By Gustavo Barros
TEXT:
Mark 6:30-44 – 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. 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.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 that 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.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[e]! 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 distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 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.
INTRODUCTION:
In chapter 4 we have one of the most important questions in the entire gospel of Mark.
4:39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The question raised by the disciples on the boat is the most important question anyone can ever ask.
Who is this? Who is Jesus? Who is this whom we gather today to worship?
Your answer will probably determine where you will spend eternity.
I am afraid to say that many people who have been attending church for many years still do not know who Jesus is.
For some here Jesus is only a good teacher. For others He is a good example of ethics. For some Jesus is only a “ticket”to heaven (He only brings relief from hell). Others see Jesus as the “Genie in a bottle” (He has to give you whatever you ask for).
The church desperately needs to know, through the Bible, who Jesus truly is!
It is interesting that God gave us 4 books about Jesus before we come to the Epistles – knowing Christ is foundational for the health of the church.
CONTEXT:
This story needs its context to be understood.
1 – It continues the story of the sending of the Twelve in 6:7-13. Now they come back to report to Jesus what happened (6:30).
2 – It continues answering the question raised on the boat about Jesus’ identity (4:41). As the story before reveals, people still do not know who He is (6:2-3, 14-15).
While Herod was having a banquet in his palace – serving John´s head, Jesus is giving a banquet in the desert giving the true manna. Which banquet would you rather be at?
** IMPORTANT OBSERVATION:
Only 2 of Jesus´s miracles are reported in all four Gospels:
1 – The resurrection of Jesus;
2 – This story of the feeding of the 5 thousand.
If this miracle is narrated by all four evangelists we must pay attention to it!
DIVISION OF THE SERMON:
I – JESUS’ COMPASSION FOR HIS DISCIPLES (VS.30-32)
II – JESUS’ COMPASSION FOR THE CROWD (VS.33-44)
EXPOSITION:
I – JESUS’ COMPASSION FOR HIS DISCIPLES (vs.30-32)
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.
v.30 - The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught
“THE APOSTLES” --- That is the first time in the Gospel of Mark that they are called ‘apostles’. They receive this name after being sent by Jesus (6:7).
See the progression:
6:1 – His Disciples 6:7 – The Twelve 6:30 - Apostles
First they were disciples (μαθητής - a learner, a student) – they sat at His feet and learned. But now they are called apostles (ἀπόστολος - a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way).
There comes a time in the life of every disciple of Jesus when he must start doing harder things. It is a sad thing when Christians spend their whole lives just being listeners.
v.30They came to Jesusand reported all they had “done and taught”!
“REPORTED ALL” -- Can you see the excitement on their faces? They can tell Jesus all that happened! There is no greater joy for a Christian than to be able to come to the Lord and pour out his heart – the frustrations, the joy, the hard times, the good times…
Have you been using this privilege? Have you been telling Jesus all that has been happening in your life?
Ps 55:22Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you
I Pe 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you
“REPORTED ALL THEY HAD DONE AND TAUGHT” --- They did not only do and they did not only teach!
The slave of Christ is called to do and to teach!
James 1: 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Christians have a tendency to go to extremes: some just want to do (despising the teaching) while others focus so much on the teaching aspect that they neglect the doing aspect of Christianity.
Ez 7:10For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel
That was Jesus’ standard – doer and teacher!
Acts 1:1In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach
V.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”.
The popularity of Jesus has been growing, people from all over the place have been coming to see Jesus (Mk 3:7-10).
The more people come, the less time they have to do even the basic things.
‘they did not even have a chance to eat’– They were exhausted from the mission and they couldn´t even have a meal, because of the pressure. [Mk 3:20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.]
He (Jesus) said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest”
Jesus sees their needs, He knows what His disciples need (He knows what we need)! So the Great Shepherd shows how much compassion He has for His disciples!
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place” – The Lord calls them to be alone/by themselves only with Jesus.
“TO A QUIET PLACE”- [ἔρημοντόπον – a solitary/unpopulated place]
Jesus is calling them to a place where they won´t have demands, a place where they can rest in and with Jesus.
The reason why Jesus takes them away to a solitary place is so that they can get some rest!
“AND GET SOME REST” – rest = ἀναπαύω -to give (experience) rest after the needed task is completed; to pause (rest) "after precious toil and care" – This word had a military use – it was used for the rest of the soldiers after a battle.
We all need to rest. To be able to serve our Lord better we need to rest.
You can find true rest only in Christ. True rest does not mean going to a resort/an island, but running to Jesus.
** Jesus shows compassion for His disciples! He cares about His church, His followers! *** As a father, a mother, an elder and a deacon in the church – Have you been listening to the ones who are under you? Have you been showing compassion in giving your time to listen to those you have been teaching? Have you been reflecting Christ´s compassion? Do people in your family and church see you as a man, or a woman full of compassion?
v.32– So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
So here they are in a spiritual retreat with Jesus.
3 OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THIS RETREAT:
1 – They are by themselves -no cell phones, no laptop, no Facebook, no e-mails – just them and the Lord.
When was the last time you took some time to be alone with Jesus?
When was the last time you were able to hear Him calling you to come and rest?
2 – They went to a solitary/desert place – They didn´t go a resort in Hawaii, they didn´t go to a 5-star hotel in Caesarea. “He invites them not to some pleasant country-seat, where there were fine buildings and fine gardens, but into a desert place, where the accommodations were very poor, and which was fitted by nature only, and not by art, for quietness and rest.”(Matthew Henry)
3 – The Great Compassion of our Lord! We see how much Jesus cares for His people. We see how much this Lord takes care of His slaves!
What a wonderful thing to know that our Lord cares about our lives. He cares about you, about your burdens. [I Pe 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you]
The great compassion of our Lord is demonstrated to His disciples by:
Listening and giving rest!
II – JESUS’ COMPASSION FOR THE CROWD (VS.33-44)
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.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 that 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.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[e]! 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 distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 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.
v.33 – But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
These people saw Jesus and His disciples and started running like maniacs after them. The retreat is over!
John tells us the reason why these people came running after Jesus – John 6:1-2Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
These people are running after Jesus so that they can get something from Him, they want to see the show, they want to see people´s health being restored, they want to see the lame walk, they want physical healing – they are not running after Jesus so they may worship and serve Him.
They are just like a lot of people in churches today – they seek Jesus, they run to the church so that they can get something: money, car, health, wealth, their marriage fixed…
These are lost people! They are unbelievers. John 6 tells us very clearly – they will continue seeking Jesus to have more bread the next day. They want to place Jesus as the new Messiah – a military king (Jn 6:14-16).
v.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.
Imagine the scene: Jesus is approaching the shore with the boat, as He is approaching, our Lordsees that huge multitude of people (over 15 thousand people) interrupting their rest, the boat arrives and Jesus steps out of that boat and His stomach hurts, His intestines are moved because of the situation of those people. These people hate Him, these people are seeking Him to partake of His common grace, they just want to see Him so they can satisfy themselves – and yet He has compassion on them!
Isn´t it unbelievable?
“HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM” – σπλαγχνίζομαι- from splanxna, 'the inward parts,' especially the nobler entrails – lungs, liver, and kidneys. These gradually came to denote the seat of the affections.
His stomach hurt, He was moved inside with a deep feeling of compassion.
This shows how much Jesus was different from all the Greek gods, how much He was different from all the rabbis of the Jewish religion. This shows how much Jesus is different from the “pastors” of our days. So many leaders today have no love, no mercy, and no compassion for the lost!
** When was the last time you felt like that for the lost people in your neighborhood, in your school, in your work, in your family, in your church?
Have you been so concerned about yourself that you don´t even remember when the last time was that you cried for the lost? Examine yourselves!
Why did He have compassion?
“he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” ---
Jesus sees these people like sheep without a shepherd.
Sheep without shepherds are lost, they are vulnerable, they are about to die at any moment, they have no protection, they have no food.
Jesus sees these people as completely vulnerable – they are about to die at any moment and even though they hate Him, He has compassion on them.
“So he began teaching them many things” --- How does Christ demonstrate His compassion?
First, by teaching the Word of God! The compassion of our Lord is demonstrated by His teaching.
His teaching/preaching is the proof of His love!
teaching them many things - - He doesn´t teach just a few things, but MANY things!
** Pastors and leaders who give the flock of Christ entertainment, music, shows, movies, and talks instead of the teaching and preaching of the Word of God demonstrate that they don´t love and don´t have compassion for them!
In John 21 Jesus demonstrates that Peter´s love for Him will be demonstrated by feeding the sheep with the Word!
Jesus shows His compassion by feeding the crowd with the True Manna! He gives them the True Bread of life!
“Jesus was so compassionate that even their shallowness, even their superficiality, even their indulgence couldn't stop Him from caring. He cared that people had rest when they were weary, and He also, and more importantly, had the truth when they were ignorant”(John MacArthur)
The sentence “like sheep without a shepherd’” is a sentence of condemnation to the leaders of Israel. What Jesus is saying is that the leadership of Israel is false and needs to be replaced.
He is full of compassion, but He is just and holy! So He verbally condemns the leaders of Israel – calling them false shepherds!
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 that 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.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[e]! 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 distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 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.
v.35 - By this time it was late in the day – He taught for so long that it was dark. The sun was going down.
So the disciples come to Him to remind Jesus that it was late and that the people needed food!
They think they need to teach Jesus about people´s needs!
Some commentators see the disciples as having compassion on these people, but I see them as being selfish, tired, and desiring to rest – they were hungry, they want to eat, and they want the people to go away.
v.37–“BUT HE ANSWERED, ‘YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT’” – It looks like as if our Lord is testing His men.
They came to Jesus reporting all the great miracles they had performed.
V.37-38They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[e]! 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.”
V.37 – Instead of asking the Lord what He wants to be done, they start complaining – [like all of us].
V.38 - The Gospel of John tells us of this scene with more details. Andrew found a boy who had the five loaves and the two fish.
Of the little he had, this boy offered to Christ. The little he had was all that he had! And all that he had he placed in the hands of the Lord, trusting in Him.
“Every talent that the Church has is to be brought to Christ,
and consecrated. And mark this—I speak a strong thing which some will not be able to receive—anything which you have in this world, which you do not consecrate to Christ’s cause, you rob the Lord of! Every true Christian, when he
gave himself to Christ, gave everything he had.”(Spurgeon)
v.39 - Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties -
That is amazing! Jesus – the captain of this army – the commander creates order out of the disorder.
There are more than 15 thousand people present and by His command everybody sat in complete order.
They were grouped like the soldiers in the Roman armies.
The “green grass” reminds us ofPsalm 23,The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures!
Jesus is the Great Shepherd!
This story is full of elements from the Old Testament: Jesus is in the desert, He feeds them the true manna, he leads them like Joshua, he divides them in groups like Israel was divided, He is a shepherd like the one from Psalm 23, He fulfills the prophecy from Ezekiel 37…
V. 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 distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. -
So Jesus takes the food and praises the Father!
So many Christians eat without praying to God thanking Him for His provision. **Here, Jesus teaches us to pray and thank God for what we are about to eat.
“THEN HE GAVE THEM TO HIS DISCIPLES TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE PEOPLE. v. 42 THEY ALL ATE AND WERE SATISFIED”
The greatest of the earthly miracles! He produces food out of nothing - ex nihilo!
Jesus shows His divinity – He produces food!
Jesus shows His mercy – He provides food for their bodies!
Jesus shows His excellence – He provided more than they needed!
Jesus shows that the Kingdom of God is at hand!
He shows He is the Great Shepherd!
** After providing for their souls, now He provides for their bodies!
As we saw – Jesus taught and did!
This beautiful story of Christ´s grace and compassion doesn´t end well.
These people loved the miracle of the bread more than the preaching – the next day they came trying to get more bread and trying to make Jesus the leader of an earthly army – as a consequence of this reaction, Jesus preached about the true Bread of Life and about the True Manna, but the people hated that and many abandoned Jesus (John 6).
These people who saw the greatest miracle of Jesus received a severe condemnation – Lk 10:13-14 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.
It is a very sad ending for those who reject the compassion of this Great Shepherd!
CONCLUSION:
What a wonderful story of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! What a wonderful Savior He is!
We as Christians are called to walk as Jesus walked –I John 2:6Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
Have you been living a life of compassion for others?
We are called to have compassion on people´s lives!
Your heart must break and your stomach hurt with compassion for people. When you see someone in need (spiritual and physical) in your church, in your neighborhood, work, school – may you feel the compassion of our Lord!
I John 3:17If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity/compassion on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
“And if you are to be a representative of Jesus Christ, if you are to belong to Christ, if you are to name His name, then you ought to walk the way He walked. And what the world needs to see from us is this same kind of compassion. We need to be those who understand weariness, those who understand suffering, those who come with compassion.”(MacArthur)
May your stomach hurt for the lost, may you lose your sleep for those who are perishing, may your love for the lost never grow cold.
Philippians 2:1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Cl 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion
How can I demonstrate compassion?
1 – By being willing to listen to people – like Jesus did.
2 – By providing rest for those who are weary!
3 - By providing the Word of God for the spiritually needy.
4 – By providing materially for the physically needy! James 2:14-16What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
Mk 4:38 – Oh, how much He cares!!!
Who Is This Full of Compassion?
1 – This is Jesus Christ – the Great Shepherd of our souls. Only He can satisfy our souls!
2 – This is Jesus – full of compassion and grace! He invites us to come to Him.
3 – This is Jesus! The Son of God who died – He who had no sin had compassion for us when we were enemies of God, and we come to God through Christ´s compassion and grace alone! His mercy, grace, and compassion is the foundation of our salvation, so let us follow Him walking after His steps, being compassionate and gracious!
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