^{Mark 6:30-52} – Watch, listen, or Read…

Who would like the key to unlocking happiness every day of your life? I want to offer you the secret to finding that happiness and more – peace, strength, wisdom, and direction in life. It’s a key that will open a door to inner satisfaction and avoid emptiness and give you meaning. Would you like that?

The key is in a question that you can ask every time you read the Bible.

What does this tell me about who Jesus is?

Hold that key as we continue our study through the gospel of Mark this morning.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John record the miracles of Jesus, but there are only two miracles that you will find in all four gospels. The resurrection of Jesus and the feeding of the 5000.

This account is so significant that not only is it in every gospel but Jesus refers back to it as a teaching point multiple times. You probably learned this story in Sunday School and know that it’s about a hungry crowd, a boy with a lunch, and how Jesus uses something so small to accomplish something so big.

It’s unique among miracles because while we can appreciate someone with leprosy being healed, and we can thrill at paralytic walking again, we can actually relate to being in a hungry crowd or having only very little like a small lunch to offer.

Do you still have the key? Keep it with you and open your Bibles to Mark chapter 6 verse 30

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

Mark 6:30

This is the first time the disciples are called apostles.

We’ve all come home excited from a vacation or even just a great game or concert and we can’t wait to tell someone everything that happened. Then you can probably imagine what a report this was! After two years of following and witnessing His miracles, the 12 were back from actually performing miracles. Jesus had given them authority so they could multiply His ministry among the people and distribute miracles in His name:

People from all over are hearing about Jesus – in fact, the news makes it from the most obscure villages like Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth all the way to the powerful court of King Herod.

Nazareth rejects Jesus and King Herod is freaked out hearing about the preaching, healing, and demon casting of Jesus and his disciples. But why?

Because Herod had thrown himself an orgy of a birthday celebration

and after his step-daughter impresses him with a party dance he offers to give her anything she wants,

She requests the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod has him beheaded and presented in front of all his guests.  With the popularity of Jesus and the 12 growing Herod thinks it must be John back from the dead to haunt him.

You can imagine how eager they are to recount every detail of their mission, but a cloud of heaviness is over them in light of this news about Herod killing Jesus’ cousin – you can imagine the disciples adding up the risk to themselves.

Could they end up in prison or worse – on a platter?

Jesus’ own family and childhood friends have mocked and rejected him. Will that happen to them?

As they gather to debrief and grab a meal with Jesus their time together is interrupted…

…so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,

Mark 6:31

But maybe this is their moment to show Jesus what they can do. I mean they had been off in pairs across the country preaching, healing, casting out demons.

Consider this, the disciples had watched Jesus preach, heal and cast out demons and he had given them authority to do all that and they did, so this could be a great moment to team up and do all that together –

A meal can wait, the crowds are almost here. The disciples’ eyes turn from the crowd stampeding toward them back to Jesus and you can feel the tension as they wait for His cue…

And what does Jesus say?

I’ll hear about your mission’s trip later, guys – we’ve got more people to heal?

We’ll eat after you cast out some demons in my name…

No…listen to our wise and compassionate Jesus…

he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Mark 6:31

The one who spoke the world into existence dials down the pressing urgency moves from the big crowd and toward his chosen ones – let’s go.

Jesus teaches by example that rest is godly. It’s ok to be done peopling. Sometimes we need to get in a boat and row away with Jesus.

And that’s exactly what they do…

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

Mark 6:32

They’re on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee and it’s about 4 miles – about a 2-hour trip near a town called Bethsaida which means Fish House.

The disciples begin rowing toward “fish house” and they have this time to unwind.

It’s just Jesus, the 12, and the waves lapping against the side of the boat, their calm chatter and recounting of stories of their weeks on the road.

Their shock and sadness over wicked Herod and the loss of John the Baptist.

They rest against the sides of the boat, listening to the sound of the oars in rhythm through the water,

and the banter of men who now

knew one another better than before

having traveled as Jesus had sent them, with no bread, bag, or belt for money. Just sandals, simple clothes, and the authority of Jesus.

It wasn’t a lot of time to rest and regroup,

but it would need to be enough. Because, when they hopped in that boat and rowed away the crowd didn’t just stay and wait for whenever they might come back. No, when Jesus and the disciples headed to the water the crowd pursued on land. Covering the 10 miles up and around from where they launched

…many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

Mark 6:33

At this point, it’s not just Jesus and some obscure, unknowns with Him – the disciples – home from this mission’s trip are recognized also and the crowds are like crazed boy-band fans chasing after them.

Can you imagine the scene as their boat draws closer and closer to shore? The water getting more shallow as they prepare to drop anchor.

I suppose Jesus could just turn the boat back toward the sea and keep looking for a quiet spot. Maybe the disciples were hoping he would. They really didn’t get much downtime with him on the way and there’s still so much to talk about…

but instead, 

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Mark 6:34a

What does Jesus see? A large crowd, yes. How does he describe them? Like sheep, but not just sheep

 – sheep with a shepherd would be in order, grazing calmly, secure, and cared for – but these are wild sheep – they don’t have a shepherd. What does this stir in Jesus? Compassion.

What language is the New Testament was written in originally – Greek.

The Greek root word translated “compassion” is splangk-non (σπλάγχνα) – we get our word for “spleen” from it because the ancients both Greeks and Hebrews believed that emotions came from the internal organs like the liver, lungs, and heart.

We say “our heart goes out” to a person or it was a “gut-wrenching” situation –

the kind of compassion – the splangk-non Jesus is expressing is gut-level compassion – He saw the crowd and he ached for them to the core of His being

What’s the best commentary for understanding the New Testament? The Old Testament.

When you read the Old Testament you see over and over God’s people were described as “Sheep without a shepherd.”

And God’s promise over and over to provide a true shepherd that will bring them in and set things right.

In Ezekiel 34:10 God said,

I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will rescue my flock from their mouths… I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.

Ezekiel 34:10

Here now is Jesus and who is he? Their Shepherd. They don’t know that yet. They don’t see a Shepherd, they don’t even know they’re lost sheep.

But Jesus sees how lost they are and it moves him. Whenever Jesus was moved with compassion change is coming.

The compassion of Jesus isn’t just him passing by and wishing there was something he could do – He goes into action every single time.

I don’t know who Jesus is to you, but I pray that this is the Jesus you will see and know – the Jesus who searches for his sheep and looks after them.

Jesus is filled with compassion for you here today as much as if you’d been on the shore in the crowd that day. Maybe you find that hard to believe.

Too often we imagine how Jesus would feel toward us based on how we feel about ourselves

Maybe we imagine Jesus feels toward us the way other people have described us – but that’s not Jesus.

Jesus is full of compassion for you because he truly knows you and He loves you. He is longing for you as a shepherd longs to tend carefully to his sheep.

What does Jesus’ compassion move him to do? Think of all the possible things He could do. Think of yourself in that crowd and what you would be wanting.

Now look at what Mark says…verse 34b

So he began teaching them many things.

Mark 6:34b

Luke adds that the “many things” He taught included the kingdom of God. This is what a good shepherd does – teach.

They could be healed sure, and Matthew & John make note that He did heal.

But if they are healed and never learn about the kingdom of God what good is that?

You can go to hell in a healed body. What profit is that?

Jesus’ mission is to heal their souls and his teaching has the words of life.

At some point the disciples start assessing the situation – a big crowd growing bigger, Jesus still teaching, they’re still tired and hungry –

Their thoughts turn from what is happening to what they want to see happen and skip right over what could happen in the name of Jesus.

What happens when followers of Jesus prioritize our agenda over God’s?

We miss out on ministry. We miss out on watching God do something amazing when our own plans become the priority.

What happens next I’ll describe as the disciples having a Captain Obvious moment with the Creator of the Universe. First the facts…

This is a remote place,” they said,

and it’s already very late.

Both true. No new information here. But instead of asking Jesus what to do, they offer their own uninspired solution…

Send the people away…so they can buy themselves something to eat.”

Mark 6:35-36

That’s it. That’s their plan. We’re too far away, it’s too late in the day, send the people away and let them figure it out.

Considering that earlier in the day Jesus did leave the crowd behind, maybe they’re just nudging him to do that again.

And think about this – these are the same 12 disciples who just hours ago were in a boat recounting all the teaching, healing, and casting out of demons they had done in Jesus’ name. The very same who received supernatural authority and power from Jesus Christ to perform miracles.

Was there no room in their mind for a miracle now? Was there no space for them to consider what they could do in Jesus’ name in this remote area? Was there no compassion left for these people?

And of course, Jesus knew they were out in the boonies with daylight dwindling. But what we see as a problem Jesus sees as a possibility.

Don’t stop ministry. Don’t send the sheep away. Instead…

“You give them something to eat.”

Mark 6:37a

The Shepherd is asking the disciples to feed the sheep.

Can you imagine the disciples looking at each other in shock? Trying not to disrespect but seriously, Jesus.

They said to him,

Actually, Philip is the one who speaks up

“That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

Mark 6:37b

It’s hard to not hear the sarcasm in this comment. John’s gospel records that Philip adds, even if we could buy food there’s still so many people they’d each get only a small morsel.

Jesus ignores their sarcasm – answer not a fool to his folly – proverbs says, and the disciples are being foolish. Fatigue has a way of doing that to people as does a lack of faith and a failure of godly inspiration.

Instead, Jesus presses in.

“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out,

It was Peter’s brother Andrew who found a boy with some food.

 A good Jewish mom who sent her son out with a good Jewish sack lunch. They open it up and

they said, “Five [loaves]—and two fish.”

Mark 6:38

Jesus had only asked about loaves but we have a bonus. The bread would have been enough, but we have something from the land and the sea – a regular surf and turf meal here with loaves and fish

Jesus looks up from the food to his 12 and

…Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties

Mark 6:39-40

Mark uses the Greek word for groups “prah-see-ah” which means like rows of vegetables in a garden.

And did you catch Mark’s detail about the grass?

They’re not in the desert sitting in dirt. There’s grass and it’s green and that means it’s springtime in Israel, not only that but more specifically, John wrote that this happened when Passover was near.

So we know it was definitely Spring because Passover is always in springtime.

This explains why in such a relatively remote area there were 5000 men – God’s law required that men traveled to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Passover feast. Most traveled with their families. Josephus the Jewish historian recorded that two million people would come to Jerusalem during the Passover every spring.

The crowds this day were heading to Jerusalem to sacrifice their Passover lambs and they were seeing THE Passover Lamb in person – although they didn’t know that, no one did yet. But something is going to happen that will help them see.

Many of these 5000 men would have been with their wives and children. Some estimate this crowd was upwards of 20 thousand and here they are all sitting in groups like rows in a vegetable garden

Finally seated and quiet their eyes turn to Jesus and…

Taking 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 distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

Mark 6:41

The disciples had warned that they wouldn’t be able to feed so many, that they would run out of food even if they tried.

same disciples who just moments ago couldn’t imagine any outcome except for ministry to end and the people to leave are now literally experiencing creation happen in their hands.

This was a massive miracle. For the crowd, it was a day they’d never forget. But I believe this miracle was mostly for the disciples – the future shepherds who Jesus would again ask to feed his sheep.

Yes, the people, in general, benefitted from it – but all people benefit from the kindness of God don’t they? We call this the common grace of God.

God’s common grace extends to all. Even people who are indifferent to Jesus experience goodness in this world.  No one has to become a Christian to wonder at the beauty of a sunrise, delight in the smell of fresh rain,  or enjoy a delicious meal.

The world today – just like that crowd 2000 years ago enjoys the common grace of God. All can taste and see that the Lord is good and this crowd certainly did…

They ate bread from grain that never grew from the cursed ground

and fish that never swam in the sea. Jesus just took the barley crackers and the fish that little boy had offered and lifted it to heaven, blessed it, broke it, and handed it out

and the hands that formed all of the creation brought forth enough bread and fish so that…                                                                                                                   

they all ate and were satisfied,

Mark 6:42

Every man woman and child on that green grass was filled. No one there saying “No thank you, I don’t eat fish” or “not for me I’m gluten-free” no – all ate. All were satisfied. In fact, the word here is chortazó meaning “fattened” or “stuffed.” Like thanksgiving day elastic waist tryptophan naptime stuffed.

Don’t you think that the same Jesus who created the universe with such precision that our world is the perfect distance from the sun and the precise tilt as it rotates – don’t you think He could have created the precise amount of bread and fish so that each person would be precisely filled with not a crumb to spare? Of course, but He made enough that

the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

Mark 6:43

not 3 or 7 baskets but exactly 12 big baskets. Each disciple who began the day empty-handed came away from that meal with their own personal of 1st-century doggie bags.

What they experienced Jesus doing would have triggered a memory. Just like you can have a “where have I seen this before” moment, the men and women and children in that desolate place would have thought of another time a multitude was fed miraculously in a desolate place by a great prophet.

This was not an accident. Jesus was living out truth in front of them showing them who he was.

Turn in your Bibles back 4000 years to Deuteronomy chapter 18.

God has delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. They are being led through a desolate land headed toward a land of promise and Moses prophesies

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

Deuteronomy 18:15

And as the crowds enjoy the best bread and fish sandwiches of their lives the lights start going on…

“Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

John 6:14

THE Prophet – this means they were making the connection with the prophecy Moses had given about a prophet God would raise up, right?

Wouldn’t this then be a great moment for Jesus to rise up in front of them all – Yes! That’s me!

Why not embrace that moment and affirm what they are saying right now?

But, just like Jesus knew when it was time to stay and feed the people he knew when it was time to go away.

It’s always about being on God’s timeline and His mission

What were the first words of Jesus recorded in the Bible?

“Why do you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business.”

And here He is continuing to do exactly that.

Jesus knew the crowd would try to take him by force and make him their king today. Herod was a brutal and murderous king. They wanted to overthrow him and make this man who could heal and make food Jesus the king of a social welfare state – with free meals and no need for health care who wouldn’t. Let’s make him king!

And one day every knee will bow and Jesus will be the king of all Kings but not this day, and not by the force of a crowd.

Instead, Jesus sends his disciples off in their boat while He slips away to the hills for some solitary time.

As the night falls, the wind kicks up, and the disciples struggle to row back across the lake…

What happens next is an account I’m sure you all know about

Jesus sees them in the dark, straining against the wind so he walks on the water across the lake, tells them not to be afraid, steps back into the boat, and the wind immediately dies down.

The disciples are in that same boat that we began with –

And with all the miracles behind them on this amazing day, Mark has one point to make – look down to Mark 6:52

They were completely amazed for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Mark 6:52

Their hearts were hardened? The disciples who had returned from teaching, healing, and casting out demons in Jesus’ name had hard hearts?

Sure they did. Anyone doing the Lord’s work could have a hardened heart if ministry misses the point.

The disciples have missed the point. It wasn’t about the

• 1 boy and how we should all be generous like him – or
• 5 loaves and 2 fish and how Jesus will use what little we have and multiply it – or
• 12 disciples and how we can share what God provides and still have more to give

It’s not that those points aren’t true. We should be generous, we can trust Jesus with what little we offer, God will provide and multiply and we’ll always have more to give in Jesus’ name.

But that’s not THE point.                                                                                                                                           

Yet, don’t we all just want to know that in spite of what we are dealing with, in spite of the little we feel we have to offer, how inadequate we feel – it’s inspiring to know that God can use us. – but like the disciples laying out their points to Jesus about the big crowd and small resources – also all true – they were missing the actual point.

What is the key to unlocking true joy and fulfillment? It’s the most important question you can ask while you’re reading the Bible and it will always help bring you to the point…

What does this tell me about who Jesus is?

That’s the point.

We must not remain like the disciples in the boat – amazed but missing the point of the loaves.

They would get it eventually.

I hope you get it today.

What will happen to cause the disciples to get it? It will happen when they see the resurrected Jesus.

They’ll remember his body broken like bread at Passover for them. His blood like the Passover lamb washing away their sins.

We remember that moment today in communion. And as you take the bread and drink the cup remember Him today.

And as you take the bread and drink the cup, ask God to answer “what does this tell me about who Jesus is?”

That’s the point.

Please stand and pray together with me,

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil, For Thine is the kingdom And the power, and the glory, forever and ever, Amen

I always enjoy your comments. Thank you for sharing this message and engaging here. Blessings.