Mark 6:30-44
“Notice what you notice.” Mark’s account of the feeding of the 5,000… Mark reports on the same prior activities as Matthew – the disciples being sent out and the beheading of John the Baptist. But Mark does not mention John’s disciples coming to tell Jesus the news. Instead, today’s reading in Mark begins with the apostles reporting on their mission, all that they had done and taught (v. 30). Then this report prompts Jesus to take His disciples away to a secluded place (v. 31). And, as in Matthew they take off in a boat and the crowd follows along the shore. So when they arrive at “the secluded place”, it is not very secluded!!
What else is new here? For there were many coming and going, and {the apostles} did not even have time to eat. (v. 31b) The disciples had just returned from their mission and were gathering together (presumably) at or near Peter’s house. But with crowds coming and going (and likely pressing upon and making requests of Jesus) the disciples did not take time to eat, but instead gathered a bit of food for their dinner and took off with Jesus in a boat. They had no idea that in a few hours they would be expected to share their dinner with 4,987 (or more) people!! And yes, I’m reading between the lines here, but the fact that they did not even have time to eat created the opportunity for the greatest food multiplication miracle the world has ever seen.
So the next time that you are so busy with dozens of details that you don’t even have time to eat, give thanks!
Slava Bohu!