MARK 6:30-44     Lesson 13

A WORD TO TIRED WORKERS

I. Greetings:

II. Dealing with Tired Workers: Mark 6:30-44

A. Debriefing Tired Workers: Mark 6:30-32

Q Have you ever been so tired you just needed rest from not just your job, but from people?
Q Can you give us an example of being in need of a break?

>>>> Have someone read Mark 6:30-32.

Note: Jesus gave direction to His men. They needed something because of the hustle and bustle of their lives.

Q Why did He suggest a solitary or quiet place?
An = 1) Jesus said it was to get some rest. Sometimes we are tired and need rest. Some people never work hard, but others are driven, hard working people, and at times rest is needed.
2) Sometimes we need a time to debrief: to talk out and verbalize all that is happening to us. We need to be alone with each other, away from the crowd.

Q Have you ever felt this way?

B. Interruption: The Crowd Gathers, Mark 6:33-34.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 6:33-34.

Q What did the crowd do to their plans?
An = They ruined their rest. Just when the disciples thought they had a chance to relax and talk more people came. The very thing they sought rest from followed them to their solitary place.

Note: 1) It was the work of the disciples that drew the crowd; note the plural in 6:33. The crowds not only recognized Jesus but also the disciples.  2) This is the only time the disciples are called apostles in the book of Mark (6:30). They were “sent ones” or missionaries. Perhaps they had done their work too well.

Q What was Jesus’ reaction to the interruption by the crowds?
An = It was one of compassion.

Q Why did He feel compassion?
An = Jesus said they were like, “sheep without a shepherd”?

Q Why did He do what He did in the last phrase of 6:34?
An = See Numbers 27:16-18, as an example of one of many places where Scripture teaches that people need leaders. Jesus’ compassion was based on the fact they did not know the direction and guidance that was needed. They needed to be taught. So He did not merely feel but He acted. He gave them the best! He taught them.

Q Long ago, Israel was in the wilderness, in the desert, what did God give Israel in the wilderness of Sinai?
An = the Law, the instruction of God on how to love God and your neighbor.

Note: There are many wilderness motifs present in this story.

C. Jesus added stress: Mark 6:35-38.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 6:35-38

Q What did the disciples want Jesus to do with the crowd?
An = the disciples got practical. They wanted Jesus to tell the crowd to go home. However, Jesus challenged them to do something despite their weariness.

Q Was there a note of complaint in their request? Were they tired of people?
Q Do you ever get tired of people? What caused it?

Note: They had done healings, i.e. medical miracles, and now Jesus wanted them to feed people, to do nourishment miracles. Jesus was asking them to do something they had never done before. He will do the same to us today. He pushes us out of our comfort zones, beyond what we want to give. Be prepared, Jesus was this way then, and He is the same way now.

Q Has He done that to you? Can you give an example?
Q Were they a bit exasperated in 6:37?
An = Notice that Jesus did not fire them, right then and there. He was patient. He plied them with another question about what actual provisions were available to them.

Q How many provisions did they have?
An = Five loaves of bread and two fishes.

Q Why did He ask them such a simple question? Why does He ask them this question?

Note: He first asked them to do something that was possible to do, something physical, something they were capable of doing: i.e. check supplies.
Note: God often starts with us assessing our resources, counting our hours, our finances, our abilities. It is a physical, simple task.
Note: It also lets us know just how limited our actual resources are.

D. The Miracle: Mark 6:39-44.

>>> Have someone read Mark 6:39-40.

Q When were large amounts of Israelite people in the desert or remote areas of the wilderness?
An = It was when Israel was traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Note: One of the distinguishing marks of Israel’s time in the desert was the elaborate and concise way they camped. They camped in an organized and orderly manner. So let’s see what the Lord did. Jesus ordered the disciples to organize the people into groups of 50. This is a wilderness concept from the time of Israel’s wandering. Moses had instructed them to organize how the Israelites were to camp. It was done in an orderly manner. The God who led Israel out of bondage and gave them order and self-esteem was now again in their presence. It was the same God.

Note: It did not take a miracle to organize the people, but it was work that took physical effort. The beginning of a miracle seemed to include the disciples doing their part. Then His power took over.

>>> Have someone read Mark 6:41-44.

Q Who actually fed the people? Who literally handed out the bread?
An = See 6:41, it was the disciples.

Q Who knew about the miracle, the crowds or the disciples? Why?
An = It appears that only the disciples knew how much bread they started with and that it was not enough. They started out with only five loaves and two fish; they ended up with twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

Q Did Jesus care about His tired workers?
An = Yes He did. His approach was not to take away the problem or throw out people who were hungry. But in the midst of the burn-out situation, He taught. He did care about the disciples. He was willing to do miracles that only they fully saw, so they could understand the source of power to meet needs.

Note: This is the second banquet or meal in the chapter. In the meal provided by Jesus, there was no waste, a simple meal in contrast to Herod’s feast and immorality.
Note: Notice another wilderness motif: bread from heaven.

>>> Turn to Numbers 11:13, 22, and 23.

Q Who gave Moses bread?
Q Who gave the disciples bread?
Q What does this imply?
An = In both cases it was God. Mark is subtly saying Jesus was like the God of the Old Testament!

IV. Application:

A. When stressed, Jesus may push you beyond your views of what is reasonable.

Q So what do we do?
An = Vent, tell Him you think it is too much (see 6:37),
Obey, see what tangible things you should do (see 6:38), and then watch Him work.

B. We can learn some things best only when we come to the end of our resources. If we have come to them this season, take heart. He may be getting ready to teach you much about Himself, your limitations, and His greatness.

C. The disciples fed the poor, but Jesus, in a profound manner, was feeding His men spiritually.

Note: He does understand our weariness, but it is in that weariness that He often shows us His greatest power. The disciples began to see He was willing to show them His true nature, like His Father in the time of Moses. He was willing to do miracles that only the disciples saw because the disciples were more important to Him, than letting the world see His miraculous power.

D. Whether medical or cafeteria miracles, there is a greater miracle yet. The Desert Fathers remind us, it is a bigger miracle to eject passion from oneself than demons from another and to control anger than to control demons. It is a bigger miracle to get out of depression than rid disease from the body of another. The power which heals your soul is greater than that which heals a body.
Some of us need our souls healed today? He is willing right now to go to work. As I pray, tell Him how frustrated you are.
He is not angry.
He will go about things differently than we expect Him to.
He will start asking you to do some very practical things.
If you obey, He may start working way beyond anything you thought possible.
You pray, as I pray….[:]