Step 18

Mark 6:30-44 The Lord is my Shepherd

About Mark: Mark's attention to detail is seen in his careful record of the numbers involved in the story; the initial quantity of bread and fish, their estimated cost for feeding the crowd, the number of baskets of left-overs, and the grouping of the crowd which permitted a total estimate of 5000. This deliberate factuality buttresses Mark's intention of portraying Jesus as a figure both within the human realm where the facts are important, and beyond the human realm where the stubbornness of the facts open the way to wonder.

This is the only miracle of Jesus which appears in all four Gospels, indicating its importance to understanding who Jesus is.

Bible: Mark 6:30-44, Feeding the Five Thousand

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves 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 deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35 When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36 send them

away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." 37 But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "Are we to 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 have you? Go and see." When they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." 39 Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And all ate and were filled; 43 and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces.

Comment: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
IN SEVERAL WAYS this story echoes Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd ......" Mark portrays Jesus as a shepherd. Jesus had compassion on the great crowd "for they were like sheep without a shepherd". Whereupon he assumes the shepherd's role and "began to teach them many things" (34).

Then as it grows late, again like the shepherd, Jesus "prepares a table for them" (Ps.23:5). Mark especially notes the "green grass" (39) upon which the crowd is instructed to recline, perhaps wishing again to remind his readers of the psalm: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not (be in) want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures" (Ps.23:1-2).

All of this has overtaken the apostles who had returned from an apparently arduous period of service. The intention of Jesus is plainly to "lead them beside still waters" to restore their souls (Ps.23:2-3). "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while," he said, for "they had no leisure even to eat" (Mk.6:31). Evidently, not only the crowd, but the disciples
also needed food; a point Mark keenly notes.

Involved in feeding others
Mark uses here the fourfold formula that appears in the Lord's Supper. Jesus takes the bread, he gives thanks for it, he breaks it, and he gives it out. And all are fed. The twelve baskets of left-overs testify that he provided for them with the overflowing abundance that the psalm describes (23:5).

The apostles have a basketful each.

In all of this, the apostles are made to feel deeply involved. They bring the need to Jesus' attention, and are told to first consider the resources that are at hand. They detect the miracle, and carry the provisions to the people. And each gets a basket for their own needs afterwards. By first assisting with Jesus' provision for the needs of others, their own needs are met.

Discipleship today: Those who participated in this event were in two categories, the crowd and the disciples. It is the same today. The disciples were among those who knew the facts, wondered about them, and participated in the miracle. The crowd all participated, but may not fully have known the facts, nor realised what they were part of. You may be one of the crowd who daily receive God's blessings of life, provision of food, protection, and measure of happiness. But a disciple recognises and acknowledges the true source, and participates in carrying those blessings to others. You alone can determine where you stand.