3) The Feeding of the 5,000: Mark 6:30 44

III. The Feeding of the 5,000: Mark 6:30-44

Scripture 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Literary Context This is the only miracle story found in each of the four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:1017; John 6:1-15), a clear sign of its importance among the earliest followers of Jesus. In Mark, Jesus and his disciples find themselves in the countryside with thousands of others and only five loaves of bread and two fish. After dividing the people into smaller groups, Jesus distributes the food to all to eat, and at the end of the meal there are even twelve baskets of leftovers!

In the first have of the gospel of Mark, Jesus is depicted as a “wonder worker,” a man whose miracles astonish the crowds and serve as powerful, concrete expressions of the “in-breaking” of God’s will in the world. Yet at the same time, this story of power, of miraculously feeding the hungry, also demonstrates that “God’s rule” will be fully realized with compassion and an overabundance of love, ideas that clearly distinguished the divine kingdom from the exploitation and domination that marked the human kingdom of Jesus’ own day, the Roman Empire.

Moreover, it is noteworthy that in the middle of the story Jesus tells the disciples to give the crowds something to eat (6:37). Mark seems to be suggesting here that we cannot simply wait for divine power to solve the problem of hunger; humanity too are called to advance this plan of social transformation. The Buffalo City Mission’s Food Drive answers this call by providing food to those who need it most. In a sense, Jesus’ miracle for the 5,000 acts as a model for the Buffalo City Mission, whose food drive imitates Jesus’ compassionate stance toward the hungry.

Contemporary Application An organization that acts in similar ways as Jesus in this story is Newman’s Own, and more specifically the Newman’s Own Foundation. Newman’s own is a company that sells food items, most famously dressings and sauces. They also sell beverages, pet food, and other food items such as cookies, pizza, and other snacks. Newman’s own is a very famous and worldwide brand, and most people have probably at least seen, if not tried, some of their products.

The Newman’s own foundation acts similarly to Jesus and his disciples in their providing for the crowds. Newman’s own donates 100% of its profits to charity. They take all of their profits to the Newman’s Own Foundation, which then supports other charities and gives grants to charities that need help. These charities give food to many different food pantries such as Wholesome Wave and Work Vessels for Veterans. All of these programs show how Newman’s stands for helping people who need it, just like Jesus provided for so many people in the passage. The Newman’s Own Foundation acts very similarly to Jesus and his disciples. They turn what they have (their food products) into enough for many less fortunate people around them (all of the profits that go to charities). Charity and helping people are very important values in both the New Testament and also for

Newman’s Own. This also falls in line with the Buffalo City Mission’s values: compassion for others and giving to those who in need.

Reflection Exercise Take a moment to gather in a circle with those around you to share and reflect upon a time where someone’s generosity and compassion had a positive impact on your life. What was the situation, what did the person do or say, and how did this act of kindness make you feel? Then consider how your service learning activities might have a similar impact upon others in need.

Dig Deeper

Donahue, John R., and Daniel J. Harrington. The Gospel of Mark. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2002.

Wright, N.T. Mark for Everyone. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004.

IV. The Sheep and the Goats: Matthew 25:31-46

Scripture 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or need clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Literary Context Within this passage, Matthew explores the way humans treat each other on earth and the consequences of these actions at the final judgment. More specifically, the story centers on the

ways people treat others who are experiencing various forms of distress. Is it with kindness and compassion or with disinterest and contempt?

Jesus says that his father, God, has blessed those who have treated others with care. These are the “sheep”: they gave food and drink to those in need, they offered hospitality to the stranger, and cared for the sick and those in need of clothing. As a result, they are granted eternal life in heaven. Conversely, the “goats” showed none of this magnanimity; their fate is eternal punishment.

Matthew’s gospel was written in a time of social and religious tension, when his community was struggling to define itself against other forms of Judaism and the “gentile” (non-Jewish people). For Matthew, the followers of Jesus have a responsibility to act in ways that are morally superior to these neighbors. Thus, while Matthew’s use of “nations” (25:37) and “brothers and sisters” (25:40) suggest that the story centers on the ways that non-Christians treats Christians, it might also be argued that Matthew would expect his audience to exhibit the same ethical perspectives toward the less fortunate, and even transcend these prescriptions. Indeed, in the Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:29), Matthew repeated exhorts readers to be more ethically upright than other Jews and gentiles. This command is perhaps best epitomized in Jesus’ call to imitate the perfection of God (5:48).

Contemporary Application: The Nobel Prize Committee In the story of the sheep and goats, Jesus organizes people into two groups based upon their actions toward others. Put simply, the group on the right are people that he says have shown care for the less fortunate, while those on the left have not. When both groups ask for clarification, Jesus responds by saying that their behaviors toward those in need are really a reflection of how they view him: Jesus, it appears, is revealed among and within the vulnerable and marginalized. An organization that acts in a similar fashion to Jesus in this writing is the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

The Nobel Peace Prize Committee is a group that chooses a person or group of people annually to receive its prestigious award. The prize goes to someone who “Does the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace.” Recipients, in other words, are those who have made a significant impact helping others. One such winner was Kailash Satyarthi, who, in 2014, was awarded the prize for his work for children’s rights. He fought for those less fortunate than him. He is like the people that Jesus is rewarding for being kind to others as he judges them. The Noble Peace Price committee acts similarly to Jesus’ actions. Jesus rewards those who help others with life in the Kingdom. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee also awards those who greatly help others. Both of these actions align with the values of the Buffalo City Mission, which helps the vulnerable through service.

Reflection Exercise After learning about this gospel story, write down three ways in which people today exemplify the actions of the sheep and the goats. Join with a partner to share your ideas, and then present them to the entire group. Next, consider concrete ways that you can imitate the actions of the sheep: how can you help those who are suffering in your own communities?

Dig Deeper

Harrington, Daniel J. The Gospel of Matthew. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2007.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.

“Newman’s Own.” 100% Profits to Charity. www.newmansown.com/.

The Nobel Prize. “The Official Website of the Nobel Prize.” www.nobelprize.org/.

Powell, Mark Allan. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2019.

Wright, N.T. Matthew for Everyone. Part 2. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004.