David Bahn – Reflections

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to Jesus a blind man and begged him to touch him. ²³ And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” ²⁴ And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” ²⁵ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

²⁷ And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸ And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” ³⁰ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. – Mark 8:22-30

C.S. Lewis offers this powerful analogy:

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Not long ago I spoke with a man who was struggling with an addiction to alcohol. He rued his inability to tame the monster, and castigated himself because he would go to an AA meeting and hit the bar on the way home. Perhaps – in a profoundly mysterious way – he was too easily satisfied; too easily pleased. Maybe you can identify with that in a different area: Money, sex, gossip, fame, prestige, promotion: all these can offer a degree of satisfaction that is really only transitory. We can never get enough. Someone always has more. And we settle for running after these fleeting things as though they would satisfy us. They never will.

When Jesus heals the blind man, he does so in installments. At first, sequestering him, then spitting in his eyes, and finally placing his hands on him, only to bring about a partial healing. The blind man is honest enough not to be satisfied with seeing people who looked like trees. So comes installment two: Hands on the man’s eyes again. This time he is able to see clearly.

Not only does Jesus do this in installments, he asks the man about his sight. Jesus wants the man to experience the fullness of his healing touch. The man is willing to ask for all that Jesus can give – or at least not fake it as though he’s healed when he is really not.

I spoke to a man once who faked speaking in tongues because he was in a church that required that as testimony of true conversion. He was elated to be out from under that burden. Perhaps you believe you must put on a happy face in order to gain access into the fellowship of God’s people. We each have our masks: those things we use to look the part, to fake it until you make it.

Just as Jesus is not willing to let the blind man live in a limbo of half-healing, he calls us to ask ourselves: Am I settling for too little? Am I seeking the rule and reign of Jesus or a cheap imitation of it? Do I realize that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who has redeemed me from sin, death and the devil? Will I look beyond the immediate outward trappings of success, happiness, and piety for a deep and true relationship with the living God? Will I sit and make mud pies in the slums or accept Jesus’ offer of a holiday at the sea?

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. ¹² And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” ¹³ And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

¹⁴ Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵ And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”¹⁶ And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. ¹⁷ And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸ Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” ²⁰ “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” ²¹ And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” – Mark 8:11-21

I am an intuitive person. That’s not bragging; there are as many downsides to being intuitive as there are benefits. When I’m right – when I get it – life, the world, and the deepest darkest mysteries make sense. When I don’t get it I’m lost. When I’m wrong about my intuitive conclusions it’s not pretty. And when I don’t get it (chemistry for example) I really don’t get it. Since I’m an intuitive person, a plethora of information and details will as easily confuse me as they will help me understand (did I say chemistry already?).

I’m not certain Jesus was asking the disciples to be intuitive on this occasion, but he certainly is disappointed – maybe even distressed – that they don’t understand who he is and what he is able to do. Jesus wasn’t concerned one whit about how much bread they had to eat. He could multiply the one loaf they had, and feed them all with fishnets full of leftovers! He was warning them against the influence (leaven) of the Pharisees.

Jesus knew that the danger of the Pharisees’ influence was not in their outward piety per se. The problem was that they used that to hide unbelieving hearts. They were worried more about what man thought than what God thought. The Pharisees considered Jesus to be a threat, not a blessing. They considered his ways a detriment to knowing and serving God rather than the way to God, the source of life and salvation, and the true expression of what it means to love God and neighbor.

Because of all that, and because they were so obviously religious and given to outward piety, their influence could easily make its way into the disciples’ thinking. The Pharisees were large and in charge. By contrast, Jesus was leading a ragtag band of fishermen a former taxcollector, and the like on a mission that was devoid of outward religious trappings on a mission to reveal the rule and reign of God. Wasn’t that to be seen in temple sacrifices and synagogue gatherings?

Jesus did not reject the religious rituals or sacrifices or offerings (cf. Luke 17:11-14, Matthew 17:24-27). It was his custom to go to synagogue (cf. Luke 4:16). But Jesus knew that such outward behavior was only part of true worship and discipleship. He realized that the disciples needed to be careful of the influence of those who would say that such outward piety was all that mattered.

The Pharisees’ request for a sign would never be satisfied. They refused to acknowledge Jesus for who he was. They were unwilling to repent and believe the Good News of the timely presence of the rule and reign of God in the person of Jesus. That understanding centers our hearts in Jesus 24/7. It enlivens our worship. It inspires acts of love and kindness. It gives us hope whatever challenges or difficulties we may face. It sustains us eternally. That understanding changes everything.

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, ² “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.³ And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” ⁴ And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” ⁵ And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” ⁶ And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. ⁷ And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. ⁸ And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. ⁹ And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. ¹⁰ And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. – Mark 8:1-10

I heard a rather famous TV preacher speak about Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5000 (cf. Mark 6:34-44) with the few fish and loaves. His take surprised me – both because I hadn’t expected him to discount the miraculous nature of Jesus’ miracle, and because I had never heard of it before. He said this was a miracle of sharing, not of abundant provision and miraculous multiplication. He suggested that in those days people had large robes and tunics in which they would carry a day’s food, and that when they saw the little boy share his lunch they were moved to do the same; out came their lunches and there was enough for everyone. Touching, yes. But nowhere near what Mark reports – either there in Mark 6 or here in the account of feeding 4000 people.

It strikes me that the people had been with Jesus for three days. Perhaps the crowd had been larger to begin and after a while had dwindled as people had to get back to their daily routines. It might have been that the crowd had grown over those three days. In any event, Jesus recognizes their presence for three days, the difficulty of sending them away without food (v. 3) – not only noting this, but having compassion for them. The word, (as pointed out yesterday by my colleague, Pastor Jeff Doria in his message about this event) for compassion in the Greek language is an onomatopoeia. Σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai) is the word translated as, “I have compassion,” is, in Jeff’s words, like the sound that is made if you take a pound of sausage and throw it onto the counter. It literally has to do with the turning of the guts – gut-wrenching you might say. Jesus not only noticed the plight of these people, he was moved in his being by their difficult situation.

His miracle is grounded in thanksgiving. He takes the available resources, gives thanks, and uses those resources to provide for the multitude. Did he give thanks for the opportunity to care for these people? Did he give thanks that he could call on the Father for his abundant provision? Did he give thanks for God’s care for all of our needs and his opportunity to be part of God’s providential and miraculous work in their lives? Did he give thanks for the needs of the people which would point them to God as their provider? Possibly all of these were the focus of his thanksgiving. We do know he gave thanks – a rather remarkable response to a challenging situation.

This is also a matter-of-fact event. No amazement of the people or the disciples is recorded. They don’t point out how he did all things well. They don’t want to come and make him king. They simply eat and are satisfied. He goes on his way, and they go theirs. Fed. Thankful (hopefully). Reminded of God’s daily provision.

I wonder if we take God’s compassion for granted. He not only sees our needs, but responds with compassion to us – most dramatically in sending Jesus to save us, and restore us to a living relationship with God, now and forever. We are called to thank God in all circumstances (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:18). That means whether we have plenty or find ourselves three days into a time of need, we are to recognize God’s goodness and thank him for his loving care and compassion. That’s what led God to act in our behalf in the first place – for which we can all give praise and thanks to God.

Then Jesus returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. ³² And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.³³ And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.³⁴ And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶ And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. ³⁷ And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” – Mark 7:31-37

It’s bad enough when people expect you to do more than you can actually do. That happens to me more frequently than I would like to admit. I’m afraid that some people overestimate my resources of wisdom, stamina, knowledge, power, or availability. There are those who know better, but many think I can do more than I think I can do! Worse yet, however, would be having others know accurately what you can do, and expecting you to do it – wherever, whenever, whatever else may be going on in your life.

That seems to be what is brewing for Jesus these days. There will come a time when he is unable to satisfy all the demands on his time, teaching, healing, confronting, and saving ministry. There will come a time when he lets nearly everyone down by his failure to act, and he will be abandoned to the mockery of soldiers, the scourging of their whips, the false-accusations of the Priests, and the sentence of death by crucifixion.

But not yet. In these days Jesus is healing. Whether it is a Syrophoenician woman’s daughter, a woman with an issue of blood, or a deaf man who cannot speak, Jesus is showing the world just what he can do. His abilities are on public display here and the people praise him.

There are those moments when God shows up in bold relief. Prayers are answered. Diseases are healed. People are released from their spiritual dungeons. There are also those times when God doesn’t show up as we think he should. In those moments it is good to remember that Jesus has done all things well – including redeeming us, forgiving our sins, and saving us eternally. That is his greatest work, and we can rejoice in hope as we put our bodies and souls into his hands.

And from there Jesus arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.²⁵ But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. ²⁶ Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁸ But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹ And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” ³⁰ And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. – Mark 7:24-30

You may remember Jezebel; the 9th century BC queen who incited her husband King Ahab to abandon the worship of Yahweh and encourage worship of the deities Baal and Asherah instead. Jezebel persecuted the prophets of Yahweh, and fabricated evidence of blasphemy against an innocent landowner who refused to sell his property to King Ahab, causing the landowner to be put to death. She made Elijah’s life miserable. She also happened to be from Sidon.

I have had a few Jezebels in my life – though thankfully none as notorious as Elijah’s nemesis. When my Jezebels come calling, I know I’m in for trouble. She offers sarcastic comments. She criticizes ruthlessly. She is hurtful and unkind. And she does all this with an attitude of superiority and self-righteousness. She definitely has made her mark in my heart and she decidedly does not enjoy “most favored person” status in my interpersonal relationship policy.

Thankfully Jesus’ interaction with this woman who comes from this same area near Sidon in Syrophoenicia is much more satisfying than Elijah’s encounter with her more notorious sister from another century. Nor did she treat Jesus so shamefully as Jezebel treated Elijah (cf. 1 Kings 19:1-3). Although people from that area of the world were considered to be the bitterest of the Jews’ enemies in Jesus’ day, the encounter recorded here points us to a better way of interacting with people of countercultural or ethnically diverse origin.

Grace and truth meet desperation and temerity. The woman brings all her brashness, intruding presumption, and petulant neediness to the Son of God. Jesus for his part counters with non-anxious truth and a gracious willingness to enter into a real conversation. Nothing contrived here! This is the real stuff of real relationships. Only Jesus doesn’t need forgiveness like any other two people do. Jesus offers the forgiveness we all need.

My problem is that I’m not as anxious to bring my Jezebel to Jesus. Bonhoeffer in Life Together,  says that the only way any of us can relate to one another is through the cross of Jesus. That’s because we are all sinners and we bring our own sin and self-centered desires into any relationship. That makes me wonder… am I someone else’s Jezebel? Probably. I’m thankful that Jesus is willing to take me on when I come demanding his attention. Just as he honored the Syrophoenician woman’s request in behalf of her daughter, he will honor all who realize we have no first right of privilege before him. Frankly, furthermore, his crumbs are far better than the finest of fare the world has to offer.

And Jesus called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” ¹⁷ And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)²⁰ And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,²² coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.²³ All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” – Mark 7:14-23

On another occasion Jesus spoke of the danger of opening oneself up to the influence of an evil spirit:

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order.²⁶ Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” – Luke 11:24-26

There is a grave danger to our souls when we allow evil influences to enter our hearts, and guide our minds. But evil does not come in the form of certain foods. Evil does come, however, in the form of ideas, thoughts, words, and pictures that enter our minds, and shape our hearts. This is the grave danger of feeding ourselves mentally, emotionally, or spiritually on things not pure. Paul writes:

…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:8-9

Issues around certain proscribed foods had little to do with dietary considerations or health concerns. Certain things were considered unclean, and spiritually-damaging, causing a person to be unclean. The Jews were prohibited from eating things like pork and shellfish. When Jesus declared all foods to be clean, he opened a way of freedom that we embrace today with little second thought. Sadly, however, we too easily also embrace a freedom of thought that allows ideas and convictions to enter unexamined, never stopping to consider whether what we offer is true to God’s word, or appropriate for one who professes to follow Christ.

And Jesus said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹ And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God) — ¹² then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, ¹³ thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” – Mark 7:6-13

There is an Old Testament example of a tragic failure to keep faith in favor of outward actions. The people of Israel had been delivered from the bites of “fiery serpents” by means of a serpent on a pole that Moses fashioned (cf. Numbers 21:4-9), to which the people would look and be saved. It was a wonderful example of God’s grace and deliverance. Later, however, the people took the bronze serpent that Moses had fashioned and made it into an idol. They called it Nehushtan, and made offerings to it (2 Kings 18:1-4).

I heard a syllogism which got a lot of traction in my mind. It goes like this: Traditions are the living faith of the dead. Traditionalism, however, is the dead faith of the living. I like that. It seems to honor the fact and benefit of tradition. It also recognizes that for some the traditions of their faith become more important than the faith itself.

I’m not certain how to speak of the possibility of present-day Nehushtans, or the possible existence of the dead faith of the living. It might be valuing a certain form of prayer over another. It might even be the refusal to recognize a certain form of prayer as legitimate. Requiring or dismissing any form of prayer or religious expression misses the whole point of any form of prayer or religious expression. True religion flows from a believing heart. It can very well express glory and praise to God, but never ends there. It will always also express itself in acts of kindness, love, mercy, and goodness.

Faith without form is of little value. Form without faith is without value altogether before God. God’s delight is in people who believe deeply, worship fully (in Spirit and truth), and let their faith show in lives of love for others.

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, ² they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, ⁴ and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. ⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” ⁶ And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹ And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God) — ¹² then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, ¹³ thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” – Mark 7:1-13

I am not one given to religious practices. That is, I don’t have to fold my hands in a certain way when I pray. It doesn’t matter much to me whether I wear an alb or not when I lead worship or preach. I don’t often make the sign of the cross. It’s just not my style. Others do this with good conscience and intent. Others find great meaning in such ceremonies, practices, and observances. Well and good. In fact, as Lutherans we do not condemn one another because we have fewer or more ceremonies which we practice in the church (cf. FC, X).

There is, however, a matter of religious observance that Jesus roundly rejects. Those practices that actually hide an unbelieving heart as opposed to those which express the faith in the heart come under Jesus’ scrutiny and receive his judgment. In the case of the question of hand-washing, or couch baptizing the issue never was whether it is good to do or not. The question had to do with hiding a proud heart behind the show of piety.

Self-righteousness is extremely repugnant to God. In the Psalm 50:7-15 God urges people to understand that he does not need our sacrifices. We, however, are deeply in need of his mercy, grace, help, and salvation. This is God’s delight: to be received as our Savior and Lord; to follow his commands away from the cross, not in order to gain access to the throne of God’s grace.

We can find plenty of reasons to abandon God’s ways. There are always excuses we can borrow. Some my be legitimate; I do sometimes get physically tired and cannot do the good thing which my neighbor may need. But many are mere dodges. In the end, however, all excuses put us outside of a need for God’s forgiveness. That is a dangerous place to be.

We are called to love God and our neighbor. That is something we are to do as God’s people. No amount of excuse-making can set that aside. Those behaviors flow from the cross of Jesus; they do not gain us access to God’s grace. We bear fruit not to make ourselves acceptable before God. We bear fruit because God has made us new through faith in Jesus. We ought to be more worried or concerned over any lack of love for neighbor than we would ever be about how someone chooses to express their praise to God. Our religion must never stand in the way of loving our neighbor.

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night^[g] he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, ⁴⁹ but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, ⁵⁰ for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” ⁵¹ And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, ⁵² for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. –Mark 6:45-52

I do not like calling people out as sinners, unbelievers, evil, or hard-hearted. Jesus, however, is willing to use these terms to identify others; he even called Peter “Satan” on one occasion. In this section of Mark’s gospel, the disciples are described as hard-hearted. He connects it with their lack of understanding about the miracle of the loaves and fish, when Jesus fed the multitude of 5000 men (plus the women and children). That was an event they witnessed, yet they were amazed when Jesus came to them walking on water and quieting the winds.

I often think of having a hard heart as being unmoved by another’s pain. Hard-hearted people don’t care that others are suffering. Those whose hearts are hard have no compassion toward others. Worse yet, people with hard hearts have no care for what God says; they will captain their own souls wherever they please. Hardened hearts do not repent, do not bow before God, and refuse to be humble in their treatment of their fellow man.

When I look at this account, however, I discover that I have a hard heart by Jesus’ and Mark’s definition. I don’t always connect the dots of God’s goodness, power, faithfulness, and glory. I can see the hand of God in one moment or situation, and the next minute despair of God’s grace and wonder if he cares about my plight.

Thank God the hardness of our hearts does not prevent Jesus from coming to us or getting in the boat so to speak with us. That’s the other thing I notice here. Jesus was walking on the water; he had no need of a boat. He could have just gone on by the disciples and made his way to wherever he chose. Rather than that, however, he chose to get into the boat with the disciples – to be with them.

We have a God who is willing to be with us – hard-hearted sinners as we may be. Perhaps after a while our hearts will soften, and we will believe his promises and acknowledge his goodness. That is a good thing whether life is stormy or our days are calm.

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³² And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. ³³ Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. ³⁵ And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. ³⁶ Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” ³⁷ But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii^[f] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” ³⁸ And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹ Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² And they all ate and were satisfied. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴ And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. – Mark 6:30-44

On one occasion, during an interview with a prospective ministry staff person, we asked “What is the biggest challenge you face in your ministry?” The answer: “People.” Ugh! That was not what we wanted to hear. People are challenging – on both sides of the staff/member equation. But people are not the challenge of ministry. People are opportunities for God’s work to be seen and experienced. The problem with people is not the people. It is the challenge of motivating people, getting them to cooperate, helping them to connect with the ministry opportunities and church’s ministries.

Those are big enough challenges to be sure. But imagine that problem multiplied by 5000! Then multiply that times 3 or more – that’s the number of men, then adding the women and children who were no doubt part of that crowd you get 15,000. Now that’s a challenge.

The challenge is also in us who seek to minister to and with those people. Too often we can see people as impediments to mission. More quickly than we might realize we can turn what could be a God-glorifying situation into an adversarial relationship. The disciples saw the crowds as something to be gotten rid of. Their solution to a problem not yet even stated was to send the people home. They wanted to kick back and relax after a day’s teaching, traveling, and talking.

Jesus wanted more. He saw the people as…well…people. Imagine that! They’re not problems. They’re not nuisances. They’re not trouble. They are people. Jesus saw them for what they were: sheep without a shepherd. And he is the Good Shepherd. His mission was to come and lead them back to God, to call them to repentance, to redeem them, to seek and save them.

There are those moments when any of us need some space. Even Jesus got away and took time alone with God from time to time. That alone time allowed him to respond to people with kindness, grace, compassion, and love. On this occasion it meant that he would feed them – a miraculous multiplication of a boy’s lunch.

When you think of it, it is a good thing that Jesus didn’t think of us as problems, but as people. We, too – without him – are like sheep without a shepherd. Thank God we have been brought back to the shepherd of our souls.

Is there someone you know who needs such a Good Shepherd?