Mark 6:30-34

Mark 6:30-34

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus

and reported all they had done and taught.

He said to them,

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 

People were coming and going in great numbers,

and they had no opportunity even to eat.

So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.

They hastened there on foot from all the towns

and arrived at the place before them.

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,

his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for giving me the gift of divine rest. I can easily be overcome by work and toil and need the solace of your divine life. Guide me into the desert to be with you and learn from you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. A Deserted Place: Today’s Gospel picks up a theme from the opening chapter of Mark’s Gospel – the theme of the desert. Not only did John the Baptist bring the people of Jerusalem to the desert (Mark 1:4-5), but Jesus himself began to dwell in deserted places (Mark 1:45). Here, we see Jesus – after having healed and taught and manifested his divine authority – inviting his twelve Apostles to come away to a deserted place and rest a while. Being led into the desert is not a punishment, but a way for the disciples to come to know Jesus more profoundly. In the desert, they will find rest. “To go into the desert means to leave the world behind. This imagery presents to us the first stage of becoming a saint: seeking God alone. The spiritual desert is also a turning away from all that leads us away from God” (Mitchell, Sanctity Simplified, 75). “The desert is silent. Here a person can lift himself above the many voices around him to hear the only voice that matters: God’s. In the desert, we begin to learn a new language. It is God’s language, and the words of this language are spoken in loving silence. Being a ‘desert soul’ means fostering a quietness inside your heart and living a prayerful and pondered life” (Mitchell, Sanctity Simplified, 76).

2. The Heart of Christ: The heart of Christ is not indifferent to the needs and desires of his people. His heart was moved with pity. Matthew, Mark, and Luke used the word to signify Jesus’ profound, gut-level empathy and visceral sympathy (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; Mark 1:41; 6:34; 8:2; Luke 7:13). The Good Samaritan was “moved with pity” when he saw the man who fell victim to robbers (Luke 10:33). As well, the father of the prodigal son was “moved with pity” when he saw his son return (Luke 15:20). This is a profound revelation of God’s inner life. In every Gospel scene, “moved with pity” (esplanchnisthe) is provoked by human vulnerability and fragility. God’s merciful compassion is awakened by our human weakness and suffering. God’s compassion is active: it heals, feeds, and forgives. Unlike the pagan gods, who were apathetic to human suffering, the true God of Israel has a gut-level mercy for humanity. On the Cross, we see the heart of Christ, the Son of God made flesh, suffering for us. We are invited to imitate God’s compassionate mercy: “Be merciful as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). True compassion draws us into another person’s suffering and pain.

3. The Good Shepherd: Seeing that they were like sheep without a shepherd, Jesus began to teach them. He gives his Apostles the supreme example of how to care for the people. When we see someone in need, we cannot be selfish, turn inward, or ignore them. Giving of ourselves often requires sacrifice. Ultimately, we are called to teach the Love of God. Our words and actions must align with each other. We cannot be hypocrites who say one thing but do another. We are called to proclaim that God is Love, and that authentic loving means willing the true good for another. Just as the heart of the Father was moved to pity and sent his Son to save the world, and just as the heart of Christ was moved to pity when we saw the crowds and their need, we need to be moved to pity and give ourselves to our brothers and sisters in need.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are truly wonderful. You gave without reserve and responded to the needs of the crowds. You fed them in body and soul. You fed their minds and their hearts. Help me to do the same.

Living the Word of God: Am I continually giving thanks to God? Do I wake up and begin the day with a prayer of thanksgiving? Do I pause midday to lift my mind and heart to God? Do I use the psalms as a model of prayer? Do I thank God before going to bed for all the good things I have received throughout the day?