Welcome, I hope your summer is enjoyable. Our text for Sunday continues on in the book of Mark from last Sunday. John the Baptist has been killed by Herod during a drunken birthday party.
V30 This verse links back to verse 13 where the disciples were sent out in groups of two. They now return to Jesus and start to report all that has happened on their trips.
V31 Jesus invites them to go with him to a deserted place where they can rest for a while as they have been traveling. Some had not even had time to eat as they were so busy.
V32 They travel by boat to a deserted place, maybe the secluded northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. I think they would have been looking forward to this break from people. They would get to spend time alone with Jesus in a quiet place with a beautiful view.
V33 However that rest was not to be. The people recognized them and followed by land. This meant some rough traveling for the people on foot as the land was rugged but their desire to get there overwhelmed them. The hopes of Jesus and the disciples were interrupted. Do you think their hearts sank at the sight of all the people already there as would ours? The relaxation they longed for was gone.
V34 As Jesus went ashore he saw the great crowds and he had compassion for them.
The statement “they were like sheep without a shepherd” refers back to the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 22:17 the statement is used by a prophet to describe the people of Israel as being scattered without a king. The prophet Jeremiah (23:1-4 and 50:6-7) speaks of a time when the scattered sheep (Israel) shall be gathered from the bad shepherds (current leaders) who have scattered them and God will become their shepherd. The prophet Ezekiel (Ez. 34:23-31) spoke of a time when the Lord would send a new shepherd, like David the shepherd King of old, to care for the flock. Do you see the connection? David had started out as a shepherd and was then called by God, thru Samuel, to be king after Saul. In ancient Near Eastern thought the god chose the earthly king to carry out the gods wishes. All shepherd imagery in the Old Testament and New refers to a king. If you replace the word shepherd with the word king, in the text, you will get the full understanding. (Try reading the 23rd Psalm this way.) The eventual meaning is that the people will not have an earthly king but rather God will be their king as was the original plan at Mount Sinai. In this verse Jesus has compassion as the people have no guidance, no leadership. The leaders have turned the religion into one of exclusion (for all those deemed not worthy) instead of a religion of inclusion (which was Gods’ original plan – they shall become a nation of priests to draw the people to me. Exodus 19:6. Priests intercede between God and people, and people and God to draw the people to God.) Jesus understands this dilemma for the people and he, as the Son of God, is bringing in the reign of God – the Kingdom of God. The people are hungry for a compassionate king, the kind of king only God can be. I urge you to read the Old Testament passages to get the full understanding of the word shepherd.
Jesus then feeds these people (the feeding of the 5000) verses 35-44 and dismisses them.
He sends his disciples ahead in the boat to Bethsaida while he prays alone. A storm comes up and the disciples are afraid. Jesus comes to them on the water.
V53 The disciples end up at Gennesaret instead of Bethsaida due to the storm. Gennesaret is where the Gentiles live.
V54-55 The crowds begin to recognize Jesus and bring the sick and lame to him for healing.
V56 Where ever he travels, in that area, people beg to be healed, even allowed to touch the tassels of his cloak. The tassels were the four fringes on the outer cloak required by Numbers 15:38 and Deuteronomy 22:12. How did these Gentile people know who he was? They didn’t really but they knew this man could heal. Turn back to chapter 5 where Jesus casts out a Legion of demons from a man living in the tombs. This occurred in the same Gentile area. In verse 5:19 Jesus tells the man he cannot come with him but rather go back to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for him. Guess what, this man did just that. He has spread the word of what Jesus had done for him and many people were amazed and now see their own opportunity to come to Jesus and be healed. Do they understand the full impact of what he is doing? No, but they see a chance to be healed of their illnesses and infirmities so they go to him and he has compassion on them as they too are like sheep without a shepherd. They too will be included in the reign of God and God will be their King.
It’s interesting to note that so many people of different backgrounds flocked to Jesus and he healed them all. He included everyone in his work. In fact the outcasts that he includes begin to understand some of who he is while the insiders miss it totally. So if this is true that he included everyone no matter what, why is the church so exclusive? Why does the church exclude people who don’t subscribe to their ideals, who don’t live the lives they think people should or don’t behave the way a “Christian” should? Shouldn’t the church (us) be inclusive to all? How can we heal (by loving them) the people who need it?
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Makes me kind of cynical of the church sometimes, especially ones who turn people away from communion!
ReplyDeleteI am becoming cynical too the more I see the exclusions by christians. I had a christian lady scold me today for "trespassing" (I wasn't)on her church camp beach. I started wondering why instead didn't she come over and engage me in conversation about her church that she thought I was infringing on. Instead it was a scowl and a terse statement to get off. Think of the difference she could have made if she had been welcoming and sharing. Kim
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