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

 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 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

Yesterday we read that at this point in Jesus' ministry, King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  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, "As 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.  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 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.  This story continues from the point at which, in yesterday's reading, we were told that Herod has now heard of Jesus.  The apostles have just returned from their first mission, having been sent out (see Tuesday's reading).  Jesus calls them aside by themselves to rest a while.  My study bible says that this shows to those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  But the multitude follows, so great is the demand upon Jesus.  This phrase, that they were like sheep not having a shepherd, is an echo from the Old Testament (Numbers 27:16-17, 1 Kings 22:17, 2 Chronicles 18:16, Isaiah 13:14, Ezekiel 34, Zechariah 10:2).  Ironically in contrast with the example of King Herod, given in the previous reading (above), the people are lost and scattered, and need a true leader, a Shepherd.  This "Good Shepherd" makes all the difference, for He is One who is moved with compassion for them.  My study bible notes that this phrase is used frequently for Christ in the Gospels (for an earlier occasion in Mark's Gospel, see 1:41).  It shows that His power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  What is the first thing necessary for these who are like sheep without a shepherd?  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.  First Jesus offers leadership -- particularly teaching -- to these who are like sheep not having a shepherd.  But then the day becomes far spent, and the disciples are concerned that for these sheep there is nothing to eat.  They suggest that Jesus send them away to go buy themselves food.  But Jesus gives another example, and tells them men just returned from their first apostolic mission, "You give them something to eat."   Like Moses, an earlier shepherd for the people who needed a leader, Jesus invokes through this miracle -- which is reported in all four Gospels -- the bread fed to the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16).  But this time, the Lord is Incarnate; Jesus' divine identity is the same Lord who once fed Israel with bread.  The Patristic tradition sees in this miracle an image of the Eucharist, which my study bible says is made clear in John 6.  We note that Jesus looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to distribute to the people, just as the Eucharist is fed to Christ's flock through His shepherds in the Church.  The language is similar to that of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26).  There is an additional spiritual interpretation that sees in the five loaves the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), linking Christ as Lord of the Old Covenant;  they are "broken open" in Christ through His mission as Incarnate Lord, and thereby feed the universe.  The two fish, my study bible says, represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  The apostles gather twelve baskets of leftover fragments of loaves and fish, one for each of them as they will be sent out into the world.  My study bible notes that this shows that the teachings which the faithful are unable to grasp are nevertheless held in the consciousness of the Church.

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.  Here is another sign that this is a turning point in His ministry.  At each juncture, Jesus sets the example for us, as He departed to the mountain to pray.

In the Lord's Prayer, we're taught to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11, Luke 11:3).  The word translated as daily is a unique word, coined specifically for the Gospels.  Its true literal meaning is something like "super-essential" -- meaning a bread that has a super-substance to it, bread that is more than common bread, containing more dimensions of true substance or essence.  It is a metaphor for the bread of the Eucharist, which is more than just bread.  In today's reading, Jesus feeds five thousand men (and more women and children), giving a taste not only of His divine identity as Lord, the One who fed the Israelites in the wilderness when they were led by Moses, but also prefiguring this "daily bread" for which we pray, the bread of the Eucharist.  That is, the bread made possible through His Incarnation, His mission in the world, in which He comes to each one of us, to all of us, as the true Shepherd for sheep who always need leadership.  In the language of the early Church, we are the "rational" or "intelligent sheep."  That is, it is our nature as human beings to need good leadership.  We have the capacity to think and to choose, but we can't make it up from scratch.  To be limited only to the things of this world, beautiful as it is, and its values alone, is to lack the true and necessary leadership that creatures like us really need.  If we are to really understand ourselves as rational and intelligent sheep, then we accept that what we always need are true teachers.  Christ is that Teacher who fills us with good things.  And there we come to the "super-essential" bread.  That is, the things that fill us with all that we need -- that which feeds spirit, soul, and body.  Jesus fills their bodies with bread in the wilderness, but first this Good Shepherd fills them with teachings.  He is also moved with compassion for them, showing them love, and especially companionship in their suffering.  This is the image of God that we all need, and it is another way of being truly fed with the spiritual food that nourishes each part of us and recognizes who and what we are.  Jesus will say later, when He sends out the Seventy-Two on another apostolic mission, "I send you out as lambs among wolves" (Luke 10:3).  He will also warn His whole Church to be wary of would-be prophets who are "wolves in sheep's clothing" (Matthew 7:15).  To be fed with the good things of God by a Good Shepherd is to be given teaching and instruction, by One who loves us enough to suffer with us (the meaning of "compassion").  It is also to be nurtured and strengthened for the struggle to stay true to our true nature amidst the wolves.  Note that if we don't realize our own nature, and what we truly need, we will never be in a position to receive what He gives.  Let us be grateful for what we receive, and remember that we also draw nurture from the One who loves us through His example of withdrawal for prayer.