Mark 6:30-44 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Mark 6:30-44. Let’s go!
Mark 6:30-32 (NIV)
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
On verses 30-32: Jesus did not simply use his disciples; he also cared for their well being. That’s why here we see Jesus leading his disciples not only in serving others but also in resting themselves. Jesus sets an example for his team on how to rest and plans for a way that his team can rest together. Like Jesus, work hard, rest well, and teach others in your care to do the same.
Mark 6:33-34 (NIV)
33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
On verses 33-34: Jesus had planned to rest with his disciples by going to the other side of a lake by themselves. But a crowd runs to the other side of the lake just to find them. Full of compassion for the crowd, Jesus does not shoo them away. Realizing how far these people had come just to see him, Jesus changes plans and decides to teach and serve them.
What can we learn from this? Jesus’ heart is full of compassion. Also, Jesus was not so set on his pre-made plans that he could not veer from them when special situations called for it. Does this mean that Christian leaders should always allow for anyone and everyone to interrupt their schedule? Not at all. In other places in the Gospels, Jesus would not let his plans be set aside or distracted by other people’s agendas. He would not entrust himself completely to people. In this case, under these special circumstances, Jesus thought the best thing to do was to set aside his original plans to serve this crowd that had come all this way to see him.
Mark 6:35-37 (NIV)
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late.
36 Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”…
On verses 35-37: The crowd and the disciples probably expected Jesus to teach and maybe heal some people. But no one expected Jesus to serve this huge crowd a meal. And yet that is what Jesus invites his disciples to do.
What can we learn from this? Sometimes Jesus will stretch us and challenge us beyond our comfort zone, not to be cruel to us, but to grow us, to stretch our faith, and to let us experience God’s power in a way we haven’t before. If you don’t get out of your comfort zone, you will never grow.
Also, like Jesus, don’t get stuck in the rut of doing the same thing all the time, but be creative and innovative in the way you serve people. Be willing to try new things.
Mark 6:37b-41 (NIV)
37 …They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five–and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41 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 set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
On verses 37-41: As part of serving this large crowd, notice what Jesus did:
- Jesus sought to meet the needs of the people;
- Jesus didn’t do it all on his own but involved his team of disciples in the process (v37, 41);
- Jesus didn’t complain about what he didn’t have but focused on what he did have (v38);
- Jesus was not easily discouraged by his doubters (v37-38);
- Jesus carefully organized (v39-40);
- Jesus thanked God for what he had and put it to work (v41);
Mark 6:42-44 (NIV)
42 They all ate and were satisfied,
43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
On verses 42-44: If there were 5,000 men in the crowd, then add the women and children and you could have had a crowd of over 10,000 people. And yet Jesus fed them all until everyone was satisfied. The breaking of this bread to feed the crowd is not only an amazing miracle; it’s also a picture pointing forward to the day when Jesus would let his own body be broken on a cross so that all of us could eat of it, be satisfied and live.
Also, the disciples that day learned an important lesson: when you give what you have to God, He can multiply it and use it in ways you never dreamed. Also, the 12 basketfuls of leftovers are a reminder that when you give what you have to God, God will make sure that your needs are provided for as well. In some cases, as in this case, you’ll even have leftovers.
Let’s not give to God our leftovers but give Him our best, trusting that He’ll provide for our needs and still have leftovers to spare.
Jesus, thank You that Your miracle of feeding the 5,000+ crowd still feeds us today. Thank You for all the powerful lessons we get to learn from Your Word and Your life. You are the bread of life! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
