On Line Bible Study - For the week April 20-26, 2009

Lesson 387

Last week we looked at the story of the execution of John the Baptist as recorded in Mark 6:14-29. We should note in that story the dramatic difference between John, who was willing to die for what he believed to be true, and Herod, whose scruples were so compromised that he would make foolish promises and then keep them just to save face.

In the verses that follow, Jesus' disciples return from their mission trip (Mark 6:8-13). They gather with him to tell him all about it, trying to speak to him, but so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat. So Jesus invites them to come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. The crowds follow (those fickle crowds! Loving Jesus one minute, and ready to crucify him the next!). Then we read this:

Mark 6:³³But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴When 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. ³⁵By 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. ³⁶Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."

³⁷But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"

³⁸"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."

³⁹Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹Taking 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 set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴²They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

So much going on in this story! Here are some things to be especially attentive to:

• Note the difference between Jesus' "compassion" and the disciples disregard - "Send the people away . . ." The Greek text here is an imperative. In other words, the disciples were giving Jesus a command what to do with the crowd.
• Note the theme of being "hungry". First, the disciples don't have a place to sit and eat because of the crowds. Then Jesus acknowledges the hunger of the people - both spiritually and physically.
• The term "bread" is used seventeen times between Mark 6:8 and 8:19.
• What is the reason the disciples give for not being able to tend to the needs of the crowd? Money - or the lack thereof. We continue to neglect human need with the excuse that we can't afford to address it.
• Sit in groups on the green grass ... Note the similarities with Psalm 23 - He makes me lie down in green pastures ... The shepherd feeds the flock. I have underlined the word groups because the Greek text implies that the people were seated as if for a banquet. The Greek word is symposia - its use implies a more formal setting in which there would be food and teaching, and in the Roman context, the people would recline. Donahue and Harrington translate Mark 6:39 - He instructed every one to recline as if for a banquet on the green grass.
• One last observation - the word compassion implies not only the deepest of emotions, but emotion that leads to action. Look at the contrast between the desires of the disciples and the actions of the Christ! Mark is painting a picture not lacking in graphic contrasts between the light of Jesus and our tendency to live in the dark!
• The story ends with the people being satisfied. One is reminded of Isaiah 55:2 - Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Why indeed!

How authentic is our "compassion"? How often are we telling God what to do? How often do we miss the banquet Christ is laying out for us? How accustomed have we become to what does not satisfy?

The point is this: The banquet is prepared. The bread is before us in abundance. Now - all we have to do is sit with each other ..... and enjoy!

More on Mark 6 next week . . .