Devotion • August 3
Today’s Scripture Reading
Mark 6:30–46
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 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. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 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. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” But 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?” And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking 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. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. (NRSV)
Reflection
Jesus could have distributed the loaves and fish “to go” while sending the crowd away (2 Samuel 6:18–20 provides biblical precedence for meals-to-go). Alternatively, Jesus could have set the loaves and fish before the people and told them to help themselves and pass it on (2 Kings 4:42–44).
Instead, Jesus had the people sit down in groups of fifty and a hundred. After Jesus said grace, the disciples distributed the loaves and fish.
The meals-to-go model might have fed 5,000-plus individuals, but would each have known that 4,999-plus others had also been fed? With self-service, the food would have snaked slowly through the crowd, possibly taking hours before everyone was served (if at all). People might have left after being served but before all had been served. Those situated farthest from the food, perceiving a long wait ahead, might have left without being fed.
By having people sit in groups of fifty and a hundred, Jesus reduced the problem of getting food into the hands of 5,000-plus to the problem of distributing food to 50–100 groups, requiring each disciple to reach only four to eight groups. Perhaps this small logistical detail made it possible for 5,000-plus to be fed together.
Perhaps togetherness mattered, because as extraordinary an act of compassion as it was to feed the crowd, it was also the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (Isaiah 40; Ezekiel 34).
With five loaves, two fish, and divine power to multiply, there might have been many ways Jesus could have fed the 5,000-plus. Perhaps Jesus wanted to leverage the value of shared experiences of grace in the formation of individual faith.
Prayer
Dear God, please fulfill your purpose in our times of solitude and in our times of fellowship. Thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Written by Jeanette Chung, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email
YouTube
Podcasts
/fourthchurch
#fourthchurch
#fourthchurch
@fourthchicago