And Yet, God
A crowd of 5,000 men, estimated to be 12,000 to 20,000 people, was overwhelmed with excitement as the promised messiah was near. A group of 12 disciples, hungry and tired from their long journey, were waiting to celebrate all the good that had happened on their trip sharing the good news. The crowd and the disciplines can’t see past their hunger, frustration, and anticipation. And yet, God.
The story begins with the 12 disciples returning from their journey to do the work Jesus set out for them. Jesus listens deeply to their excitement and responds with an invitation to rest with him. Instead of throwing them a party or telling them to do more, Jesus honors and celebrates them by having them set down their work and sit down with him. Celebrating good work and effort isn’t to do more; it’s to come away with Jesus and rest. What does this rhythm of life say about the way Jesus invites you to celebrate
Mark 6:32-34 says, “So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran along the shore and got there ahead of them. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”
Jesus, hungry himself, wasn’t moved towards annoyance. Instead, he saw the lost sheep and felt compassion. How do you respond to other people’s needs when in need? Jesus cares for our needs and wants us to trust him with them. What needs do you have that you want Jesus to know about?
Jesus tells the disciples to divide the crowd into groups of 50 to 100. The disciples return to Jesus with five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus first looks at the hungry people with compassion. Then, he looks up to God in gratitude. Tempted to look down at the reality of the five loaves and two fish, Jesus does more than they could have asked for and feeds the entire crowd.
Don’t miss this: Jesus provides enough for today. The disciples walked around with baskets full of bread and fish, needing to walk back to God. What a great reminder that the true provider and sustainer wasn’t the disciples, it wasn’t even the bread or fish, but Jesus. What area in your life are you tempted to see scarcity instead of trusting God to provide enough for today?
Dive Deeper
Take time to read this story and reflect on these three questions:
What are the needs I have that I want Jesus to know about?
What area of my life am I tempted to see scarcity instead of trusting God to provide enough for today?
Where do I need to believe God for what seems impossible?