Mark 6: 34-44 – Tuesday after Epiphany (Audio Bible, Spoken Verse)
34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Jesus has invited the disciples to come away with him to find a lonely place, where they might rest. The pressures of the apostolic ministry have been so great, there has not been time even to eat. Jesus and the apostles have gone away from the crowds in a boat, but the people have seen them leave and have run ahead to find them, arriving at the place before Jesus does. Jesus, then, changes his plans. The rest period is not to be. Jesus feels compassion for the spiritual needs of the people. They need the teaching Jesus is able to give to them. They are as sheep without a shepherd. This need is paramount.
Immediately prior to these verses, the Gospel of Mark has recorded the martyrdom of John the Baptist, recounting the banquet of death, during which Herodias’ daughter pleases Herod and demands the head of John the Baptist as her reward, to which demand Herod succumbs.
We see, then, the great contrast between the Gospel episodes. Where Herod’s was a banquet of death, Jesus’ teaching of the multitude who have followed him out into the wilderness becomes a banquet of life.
The crowds have spent the day listening to Jesus, and now the day is spent; the disciples recognize and tell Jesus of the hunger of the people. The disciples do not, though, understand what Jesus means when he tells them to feed the crowds. They respond in amazement: Are they to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread? A denarius was a day’s wage for an artisan – this would be a significant sum of money.
Where the disciples have looked outside of the crowds for a solution to the hunger of the crowds, Jesus directs them not to look elsewhere but rather to look within. Jesus says to his disciples: How many loaves do you have? Go and see.
The disciples do so and return to Jesus with a seemingly hopeless answer: in all the crowds, there are five loaves, and two fishes. This is what is seemingly on offer among so many people – 5000 men. It doesn’t matter if others are hiding their food, and this is only the offering of one good person when that person is asked if he has any food to share. Perhaps it was so. Either way, now the miracle happens.
Jesus accepts this little offering, offered in what must have been such a loving and selfless manner, and Jesus asks the people present to perform a symbolic action: And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. Jesus tells the apostles to make all of those present sit down, to adopt an attitude of peace, of passivity. We may remind ourselves that Jesus is preaching in a sectarian environment, and this sitting down is akin to a laying down of arms, and beyond this of differences and possible grievances.
At the supper of the Lord, we resolve our differences and we admit in a lowly way that we are all equal before God. We all equally crave God’s help – grace. We acknowledge our own shortcomings, known as sins, and we embrace our neighbours with all commonality and friendliness.
Mark’s Gospel account of Jesus’ words and actions tells of Jesus celebrating what would later become the Eucharist, and in similar words: he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves. The Last Supper and the Eucharist to come are anticipated, and the multitudes are fed abundantly. Of the five loaves and two fishes, twelve baskets of scraps remain to be gathered, symbolic of the people of Israel, and also of the preciousness of everything we do and of all that we offer to God and as we live with Jesus.
Moses told the people to gather just as much as they needed each day of the manna in the wilderness, and not to save anything for the next day, save prior to the Sabbath, else it would become corrupt and breed worms. Elijah gave the widow just enough to meet her needs. Jesus gives superabundantly.
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. (Isaiah 62:1)
God, our Father,
when your Only-begotten Son revealed himself in flesh and blood,
we came to know him as our fellow man.
May he transform us inwardly until we bear his likeness,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Saint Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians addresses the Christian community with encouragement and exhortation. Saint Polycarp begins by commending their faith, describing it as deeply rooted and fruitful in the service of Christ. The mention of those who bore chains for the gospel situates his words in the context of persecution: suffering for Christ is presented as both a mark of honour and a participation in the Lord’s own passion [ … ]
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
Psalm 27 is an expressive portrayal of faith, courage, and steadfast trust in the Lord’s protection and guidance. The psalm resonates with themes of illumination, deliverance from enemies, and an ardent desire to dwell in the presence of God Almighty [ … ]
