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. My study bible says, "The feeding of the multitudes is both a messianic sign and an image of the Eucharist. Jesus' sustenance is never exhausted, just as His eucharistic body, multiplied and distributed, is 'ever eaten and never consumed, sanctifying those who partake' (from the Divine Liturgy)." It also adds here: "The disciples learn a great lesson here: whatever they have is enough to feed the people, whether physically or spiritually. God can multiply our resources so that everyone can be filled. But we must participate in His grace: Christ, along with the Father, blesses the loaves, but the disciples distribute them." This is an image of the Eucharist to come in the Church.
And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men. The twelve baskets give us one for each apostle: there is food for the future, for the distribution they will take to the world. According to cultural custom, only the approximate number of men is given here, but there were also women and children present. This is an event that includes everyone.
Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Jesus still finds time for rest and prayer, and time apart. He goes alone to be with His Father, for His own rest, on the mountain. Let us not forget His example, and what the Gospels teach us about true rest. Perhaps the great use of power is coordinated with depth of prayer for a reason, as an expression of how we too must dwell within grace for our lives.
I'm always intrigued by Jesus' command to the disciples: "You give them something to eat." He is challenging them to go further in discipleship, to learn more from Him, and it is also an occasion for grace to be further revealed among them in the feeding of the five thousand. What I especially seem to struck by today is the power that comes through that feeding. We've been reviewing notions of power, and contrasted earthly and holy power, in the recent readings. We've understood Jesus' power to be released through faith, making a connection in us. So here we have a true expression of community in its fullness, in a foreshadowing of the Eucharist. Five thousand men and many more women and children make a full community. They have followed Jesus to this place because they are "like sheep not having a shepherd," full of great need, especially for guidance, teaching. This type of devotion suggests to us a corporate faith, the faith of a multitude that has run after Him. They eagerly stay until late, without food, for His many teachings. So again we can read into this expression of manifold grace and its abundance a kind of abundance of faith that makes it possible for His power to be expressed in such a way. And we learn once again about grace and power, the expression of the energies of God among us. Jesus challenges the disciples to meet the situation with faith as well, to make do with what is at hand. While I can't say I've experienced miracles on this scale, I can suggest that there have been many times in my life when I feel that there simply isn't enough, or rather there are too many obstacles in the way for me to achieve something I think God wants me to do. But a gentle and persistent faith, keeping in mind prayer and God's presence, has opened up ways I didn't see with whatever is truly at hand. These are not great miracles, like the feeding of the five thousand here, but they are experiences that have taught me repeatedly the lesson involved. "You give them something to eat" is a great challenge, a prodding, the power of faith invested in something in order to go forward and find a way. Christ gives us gentle nudges, and trust in His faith takes us forward in ways we can't anticipate. At the end of John's gospel, Jesus tells Peter, "Feed my lambs." There will always be something at hand, wherever we start.
