30 The
apostles gathered around Jesus , and
told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He 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. 32 And
they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now
many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from
all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As 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.
53 When
they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54
When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and
rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever
they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities
or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they
might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Year B
July 17-23July 19, 2015
Cross~Wind UMC
Title: Two Sermons in One: Time Alone and Time with Others
Going deeper
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
[Mark 6:30-34 is a story about
Jesus concerning the return of the disciples. At the beginning of the chapter,
the people of Nazareth reject the message of Jesus. Jesus sends out the
disciples as missionaries. It appears that when Herod arrested John the
Baptist, Jesus went to Galilee.] 30 The
apostles [not disciples! The apostles have been separated from Jesus on
their mission. The usual term in the gospels is disciple. The apostle is the
missionary here. Jesus commissions and empowers the disciples for the work of
preaching and exorcism. In part, the
term reflects the role the Twelve had been given in 6:7, as those "sent
out" or "missionaries." Yet it is also true that by the time of
Mark's gospel, the term "apostle" had taken on a special, technical
definition that identified the uniquely chosen first twelve disciples of Jesus.
Certainly, for Mark's readers, the term "apostle" denotes one who
operated in the name of another. An apostle claimed the authority of the one
who sent him out. The word “apostle” is common in the New Testament (appearing
some 58 times, mainly in Luke-Acts). However, the word rarely occurs in the
gospel of Mark (only here and 3:14, and the portion of that verse that includes
the word “apostle” does not occur in all manuscripts). The word is even rarer
in the gospel of Matthew (occurring only once) and does not appear in the
gospel of John at all. The word is also infrequent in classical Greek, suggesting
that it had taken on technical aspects through its use in the New Testament. In
comparison with the word “disciple,” which is much commoner (occurring 200
times in the gospels), the word apostle appears to have a more specialized
meaning. Applied to Jesus (only in Hebrews 3:1), the word apostle conveys the
notion that Jesus was sent on a mission by the Father for a specific purpose,
which appears to be the meaning of the word in our passage and throughout much
of the New Testament.] gathered around Jesus,
and told him all that they had done and taught. [The vague report of the
apostles as to what they had “done and taught” clearly refers to their healings
(6:13) as well as their proclamation of the message of repentance (6:12).] 31 He said to them, “Come away to
a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” [Jesus' response to
his apostles' return is also unique to this moment in Mark.] For many were coming and going, and they had
no leisure even to eat. [Unlike Jesus' individual retreats for prayer
(cf.1:35; 6:45‑46), this appears to be a more physically prompted call for
rest. Many exegetes note that by showing this concern for their physical
welfare, this text serves to set the stage for the feeding miracle that swiftly
follows.] 32 And they went
away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. [They went to the west or northwest side of the Sea
of Galilee.] 33 Now many saw
them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the
towns and arrived ahead of them. [Mark describes the crowd (the recipient
of the approaching miracle) as beating the boatload of disciples and Jesus to
their "deserted‑place" destination.]
34 As 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. [Instead
of facing this unexpected welcoming committee with dismay, or trying to find a
peaceful place for himself and the disciples, Jesus' response is described as
one of "compassion." Even as he had shown tender concern for the
physical welfare of his disciples, so great compassion now moves Jesus to offer
help and healing to the pressing crowd. We can find parallels in the Old
Testament.
Numbers 27:17
who shall go out before
them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so
that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep without a
shepherd."
1 Kings 22:17/II
Chronicles 18:16
Then Micaiah said, "I
saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd;
and the LORD said, 'These have no master; let each one go home in peace.'"
Ezekiel 34:5
So they were scattered,
because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild
animals.
We then
have a moment when Jesus feeds the crowds with just a few loaves and fish. He
also crosses on the lake, and a storm comes up suddenly. Jesus will calm the
storm.
[Mark 6:53-56 is a summary of
healings at Gennesaret.] 53 When
they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret [The concluding
verses of our passage include the note that the healings took place at
Gennesaret (v. 53), which is on the northwest shore of the lake; the geography
is confusing, since the disciples had launched in the direction of Bethsaida
(v. 45), on the opposite shore. It is possible that the gospel writer and
readers understood that the storm on the lake reported in verses 47-51 had
blown the boat back onto the shore from which it had embarked.] and moored the boat. [The wind prevented
landing at Bethsaida. Gennesaret is a fertile plain south of Capernaum, 3 miles
long and 1 mile deep.] 54 When
they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and
rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever
they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities
or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they
might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
[The teaching (interpretation) of the Mosaic Law, along with his parabolic
wisdom and power to heal (vv. 55-56), formed the basis of Jesus’ public
ministry and the core of his proclamation of the kingdom of God. Jesus’ healing
power was not infrequently depicted in the gospels as operating independently of
his deliberate ministrations, such that “all who touched it (i.e., the fringe
of his cloak) were healed” (v. 56; compare also the elaboration of this popular
understanding of the healing power of holy persons in 5:25-34). One should note
the connection of this summary to its narrative context, moving from feeding to
crossing to landing. The picture is that of a peripatetic ministry. The summary
suggests that the purpose of the journey to Galilee was to escape the attention
of Herod by being out of the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.]
Introduction
An ethics professor at Princeton
Seminary asked for volunteers for an extra assignment. About half the class met
him at the library to receive their assignments. The professor divided the
students into three groups of five each. He gave the first group envelopes
telling them to proceed immediately across campus to Stewart Hall Stewart Hall Stewart Hall Stewart Hall Stewart Hall
Application
First, we
need to learn to set aside quiet time.
“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. 32 And they went away in the boat to a
deserted place by themselves. (Mark 6:31-32)
One of the things I
appreciate about the men’s group is the encouragement to spend quite time
reflecting upon scripture, and then to have time in prayer in which we worship,
admit our failings, and make our requests to God.
Yet, many people will say
that they are just too busy.
I bet you have punched it.
Stabbed it. Jabbed it. Jiggled it. Wiggled it. I am referring to the DOOR
CLOSE button on an elevator. You might as well admit it. You have pushed it.
You pushed it when you were feeling anxious, stressed and strained, when your
Type-A personality traits were rising to the surface, when your impatience,
excessive competitiveness, aggressiveness grew like thunderstorms skittering
across the Doppler radar screen. The
impatience begins while waiting for the elevator to arrive. Manufacturers such
as Otis Elevator know that a good waiting time is in the neighborhood of 15
seconds, because at around 40 seconds people start to get visibly upset.
"When they're waiting for an elevator, as well as when they're in an
elevator, they don't really feel they can do much productive," admits John
Kendall, director of advanced technology at Otis. Once on board, elevator
antsiness only intensifies while waiting for the door to close. How long do you
think you generally have to wait? Twenty seconds? Ten seconds? Five seconds?
Two seconds? Answer: only two to four seconds, which does not sound like much,
but feels - for some of us - like a very long time. Americans are not the only
ones who are anxious to get going. John Kendall observes, "If you travel
in Asia at all, you will notice that the DOOR CLOSE button in elevators is the
one with the paint worn off. It gets used more than any other button in the
elevator."
In this culture of hurry,
Jesus invites us to come apart and rest a while. Ironically, building managers,
fearing trapped limbs and lawsuits, have disabled the DOOR CLOSE button. The
button is a dummy, a piece of exercise equipment for anxious fingers.
Jesus understands that
faster is slower; that haste is waste; that stress is mess.
James Gleick, in his book Faster, said it well: time is not a thing you have lost .... It is
what you live in.
God works with souls like a
jeweler works with gems. Once a jeweler finds and brings them to the light, the
jeweler cuts, polishes and places in the gem in a setting. In the natural
state, diamonds appear as hard, irregular lumps that shine only with a greasy
luster and not at all with their finished brilliance. The skill of the
stonecutter gives them their beauty by grinding and polishing their surfaces so
that they sparkle. Not the size of a diamond, but the light reflected gives the
stone its value. The Tiffany diamond,
now valued at $2,000,000, was cut from 287.42 carats to 128.51 carats, with 90
facets, making it into a gemmy sun. When displayed in the Fifth Avenue store
window, one could see it all the way across the avenue. The only way one can
increase the value of a diamond is by cutting. Experts in Paris studied the
Tiffany diamond for one year before anyone struck a single blow on this
crystallized carbon, the hardest substance in existence. It has been through
the fire. The diamonds that reflect the most light have received the roughest
treatment. Yet, the jeweler takes the greatest care not to damage the stone in
any way. The jeweler must cut out every flaw must be cut out, even if the flax
is microscopic.[1]
We need the time alone with
God. The reason is that we are hungry and thirsty for more than just food.
Like sheep we get hungry, and hungry for more than just
food. We get thirsty for more than just
drink. Our souls get hungry and thirsty;
in fact it is often that sense of inner emptiness that makes us know we have
souls in the first place. There is nothing
that the world has to give us, there is nothing that we have to give to each
other even, that ever quite fills them.
But once in a while that inner emptiness is filled even so. That is part of what the psalm means by
saying that God is like a shepherd, I think.
It means that, like a shepherd, he feeds us. He feeds that part of us which is hungriest
and most in need of feeding.[2]
Second, we
need to learn compassion.
34 As 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. (Mark 6:34)
Think of how often we have judged the crowds. In sin, in drunkenness, in violence, in drug
abuse, in hatred, in war. Maybe one of
the greatest proofs of the divinity of Jesus is that he looked upon the
multitudes and had compassion.
Our situation today, as Christians in this culture, sometimes resembles
sheep without a shepherd. We find ourselves in a wilderness where many lose
their way. For some of us, the decisions America is making may make us feel
like strangers in a strange land, people in exile. The reason for the feeling
might be changing sexual behavior, where things once considered sinful are such
no longer. It may be because of the spread of abortion, now learning that some
such clinics sell body parts of the fetuses. It may be that instead of honoring
the military, some people who live here are making them targets. It can feel
very strange here.
David Brooks, a columnist for the New York Times, wrote an article
recently that he entitled “The New Culture War.” He encouraged Christians to
fight this war more like Albert Schweitzer than like Jerry Falwell. His point
was to stay focused on what you believe and value. Practice compassion, because
people will be hurting, as they choose paths that lead to lacking of meaning,
emptiness, and guilt.
What do you see when you look upon the crowds?
A store owner was tacking a sign
above his door that read “Puppies for Sale.” Such signs have a way of
attracting small children, and sure enough, a little boy appeared under the
store owner’s sign. “How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.
The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.” The little boy reached in
his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please
look at them?” The store owner smiled and whistled. Out of the kennel came
Lady, who ran down the aisle, followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One
puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately, the little boy singled out
the lagging, limping puppy and asked, “What’s wrong with that little dog?” The
store owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the puppy and
discovered it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always
be lame. The boy became excited. “That’s the puppy I want to buy.” The store
owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him,
I’ll just give him to you.” The boy got quite upset. He looked straight into
the man’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said, “I don’t want you to give him to
me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs, and I’ll
pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I
have him paid for.” The store owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy
this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you
like the other puppies.” To the man’s surprise, the boy reached down and rolled
up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a
big, metal brace. The boy looked up at the store owner and softly replied,
“Well, I don’t run so well myself, and that puppy will need someone who
understands!”
Mother Teresa was aware of the
power that kindness and compassion can have. She said,
“Spread love everywhere you go: First of all
in your own house … let no one ever come to you without leaving better and
happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face,
kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.”
[1] -Lois Hoadley Dick, Amy Carmichael, Let the Little
Children Come (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 149.
[2] Frederick Buechner, Listening to Your Life, 1992
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