Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

July 19, 2015

St. Mark 6:30-56

Commentary:  The appointed RCL reading Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 does not honor the integrity of Mark's Gospel.  So, I have posted the larger context for this Sunday's reflection.  Jesus invites his followers to 'Come away to a deserted place...'.  There are four deserted places in the text: the wilderness where the 5,000 are fed, the mountain, the sea and it primeval chaos, and the land of Gennesaret where the demonic 'Legion' stumbles among the dead.  One way to preach these stories is to explore those deserted places where Jesus invites us to see the nearness of the Kingdom and Divine compassion.  The irony is that God is present to heal in our most deserted places.  'A Poem a Sunday' is a reflection on the invitation of Jesus.

A reading from the Gospel according to St. Mark:

³⁰The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³²And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. ³³Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. ³⁴As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. ³⁵When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, 

“This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; ³⁶send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” ³⁷But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” ³⁸And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. ⁴¹Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴²And all ate and were filled; ⁴³and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

⁴⁵Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

⁴⁷When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸When 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. He intended to pass them by. ⁴⁹But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; ⁵⁰for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” ⁵¹Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, ⁵²for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

⁵³When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. ⁵⁴When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, ⁵⁵and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Come Away

Come away to a deserted place

where there is no food for the multitudes

only five loaves, two fish

and compassion

with 12 baskets of leftovers.

Come away to a deserted place

up a mountain

across a sea

where in fear

at dark of dawn

a cry is heard:

“Take heart!”

Come away to a deserted place

moor the boat 

in Gennesaret land.

Crowds now gather

hoping, wondering,

begging to be touched

by his cloak or hand.

Come away to a deserted place

alone and there discover

Divine compassion

a healing space

the loving touch of another.

Kenn Storck

July 14, 2015

A Poem a Sunday