Introduction
I once heard about a group of
scientists who used MRI to study belief. They took 30 subjects, 15 committed
Christians and 15 non-believers, in order to measure signal changes in the
brain as they evaluated the truth and falsity of religious and nonreligious
propositions. One thing they discovered was that when belief was involved,
certain areas of the brain were more active than others. In the paper which
reported this research, they made this very interesting statement: “There is,
of course, a distinction to be made between mere profession of such
beliefs and actual belief -a distinction that, while important, only
makes sense in a world in which some people actually believe what they say they
believe.” That made me think, "Do we actually believe what we say we
believe?"
When we talk about being followers
of Jesus, this is a very important distinction. Do we merely profess to be
followers of Jesus, or do we actually follow Him? Whether or not we follow Him
is revealed most clearly in times when Jesus seems absent. There are times in
our life when the evidence of God’s presence is so real that we have no
difficulty trusting Him and following Him. For example, faith is easy when we
are at camp or on a mission trip or when we see powerful manifestations of His
presence. But do we still trust Him and follow Him when the doctor’s report is
cancer or when we lose our job or when a loved one dies? Mark 6:35-56 encourages us to
follow Jesus when we see evidence of His presence and challenges us to continue
to follow Him when we don't.
This
section of Scripture moves a lot. Jesus and His disciples are constantly on the
go and there is a lot of action. As in much other Biblical literature, the
passage is structured so that the main point is in the middle. The first story
is the great story of the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. The final story
is a great story of Jesus healing people. In between, we have what looks at
first glance like another miracle story, but contains some disturbing elements
which invite us to look deeper.
I. The Power and Compassion of Jesus
Before we get to that central
section, let us be encouraged by the power and compassion of Jesus who did
miraculous works. We are impressed and blessed by the truth of the stories
found here.
A. Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
Jesus had sent the disciples out to
preach and when they came back, we notice that they were called apostles.
Disciple means learner. Apostle means sent one. This is the only place in Mark
where they were called apostles. They had been sent and now they returned and
reported all that had happened. I like the image which is suggested by the
phrase, they “gathered around Jesus.” It suggests a great time of
encouragement, friendship and bonding.
The time of reporting seems to have
been rather brief because the crowds which surrounded Jesus didn’t stop coming.
In fact, Jesus was so busy ministering that they didn’t even have time to eat.
Jesus knew that the disciples were tired from their “mission trip” and so suggested
in Mark 6:31 “Come
away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”
So that is what they did. They got
into a boat and were going to go to a place where they could be alone for a
little while. But things did not turn out the way they planned. The crowds saw
where they were going and ran around the lake and got to the solitary place
before they did, so that when they got out of the boat, they were immediately
surrounded by people again.
It is very
likely that they saw the people coming as they rowed their boat, but Jesus
didn’t tell the disciples to steer in another direction. Instead, we read that
Jesus “had compassion for them.” This is Jesus. He is one who sees people in
need and has compassion on them. We also read in Mark 6:34 that Jesus knew that
“they were like sheep without a shepherd” which reminds us of the tremendous
love that Jesus has for those in need. He deeply cares for them. Even though He
and the disciples were hungry and tired, His compassion moved Him to minister
to the people.
So all day
they ministered to the crowd and it got to be late in the day. It seems that
the disciples also had compassion for the people, but eventually, perhaps
driven by their own hunger, they suggested that it was time to eat. The problem
was that it was getting late and they were in a remote place. It seemed appropriate
to send the people away early enough so that they could find some food before
night came. That was their suggestion, but Jesus had another one. He suggested
that the disciples should feed them. The disciples couldn’t put such a plan together
in their heads. The difficulty of finding enough food in the remote area, but
even more the amount of money required to do this overwhelmed their notion of
what was possible. So Jesus offered a further suggestion. They should find out
what resources they did have. Perhaps there would be enough to feed them all.
But when they did the research, they found that there would not even have been
enough for the disciples and Jesus, never mind the whole crowd.
Jesus,
however, had a plan. He instructed them to get organized. The people gathered
in groups of 50 and 100. The mention of green grass in verse 39 may suggest Psalm 23:2 in which God leads
His people to green pastures.
A Sunday
School class once did a skit of this miracle. They actually had bread there and
began to distribute it. And guess what? The bread did not multiply. But when
Jesus distributed it, the bread did multiply. I have often wondered what that
would have been like. As the disciples distributed the bread, did they actually
see another piece appear in their basket or did the pieces grow as they were
shared? When they were done, there was more left over than when they started
and everyone had been well fed. I know that when the food committee plans for a
meal, their worst nightmare is to run out of food. They don’t mind having
leftovers, in fact, they plan for leftovers so that they don't run out. When
Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fishes, he started with too little and
ended up with an abundance of leftovers.
The wonder
of this story is to show us both the compassion and the power of Jesus. We see
that Jesus has so much compassion that even though he and his followers were
tired and hungry, He still ministered to the people. We learn that Jesus cares
enough about hungry people to provide a meal for them. We also learn that Jesus
is able to meet the needs of the people. He has the power to multiply bread and
fish so that no follower of His need ever go hungry. Wow!!
B. Jesus Heals Multitudes
At the end of this section when
Jesus and the disciples left this remote place, they crossed over the lake
again and landed at Gennesaret. In Mark 6:53-56 , we read that “When they got out of the
boat, people at once recognized him…” and so the ministry of Jesus continued. In
these stories we see once again the compassionate willingness with which he put
himself at the disposal of the people.
The geographical extent of the work
was amazing. In this section we hear such phrases as, “whole region” and “wherever
he went” and “villages or cities or farms.”
The pace of ministry was
relentless. Wherever Jesus went, people came running to him. Their expectation
was the same expectation and hope that we have. They wanted to be healed. They
brought all who had any illness to Jesus and they hoped that he would heal
them. Their faith in the healing power of Jesus was very great. It was their
expectation that if they could “touch even the fringe of his cloak” they would
experience healing. This reminds us of the woman in Mark 5:27 who “touched his
cloak” and was healed.
The amazing thing is that “all who
touched it were healed.” There was no magic incantation spoken. They did not
have to have enough of the right kind of faith. They simply had to touch the
edge of his cloak and they were healed.
Although the intention of these
miracles is to demonstrate with clarity and power that the kingdom of God
The message of this story is to
assure us that the kingdom
of God
The message of Easter invites us to
resurrection living and this hope in Jesus is certainly a part of resurrection
living. Since the resurrection, we have even more assurance that Jesus has the
power and the compassion to help us in whatever need we have. This is the
message of these stories. It is cause for hope! It is cause for rejoicing! It
is cause for encouragement!
II. When Jesus Seems Absent
But what about the story in the
middle? It too contains a miracle. We read that when Jesus climbed into the
boat, “the wind ceased.” Is that what we are to learn from this story? Is it
simply another miracle story to assure us of the power and compassion of Jesus?
Yet there are some disturbing ideas in this passage. We read that “He intended
to pass by them.” We read that “they did not understand about the loaves” and
“their hearts were hardened.” What do these things add to the story? What are
we to learn from them?
This story certainly does teach us
that Jesus helps, but there is something more in this story, something that
brings us deeper into discipleship. We would all like to live on a field of
green grass with Jesus feeding us fish sandwiches. We would all like to be able
to bring any sick person to him so that they could touch him and be healed. But
that doesn’t always happen. Sure we have eaten fish sandwiches and we have seen
healing, but not always. What happens to faith when Jesus doesn’t seem to show
up? What happens to following when Jesus seems absent? This story helps us
think about that.
After the
crowd had witnessed the miracle of the feeding, Jesus immediately sent his
disciples into a boat and urged them to head across the lake while He remained
on shore and dismissed the people. They had been well fed spiritually and
physically and it was time to go home. Then He went up into the hills to pray.
All of this
happened in the late afternoon. Mark
6:47 gives us the scene of what happened in the evening. The
disciples were in the middle of the lake. They were straining at the oars
because they were rowing against the wind. As we read this, we must remember
what has all happened. The disciples returned from their “mission trip.” They
came back to find that Jesus was so busy that they didn’t even have time to
eat. Jesus suggested that it was time for a break, but the break never
happened. They got to the other side and were immediately inundated with needy
people. All day they worked together ministering to the crowds, teaching,
helping. Finally, they suggested to Jesus that it was time to eat. Is it
possible that up to this point they still had not eaten? When Jesus provided
the meal, they finally got a chance to eat, but how leisurely was that meal?
They distributed the food and then they gathered the baskets of leftovers. Did
they even get to eat? As soon as the meal was over, they were sent out on the
boat. They came tired, they worked all day and now they were rowing.
Where was
Jesus as they were fighting with the wind and the waves? He was on shore
praying. The story gets somewhat disturbing when we read in Mark 6:48 , “he saw that they
were straining at the oars.” Jesus knew that they were having a hard time and
he left them in that difficult situation. The story gets even more disturbing
when we realize that He left them in that situation for a long time. We read in
verse 47 that in the evening they were already in the middle of the lake and
had been rowing for a while. Evening would be somewhere between 6 and 9
o’clock. Then we read in verse 48 that He didn't do anything about it until
"early in the morning, likely somewhere between 3 & 6 in the morning!"
The text tells us that for somewhere around 6 to 12 hours Jesus watched as the
disciples, already exhausted, struggled at the oars. What do we make of that?
Finally, early
in the morning, Jesus walked towards them on the water. It is amazing that He
waited so long, but we are really puzzled when we read that it was not the
intention of Jesus to go and help them. It was his intention to walk on by as
we read in verse 48. It was only because they thought He was a ghost and were
completely terrified that he stopped, got into the boat and calmed them down by
saying that wonderful phrase in verse 50, “Take heart! It is I.
Do not be afraid” and also by calming the wind and the waves.
In this
whole story it looks like Jesus was absent. We can identify with that impression.
There are times when we wonder where Jesus is, but is that what was really
going on? It looks like Jesus didn’t care that for at least 6 hours the
disciples were struggling at the oars. But is that the case? In reality, something
deeper was happening. Was Jesus absent? No! He was watching them the whole time
as it says in verse 48, “He saw that they were straining.” This suggests
that the compassion of Jesus which we see so evidently in the other stories, is
still present, even though He is not.
When it
says that Jesus “intended to pass them by” I also do not believe that we are
meant to think that he was carelessly ignoring them. The phrase “pass by”
reminds us of another time when this phrase was used in the Bible. It happened
to Moses in Exodus 33 .
Moses was to lead the people of God, but knew that without God he could not do
it. He asked to see the glory of God. Wouldn’t we like to see the glory of God?
But God did not show Moses His glory. Instead, we read that He passed by. What
did that mean? We read Exodus 33
earlier, When Moses asked, “Show me your glory, I pray.” God said, “you cannot
see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” God further told Moses, “See,
there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22 and
while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I
will cover you with my hand until I have passed by..” When God passed by,
the intended message to Moses was, “Although you cannot see my glory, I am
still with you and I will be with you and I will show compassion to you.” When
Jesus intended to pass by, it is very likely that a similar thing was
happening. He was not ignoring the disciples. He was not there to bail them out
of every difficult situation, but He was by no means absent. Geddert writes,
“When God ‘passes by,’ it is not a sign of unconcern or noninvolvement; it is a
sign of caring presence.”
When Jesus
said to them, “Take heart! It is I. Do not be
afraid” we see another aspect of His presence. The phrase “It is I” in Greek is
most directly translated "I am" and therefore has a double meaning.
It means, “It’s me, Jesus” but it also means “I am.” “I am” is one of the ways
of speaking of God. God’s name “the Lord” is, in Hebrew “Yahweh” which sounds
exactly like the word “I am” in Hebrew. This phrase told the Jewish people that
God was present with them. In a similar way, Jesus was saying to them, "I
have not abandoned you. I Am, God, the Lord. I am with you at all times, you do
not need to be afraid."
Another
interesting piece is that although Jesus intended to pass by, when the
disciples thought He was a ghost, and were so terrified that they couldn’t even
think, Jesus stepped in and helped them. That tells us that even though there
are times when Jesus will allow us to struggle, sometimes for our good,
sometimes for reasons that we do not fully understand; when we get to the edge
and we can’t handle it any more, He steps in to help. Geddert says, “Although
Jesus has the power to do mighty deeds, he does not always exercise it in order
to lighten the load for his followers.” “Jesus knows that his disciples need
this assurance more than they need another storm-stilling miracle.”
As Jesus
revealed His presence in these enigmatic ways, what was going on for the
disciples? In Mark 6 :52Mark
4:35-41 . Geddert says, “The disciples are not amazed that Jesus
can do mighty deeds; instead, they are amazed that he would wait so long before
coming, and then would intend to walk right past.” What they hadn’t understood
and what we don’t always understand is that the same compassionate and powerful
Jesus who heals sick people and calms storms is still there when we can’t see
Him. What they didn’t understand was that when Jesus allowed them to struggle
for long hours it did not mean that He had forgotten them. What they didn’t get
was that it wasn’t only the presence of Jesus physically which demonstrated His
help and care. What they didn’t know was that even though He seemed absent, He
was not. They heard “it is I” but they did not hear “I am.”
So their
hearts were hardened and they functioned in unbelief. How like us! We want to
see the miracle of feeding and healing and storm calming. Will we only believe
when we see the glory? Sometimes Jesus allows us to go through the difficult
times and allows us to row against the wind for a long time. What we need to
learn from this story is that Jesus is no less present and no less
compassionate and no less powerful when He seems absent than He is when we see
the glory.
Conclusion
Geddert summarizes this passage in Mark 6 , “Those who truly follow
Jesus know a theology of glory – five thousand fed with a few loaves, Jesus
walking on the water, Jesus healing the multitudes. They also know a theology
of the cross – a hard and tiring mission, the promise of rest that gets
thwarted, a struggle on the stormy sea.” “They know that neither theology is
correct unless it is connected to the other. That is the part that the
disciples are having difficulty grasping. That seems to be the primary message
of this fascinating but challenging section of Mark’s Gospel.”
In Psalm 23 , we learn the same lesson. The God who shepherds
us in green pastures and leads us beside quiet waters is still our shepherd
when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Are the good things that are there
in the light also there in the dark? That is the question we have been
discussing. The disciples liked what they saw in the light, but they had not
yet understood that Jesus was also there in the dark. Living in the
resurrection, living as a disciple means trusting and following Jesus even when
He seems absent.
We were serving at camp when our
oldest son was about 5 years old. We were staying in a cabin in which it was
very dark at night. Our son was sleeping in the bedroom next to ours and after
we had gone to bed, all of a sudden we heard a little voice singing a song we
had learned at camp. We heard him singing, "God is always near me, in the
darkest night, He can see me just as well, as by the morning light." How
true!
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