08.11.24 - Mark XVII - Multiplication Tables

As we continue our journey through the Gospel of Mark (Mark 6:30-44), the 12 apostles are just returning from their own journeys on mission from Jesus, sent two by two with no resources but His provision. In their efforts to get away and get some rest, Jesus has become so popular in the area that a crowd of over 5,000 beats feet around the lake and meets Jesus’ entourage at their arrival on the opposite shore. A well-known story - the only in all four gospels excepting Jesus’ baptism and passion - ensues as Jesus sees them as “sheep without a shepherd” and “teaches them many things.” By the time He wraps things up, the sun is low in the sky and it’s suppertime. As Jesus takes the meager supplies offered by a boy (a humble resource on both levels) and multiplies them to meet the needs of 5,000 men (plus their families as Matthew tells us), we are schooled in Jesus’ provision for our multiple hungers: physical and spiritual. He satisfies both. He shows that if we put whatever He’s given us into His hands, He can work wonders that bless those among us and empower their being fed on every level too.

To investigate this most important of stories further, go here.