Jesus Promise to His Followers

 Mark 6: 30-44

 

“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.  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.   And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.  Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.   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.   And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.   Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”   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?”   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.”   Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.   So, they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.  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.   And they all ate and were satisfied.   And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.   And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.”

 

The twelve have returned to Jesus and they want to share all the things that God has done through them.  There are too many people wanting to see, and be part of what Jesus and the twelve are up too.  Many pastors and staff could learn to take a few days off together to share and pray, but often it is the urgent that rules, and not the Holy Spirit.  

 

Their retreat did not go well from the point of just eating and sharing, for the people must have had a tracking device on Jesus, in that they met Him and his disciples when they came to the place, they hoped to relax only to find about 5000 men and their families waiting on them.

 

I am so glad that our Lord is compassionate and loving, for Jesus understood they had no way to get food and he took what they had five loaves and two fish, and when God is your source, that is more than enough.  In fact, they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces of bread and fish.

 

 

From the Back Porch, 

 

Bob Rice