Compassion April 30
Mark 6:34 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. 35 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. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”
Their time in the boat is their only respite from the people who desire their help. Jesus alights from the boat and finds that which He had sought to escape. He is moved with compassion, because they are like sheep not having a shepherd. They are like a boat without a captain, blown by various winds, buffeted by the waves, and knowing not where they are going.
And He begins to teach them. The Greek word for teach is the base of our word, didactic, meaning “morally instructive.” He teaches them how to sail the seas of life, to weather its storms while maintaining the integrity of the vessel and its destination. People living by the sea are able to understand.
The disciples bring the situation back to practicality. The day is near done. The people have traveled far and have nothing to eat. Send them away so they can find food in the villages before night comes, they tell Jesus.
Negotiating the sea of life requires a store of provision as well as a compass.
You Feed Them May 1
Mark 6:37 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?”
The disciples beseech Jesus to solve the problem they see looming: a hungry crowd with no food available. Jesus’ answer astounds them: the disciples should feed the crowd!
Again, they respond with a practical answer. How can they solve the problem of hunger for this crowd? They have only a small amount of money. Are they to spend it all on a crowd in need of more bread than their money can buy?
For the disciples, supply and demand is the crux of all economic issues. These must come into balance, or problems will arise for the buyers or sellers or both.
But Jesus is not an economist. He is a spiritual teacher. And miracles somehow happen around Him.
When Jesus tells the disciples to give them something to eat, He is turning their question back on them.
The disciples are still in their heads. Their thoughts determine their view of the world. They observe that the glass is half empty. (Actually, far less than half!) Logic prevails over faith.
Jesus needs to move them beyond the limitations they perceive. They must have a lesson in possibility to counter what they see as reality. This is the time for an advanced class in spiritual understanding.
Resources May 2
Mark 6:38 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.”
The miracle about to happen is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. This heightens our awareness of its importance.
He asks the disciples to give an inventory of what food is available. Their answer is irrelevant to the issue from Jesus’ perspective, merely a list of what the disciples perceive to be available. Knowing how little they have before compared with how much they have after is the crux of the miracle that will occur.
He has recently sent the disciples out to do their work among the people, and they have come back amazed at what they have accomplished. Jesus wants to amaze them some more. He is in the business of doing amazing things.
The disciples’ business is to do the same.
Isn’t OUR business to do the same?
We look to our own resources. We may neglect the resources of others with us or of those whom we wish to serve. Not all resources are readily visible.
We look to the Holy Spirit for guidance and counsel.
The “bread of life” we give may be compassion, love, energy, time, or another gift that meets a need. We see an overwhelming need and ask the Holy Spirit help us rise to meet it.
And perhaps we find a way…His way.
Feeding Five Thousand May 3
Mark 5:39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 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 all.
There is a great amount of symbolism to this story beyond the miracle of feeding so many.
The people are familiar with the words of Moses to the Israelites at the end of their 40 year sojourn: And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Deut. 8:3).
Since that time, the understanding of the words that had come from the mouth of God had been corrupted, the bread no longer whole.
Thinking of the false bread of the priesthood of Jesus’ day, we are reminded of Isaiah:
Is. 55:1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,/Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,/Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk/Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?....
Today we also are spending our money on that which does not satisfy. We hunger and are not filled. We become heavy, but not with understanding. And the hunger grows.
We are all empty vessels waiting to be filled with the Word of God.
All Were Filled May 4
Mark 6:42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
It is near the time of the Passover (John 6:4). As with the 12 disciples, the 12 baskets of food available after the feeding represent the 12 tribes.
Jesus organizes the crowd into ranks (figuratively, like garden plots, regular beds of plants) of hundreds and fifties (as at Sinai, into thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens).
Rather than having the Law to govern and regulate life, the issue is the bread of life that will give us a more abundant life. This is reminiscent of the manna given to the people where there was no food. As with the manna, this miracle is reassurance to a hungry people that God is with them.
Perhaps we can see more imagery here. The five loaves of bread are the five books of Moses, and the two fish are the two tablets upon which the Ten Commandments are written.
Miracles happen throughout the Old and New Testaments. Miracles still happen.
A miracle is something that cannot be explained by the laws of our physical world. In the 21st century, we now have the additional laws of quantum physics and relativity. We do not yet understand these “miracles,” either.
There is at least one other power creating what we perceive as reality. This is the spiritual power, the dunamis, which created and governs them all.
Miracles are not just acts of defying the laws of nature, but are events changing our perception of the physical world, allowing us to see the spiritual power that rules all things.
Miracles are reassuring reminders that we are not alone.
Headwinds May 5
Mark 6:45 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. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.
Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him, back to the other fishing village known as Bethsaida on the western shore above Capernaum. Meanwhile He disperses the crowd. He does not leave them stranded like a flock with no shepherd. He directs them home, His words their guiding light through the figurative darkness.
Jesus then takes the opportunity of solitude on a mountain. Note that solitude can be any place free of distraction, a closet as well as a wilderness. He uses this time to stay in Oneness with the Father, to stay on course to His destination.
Many hours after their departure, Jesus on the mountain still can see the boat carrying the disciples. They are rowing, the sails down because their heading is into the wind. They have worked for hours, but are little further ahead.
This is a wonderful metaphor. How often do we head into the wind, fighting against the tides of time and chance?
The followers of Jesus are no less vulnerable to time and chance than are those who do not know Him. It rains on the just and unjust. Headwinds are inevitable.
Peace is waiting, resting in a greater power.
Walking on Water May 6
Mark 6:48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
The disciples are helpless in the storm. The natural force of the wind cuts them no slack, and they have nothing with which to fight against such a force. How are they to prevail?
Perhaps they must learn all battles need not be fought, and that they cannot prevail alone in the necessary battles of life.
Jesus sees them struggling and He has compassion. His heart goes out to them, and His body follows.
Jesus does not part the sea, but simply answers their unspoken call for help. He knows what they need. He brings them His Word.
They want calm water and a favorable wind as they make their way. Don’t we all? There are times when this peace will be present, but this is not the permanent state of affairs here on earth.
Figuratively, like all of us, they seek peace while sailing against the headwinds of life.
Jesus cannot change their state of mind or quieten their hearts in the midst of their struggle. He can only model peace in His own being as He faces the headwinds that are His alone.
Peace is a heart issue.
Next day
Mark 6:34 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. 35 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. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”
Their time in the boat is their only respite from the people who desire their help. Jesus alights from the boat and finds that which He had sought to escape. He is moved with compassion, because they are like sheep not having a shepherd. They are like a boat without a captain, blown by various winds, buffeted by the waves, and knowing not where they are going.
And He begins to teach them. The Greek word for teach is the base of our word, didactic, meaning “morally instructive.” He teaches them how to sail the seas of life, to weather its storms while maintaining the integrity of the vessel and its destination. People living by the sea are able to understand.
The disciples bring the situation back to practicality. The day is near done. The people have traveled far and have nothing to eat. Send them away so they can find food in the villages before night comes, they tell Jesus.
Negotiating the sea of life requires a store of provision as well as a compass.
You Feed Them May 1
Mark 6:37 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?”
The disciples beseech Jesus to solve the problem they see looming: a hungry crowd with no food available. Jesus’ answer astounds them: the disciples should feed the crowd!
Again, they respond with a practical answer. How can they solve the problem of hunger for this crowd? They have only a small amount of money. Are they to spend it all on a crowd in need of more bread than their money can buy?
For the disciples, supply and demand is the crux of all economic issues. These must come into balance, or problems will arise for the buyers or sellers or both.
But Jesus is not an economist. He is a spiritual teacher. And miracles somehow happen around Him.
When Jesus tells the disciples to give them something to eat, He is turning their question back on them.
The disciples are still in their heads. Their thoughts determine their view of the world. They observe that the glass is half empty. (Actually, far less than half!) Logic prevails over faith.
Jesus needs to move them beyond the limitations they perceive. They must have a lesson in possibility to counter what they see as reality. This is the time for an advanced class in spiritual understanding.
Resources May 2
Mark 6:38 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.”
The miracle about to happen is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. This heightens our awareness of its importance.
He asks the disciples to give an inventory of what food is available. Their answer is irrelevant to the issue from Jesus’ perspective, merely a list of what the disciples perceive to be available. Knowing how little they have before compared with how much they have after is the crux of the miracle that will occur.
He has recently sent the disciples out to do their work among the people, and they have come back amazed at what they have accomplished. Jesus wants to amaze them some more. He is in the business of doing amazing things.
The disciples’ business is to do the same.
Isn’t OUR business to do the same?
We look to our own resources. We may neglect the resources of others with us or of those whom we wish to serve. Not all resources are readily visible.
We look to the Holy Spirit for guidance and counsel.
The “bread of life” we give may be compassion, love, energy, time, or another gift that meets a need. We see an overwhelming need and ask the Holy Spirit help us rise to meet it.
And perhaps we find a way…His way.
Feeding Five Thousand May 3
Mark 5:39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 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 all.
There is a great amount of symbolism to this story beyond the miracle of feeding so many.
The people are familiar with the words of Moses to the Israelites at the end of their 40 year sojourn: And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Deut. 8:3).
Since that time, the understanding of the words that had come from the mouth of God had been corrupted, the bread no longer whole.
Thinking of the false bread of the priesthood of Jesus’ day, we are reminded of Isaiah:
Is. 55:1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,/Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,/Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk/Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?....
Today we also are spending our money on that which does not satisfy. We hunger and are not filled. We become heavy, but not with understanding. And the hunger grows.
We are all empty vessels waiting to be filled with the Word of God.
All Were Filled May 4
Mark 6:42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
It is near the time of the Passover (John 6:4). As with the 12 disciples, the 12 baskets of food available after the feeding represent the 12 tribes.
Jesus organizes the crowd into ranks (figuratively, like garden plots, regular beds of plants) of hundreds and fifties (as at Sinai, into thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens).
Rather than having the Law to govern and regulate life, the issue is the bread of life that will give us a more abundant life. This is reminiscent of the manna given to the people where there was no food. As with the manna, this miracle is reassurance to a hungry people that God is with them.
Perhaps we can see more imagery here. The five loaves of bread are the five books of Moses, and the two fish are the two tablets upon which the Ten Commandments are written.
Miracles happen throughout the Old and New Testaments. Miracles still happen.
A miracle is something that cannot be explained by the laws of our physical world. In the 21st century, we now have the additional laws of quantum physics and relativity. We do not yet understand these “miracles,” either.
There is at least one other power creating what we perceive as reality. This is the spiritual power, the dunamis, which created and governs them all.
Miracles are not just acts of defying the laws of nature, but are events changing our perception of the physical world, allowing us to see the spiritual power that rules all things.
Miracles are reassuring reminders that we are not alone.
Headwinds May 5
Mark 6:45 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. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.
Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him, back to the other fishing village known as Bethsaida on the western shore above Capernaum. Meanwhile He disperses the crowd. He does not leave them stranded like a flock with no shepherd. He directs them home, His words their guiding light through the figurative darkness.
Jesus then takes the opportunity of solitude on a mountain. Note that solitude can be any place free of distraction, a closet as well as a wilderness. He uses this time to stay in Oneness with the Father, to stay on course to His destination.
Many hours after their departure, Jesus on the mountain still can see the boat carrying the disciples. They are rowing, the sails down because their heading is into the wind. They have worked for hours, but are little further ahead.
This is a wonderful metaphor. How often do we head into the wind, fighting against the tides of time and chance?
The followers of Jesus are no less vulnerable to time and chance than are those who do not know Him. It rains on the just and unjust. Headwinds are inevitable.
Peace is waiting, resting in a greater power.
Walking on Water May 6
Mark 6:48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
The disciples are helpless in the storm. The natural force of the wind cuts them no slack, and they have nothing with which to fight against such a force. How are they to prevail?
Perhaps they must learn all battles need not be fought, and that they cannot prevail alone in the necessary battles of life.
Jesus sees them struggling and He has compassion. His heart goes out to them, and His body follows.
Jesus does not part the sea, but simply answers their unspoken call for help. He knows what they need. He brings them His Word.
They want calm water and a favorable wind as they make their way. Don’t we all? There are times when this peace will be present, but this is not the permanent state of affairs here on earth.
Figuratively, like all of us, they seek peace while sailing against the headwinds of life.
Jesus cannot change their state of mind or quieten their hearts in the midst of their struggle. He can only model peace in His own being as He faces the headwinds that are His alone.
Peace is a heart issue.
Next day