Mark 6:34-44 NRSVue
34As 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. 35When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” 37But 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?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41Taking 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. 42And all ate and were filled, 43and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
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Some thoughts on this scripture
Reflection
As you click into /Sacred Space/, you are answering Jesus’ invitation to
come away to a deserted place and rest a while. Do not be afraid of being
alone. Fear rather the opposite: as Pascal wrote: /The sole cause of man's
unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room./ Jesus
allowed the crowds to surround him and draw comfort from him; but to refresh
his own strength he retreated alone into communion with his heavenly father.
Reflection
The words 'go and see' contrast to the 'come and see' of the earlier meetings
of the disciples with Jesus. Jesus encourages us to go out and discover the
needs of the people. Here the needs are placed within the context of food,
and the disciples learn that with the Lord they can feed the people. Feeding
in the scripture also means teaching. The event is a big teaching event: that
God in his love is over-generous with a love and care which never ends.
Within their own hearts the disciples discovered that and learned that they
were the feeder-line from God to the people. You and I are the same. With our
'two fish' - whatever our personal gifts and talents are - we can be the
feeder-line of God to his people in love and care. The sheep without
shepherds will find care in the followers of Jesus.
Reflection
'Come and see' is an invitation we have heard in prayer. The invitation and
command now is to 'go and see'. Jesus knows there are basic needs in the big
crowd that gathers around him. The apostles are to go and see what is needed
and what is to be done.
Reflection
Watch and listen today for the needs of the people around you and see how you
can express the compassion of God.
Reflection
Mark's story has several levels. There is the stark contrast between the
story of Herod's macabre birthday party for the upper classes, told earlier
in chapter six, where John the Baptist meets his fate, and Jesus' banquet for
ordinary people. On one level the multiplication of the loaves simply
represents Jesus' compassion as he puts his divine power at the service of a
hungry multitude. On another level, the feeding looks forward to what Jesus
will do at the Last Supper when he 'looks up to heaven, blesses and breaks
the loaves, and gives them to the disciples.'
Reflection
What place, if any, does Eucharist play in my life?