Mark 6: 30- 46

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Mark 6: 30- 46 (NRSV)

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 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.
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

Think

Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest as while... Even the disciples when they tried for a retreat were greeted by great need.  They went to do the "self-work" that all people in service professions need to prevent burn out, but what they found was a crowd in the thousands waiting to be fed.  Waiting to hear the word of the Lord.  Waiting in this desolate place where they were not prepared to take care of themselves.  Is this an analogy for life or what?  How often do we come across people who are in the depths of despair right when we feel we are at the breaking point ourselves.   I'm not sure of the purpose, but I can say that in my moments of greatest weakness I have been able to give more of myself spiritually than at times of my greatest strength.  This does not mean that I don't know that I need to take time for myself, but this does remind me that in my darkness, in my quietness in my desperate times my strength and sustenance is in the Lord my God.  Jesus doesn't whip up a batch of bread and fish himself to feed the thousands. He tells the disciples, who have not even had time to themselves to eat, to feed the people, with money they don't have, and food they don't think will last between the 12 of them. But somehow it all works out and there is plenty to spare.  This is the way of miracles.  Some say this isn't a miracle in the same way that the water to wine at Cana was a miracle, or walking on water, or raising Lazarus was a miracle.  I agree, because it wasn't a miracle that I can't witness in my daily life.  Jesus doesn't perform this miracle, he witnesses and inspires it, he takes and shares the bread and the disciples distribute what they have to the crowds.  I imagine when the crowds see what happened they turned to the next group and shared their own bread, and so on and so forth, paying the kindness forward.  This the kind of miracle that I can get behind.  This is the kind of miracle that I can see at work in my own life and the life of those who I minister to, those I love.  So I find myself wishing my time of retreat would come knowing that out of my time away I will be asked to do more, but I will be refreshed and ready to share.

Pray 

Lord when I am tired, help me to recognize that others are tired and hungry.  When I am in a desolate and desperate place remind me that faith can work miracles.  Do not let me be afraid to ask for the help I need when I need it, nor give the help I can when I have the capability.  Be present with me Jesus when I need rest and respite from the storm of life, but remind me that I must come back and be your witness to the world.  Amen

Contemplation

15 minutes meditation accompanied by the wind (today is quite a windy day in Bethlehem)