Meditation on “Mark 6:30–34,
53–56”
July 19, 2015
‘The apostles gathered around Jesus,
and told him all that they had done and taught. 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. And they went away
in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and
recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived
ahead of them. 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….When they had crossed over, they came to land
at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people
at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to
bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he
went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces,
and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who
touched it were healed.’
***
Tomorrow, we will be hosting for the second year in a row the
Camp-in-a-Van program at our church. I am excited for our congregation, that we
have been blessed with the means and the desire to host this program of
Clearwater Forest Presbyterian Camp. I give thanks to God for the opportunity
we have set before us to reach out to the children of our community with the
gospel of Jesus Christ in such a creative, energetic, and engaging way.
The program sends well-trained, college-age camp counselors to lead our
children to Jesus through games, motion songs and prayers, Scripture and skits,
friendship and stories, crafts and snacks. Last year, the program at Ebenezer
inspired children and adult volunteers alike. During those 4 or 5 days, we
experienced such joy—until it came time to say goodbye to our three counselors.
Then we felt as if we were bidding farewell to members of our family. Tears of
gratitude sprang to our eyes.
But there was one problem with last year’s
program. Only a few children attended. And few children from other area
churches came, though we invited all the congregations in the ministerium. We
are worried that this could happen again this year. So few children have been
registered so far! Will another opportunity to nurture the children of our
community in the faith just slip by us…again?
Will we be left wondering “why?” as we were last year? Will we be asking
ourselves, “What went wrong?”
***
In today’s gospel reading in Mark, the apostles return from their
teaching and healing mission, and they can’t wait to tell Jesus all they had
done. For they have done just what the Lord had taught them—and commanded them
to do. Earlier in this chapter, the people in his hometown synagogue who had
known Jesus since he was a boy do not believe in him. Their lack of faith
prevent Jesus from doing any “deeds of power,” except laying hands on “a few
sick people” and curing them. He leaves his town “amazed at their unbelief.”
Afterward, his disciples follow him as he goes from village to village,
teaching in the synagogues. But then it is their turn. Jesus “calls the 12” –commissions
them for ministry—and sends them out “two by two,” so they might help one
another and work together. He gives them
his authority over “unclean spirits” and teaches them to call people to
repentance, cast out demons, anoint people with oil and heal them of disease.
We know that the disciples do as Jesus commands because Mark tells us in 6:12
and 13, in his brief and to the point style, “So they went out and proclaimed
that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many
who were sick and cured them.”
Now they are back with Jesus, and we have a different image of our Lord
taking shape; beginning in verse 31, he is not just “teacher,” “preacher,” or
“healer” but loving “shepherd” for the world. His gentle response to hearing the
good things that the disciples have done is, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and
rest awhile.” But he doesn’t mean, “all
by yourselves;” he really means “come away from the world to be with me.” The disciples are tired and hungry,
as verse 31 finishes, “For many were coming and going”—meaning many people were
coming to them and receiving help—and “they (the disciples) had no leisure even
to eat.” Mark repeats the phrase, “deserted place,” in verse 32, emphasizing
the disciples’ need to be away where no one else lives—out in the wilderness--to
spend time with the Lord so that they may be refreshed, renewed, and equipped
to minister again.
But when they try to get away from the world and be alone with Christ to
be nourished and experience God’s rest, what happens? The world--and all its
cares--finds them and presses in, begging for help and healing. The word
translated “beg” in verse 56, parakaleo,
is a gut-wrenching cry, the same one the leper who interrupts Jesus’ ministry
uses in Mark 1:40; the same the man possessed by demons uses in 5:10, and the
same word Jairus, the synagogue leader, uses when begs Jesus to heal his
daughter, for she is at the point of death. And Jesus feels “compassion” for
them in 6:34, though the word “compassion” is perhaps too weak to convey the
depth of Jesus’ feeling for the people in need. The Greek word refers to a “churning of the gut.” Jesus feels sick inside because the crowd
are “like sheep without a shepherd.” The phrase, “like sheep without a
shepherd,” echoes Moses’ cry in the desolation of the wilderness in Numbers
27:17, when he yearns for help, a successor to lead the Israelites.
What happens immediately after the Lord is moved to compassion is,
unfortunately, left out of our lectionary passage, which jumps from verse 34 to
verse 53. We will discuss this in detail on another day, but just know that we
are missing a significant piece of the story, including two miracles-- the
feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water after he goes up on a mountain
by himself to pray. The emphasis in both of these miracles is on the disciples lack of faith, while the people in
need—the crowds who have only heard about Jesus and the things he has done but
don’t actually know him—are the ones with a strong
faith. The marginalized, outcast, poor, sick, demon-possessed, lame and
blind are the ones with hearts and minds open to see the power of Jesus and believe! They pursue Jesus for miles and
days. Their faith in Christ’s healing power is so great that they beg to touch
just the fringe of his cloak. And all who touch it are healed!
***
Our gospel reading this week, brothers and
sisters, speaks to us of the importance of faith--and underscores the appalling
lack of faith of Christ’s own disciples, despite all the miracles they had seen
and all Jesus had taught them to do. They lacked faith, despite their
successful mission, when Jesus sent them out two by two, calling people to
repentance, casting out demons, anointing people with oil and healing them of
their disease. The disciples also lacked compassion--the “churning of the gut”
feeling that Jesus felt when the crowd follow him and beg to be healed. And although
he and the disciples are tired and hungry and seeking out a deserted place to
be refreshed and nourished for continued ministry, Jesus reveals the love and
mercy of God for our broken world when he stops and cares for the people,
seeing “they are like sheep without a shepherd.”
Our reading today also reveals Jesus the shepherd inviting his beloved
followers to come away with him to a deserted place--away from the world and its
cares pressing in. We can conclude from this that time alone with the Lord and
one another--a holy Sabbath--is necessary for the physical, emotional, and
spiritual demands of ministry. Seeking to meet the needs of others can be
draining. Ministry is physically and emotionally tiring. And when we are tired
and overwhelmed, we lack compassion, and we lack faith. We have to go back to
our source--Jesus Christ--and be refreshed and renewed for ministry, once
again.
Like the disciples, we often lack faith in God’s provision and power,
even as we plan outreach activities such as Camp in a Van, wondering if anyone
will come--and doubting the power and presence of the Holy Spirit among us and
Christ’s desire for all children to come to him. When we have been away from
church for a while and away from the Word of God and worship with our brothers
and sisters in the faith, we may also lack compassion for people in need. We
can “forget” about the needs of the poor--and that Christ calls us to meet
those needs. Our lives become less about serving Christ and more about
concerning ourselves only with the needs and desires of our own families.
Friends, if we care about the children, as we say we do, and we want to
be followers of Christ and reach out with the gospel of hope to our community, then
we should not forsake gathering for worship with our brothers and sisters on
the Sabbath. For it is our worship, our time alone with God and one
another--that builds up our faith and compassion and equips us for fruitful
ministry to the children and families of this community. And then, when the
Word and Spirit have equipped us for ministry, we can’t just worry that
programs such as Camp in a Van won’t be well attended. We all have to do our
part in reaching out to individuals and families, seeking to share the love and
grace of Jesus Christ, so that hearts and lives may be touched and healed. We
must repent from our lack of hope and faith in the power of Christ, like the
disciples, and turn back to God in prayer. We need to pray for the families of
the community who aren’t committed to following Christ and seeking out worship
with Him. And we need to pray that God would refresh, renew and equip us for
ministry and stir us to want to minister, not just to one another, but to the community
and world.
Friends, let us seek the Lord together for wisdom to know how to move
forward, especially with children’s ministry. Let us ask the Lord to change our
hearts so that we would be compelled to act and so that we would have
compassion for strangers in need. May we would be moved to see them as Jesus
saw the crowds, as sheep without a shepherd, but with great hope and faith,
begging to touch even the fringe of his cloak so that they might be healed.
Jesus is inviting us right now to come away with him to a deserted
place, to draw nearer to God’s heart and be strengthened by faith.
Let us pray.
Father God, Good Shepherd, we thank you
for your invitation to come away with you to a deserted place, away from the
cares and distractions of the world that weigh us down. Nourish us with Your
Word and Spirit. Help us to honor the Sabbath and take time for rest and prayer
and meditating on Scripture every day. Thank you for your love for us and
urging us to repent and return to you for help, hope and healing. Forgive us,
Lord, for our lack of faith and compassion for the community. Stir us to care
enough to invite people to our outreach activities, such as Camp in a Van, and
even offer to give rides and stay and help. Move us to volunteer as Sunday
school teachers and assistants, though we may never have taught or assisted
before. Empower us to make new friends and build up existing relationships so
that more hearts and lives may be touched and healed in Jesus’ name. And we
pray you would bless the counselors, volunteers, students and families who
participate in the Camp in a Van program. Thank you, Lord, for giving us this
opportunity to change the world by reaching out to children with your love. May
we all be changed by your Spirit--refreshed, renewed, and equipped to do your
will. Draw us all nearer to your heart. In Christ we pray. Amen.
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