5 February 2024 Mark 6:53-56
Is your Jesus big enough?
This text is often read alongside I Kings 8:1-7, 9-13, which describes the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. Solomon intended it to be a princely dwelling, and wanted people, when they entered the Temple, to think about what a grand thing Solomon had done. Then, of course, at the most important moment in the dedication, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought in, a cloud filled the Temple, and the priests in charge were bumping into each other, bumping into the furniture, and unable to carry on with the ceremony that was supposed to make people think of Solomon.
That was because God did not want people to be thinking about Solomon when they entered the Temple. He wanted them to be thinking about God.
Is your Jesus big enough?
They had just been in a very remote place, thousands of them, and there was little food – five barley loaves and two fish (Mark 6:38). From that little bit Jesus fed them all, and there were twelve (!) baskets of leftovers (6:41-3). Manna and quail in the desert, God feeding His people in the desert: “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 16:12). That’s what they were supposed to be thinking about.
Were they? Did the 5000 people Jesus fed that day know that? Did the disciples? Or were they just happy that someone had brought them food?
Was their Jesus big enough?
Immediately after this the disciples were making their way back to the other side of the lake when suddenly there were rough seas, and they were struggling against the oars: “When He saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, He came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea” (6:48). The sea obeying God once again: “The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21). That’s what they were supposed to be thinking about.
Were they? Did the disciples make the connection between Jesus and the power of God over the sea? Jesus and power? Jesus and God? It wasn’t even the first time they had seen something like this (see 4:37-40). Did they get it? Or were they just happy that someone had rescued them, again?
Was their Jesus big enough?
When they arrived at Gennesaret people immediately began bringing sick people to him, laying them on their mats in marketplaces where they could reach the fringe of Jesus’ garment and be healed (6:56). Once again, the crowd just wanted to get something, and as soon as they got it, leave. Of course they brought their sick to the marketplace. That’s what you do in marketplaces – get what you want, and leave. Crowds like this are easily turned.
Like when they don’t get what they want. Like on Good Friday.
Their Jesus was definitely not big enough.
Jesus is not our Helper. He is not our Pal. Jesus is our God. He is not there to help us with our plans. We are there to help with His. And it turns out that His plan – Heaven – is bigger and better by far than anything we have imagined, worth every moment of our time, every hour of our labor, every year of our lives. That’s what we’re supposed to be thinking about.
But only if our Jesus is big enough.
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