Another Surprising Text

Mark 6:30–44

³⁰ The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ And 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. ³² And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. ³³ Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. ³⁵ And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. ³⁶ Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” ³⁷ But 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?” ³⁸ And 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.” ³⁹ Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ And 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. ⁴² And they all ate and were satisfied. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴ And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Here we have one of the stories told every age group with joy. Jesus feeds over 5,000 people in a miraculous display of His compassion and power with only 5 small loaves of bread and 2 fish. It seems to be a simple story but as I pondered and studied these well-worn words, this became not a simple devotional but a full-blown Bible Study. This passage is huge and important. It stretches back into the Old Testament with references to the promises of God the Father to care for His people.

As the Disciples return to Jesus with stories of their success at replicating His miracles, He immediately ministers into their greatest need – rest. Those who serve the Lord know full well the draining effect such work can have on the body, mind, and heart. Jesus encourages them to rest because suddenly they have been thrust into the limelight that Jesus has experience for His entire ministry. They now too are seen as people who can heal their sicknesses and cast out the demons! They are now being hounded as well as Jesus. His answer is to provide a temporary escape so they can be refreshed. But now the people are on to them and run along the shore to the place where they will land. When Jesus and the disciples arrive on the shore they are greeted by a crowd of over 5,000 people! And they are hungry. Jesus has an answer for their hunger. He turns to the disciples and tells them to provide dinner! Of course the disciples are stymied by this suggestion. They do not have the resources for this impromptu banquet; but Jesus does. From the other Gospel renditions of this story we know that a young boy shares his lunch – five little loaves of bread and 2 fish. Jesus, the Bread of Life, turns that small quantity of food into enough to feed the entire crowd – lavishly. After everyone has eaten to their fill, there is a large basket of food leftover for each of the disciples to collect.

Now let’s examine the theological implications of this passage. First, we are told that Jesus was filled with compassion for these hungry people. It wasn’t because they were hungry that He had compassion. It was because they were without the leadership God wanted for them. They were sheep without a shepherd. Sheep without a shepherd are most likely dead sheep for they do not survive well on their own. Those providing leadership in the synagogues were doing a terrible job and God’s people were languishing for lack of solid guidance and godly support. Jesus’ heart goes out to them and He is moved to help them, just as had been prophesied in the Old Testament.

Numbers 27:15–17

¹⁵ Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, ¹⁶ “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation ¹⁷ who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”

Here Jesus [as recorded in Mark 6] is portrayed as a new Joshua: the name of the two men is identical in Greek, namely, ‘Ιησοῦς, and like Joshua, “who has the Spirit in himself”, Jesus has the Spirit within himself (Mk 1:10  “the Spirit … descending into him”). Jesus is, thus, to be seen as the one who will bring Israel fully to their true Canaan and to their final rest.

Voelz, J. W. ©2013. Concordia Commentary: Mark 1:1–8:26. (p. 424). St. Louis, MO: CPH.

To add to our understanding of God’s reference to our need for a Savior, also recorded for us are the words of Ezekiel about this very subject. Pay close attention to verses 11-17, seeing the description of Jesus in those prophetic words and even His actions in the story for today.

Ezekiel 34:1–15

¹The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ³ You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. ⁴ The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. ⁵ So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; ⁶ they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. ⁷ “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸ As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, ⁹ therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. ¹¹ “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ¹² As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ¹³ And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ¹⁴ I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. ¹⁶ I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

One cannot read these words without thinking of King David’s famous Psalm 23, at he describes the loving, gentle, and perfect care of the Good Shepherd.

Psalm 23:1–6

¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

²He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

³He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

So as we read of Jesus providing a lavish meal for several thousand people out of incredibly meager resources, we can see deeper into God’s providence. We are indeed in need of a Shepherd and God has provided for us in every way possible. Most deeply felt is our need for a Savior and here in this story we find that Savior providing for all of those needs.