The Boat
January 31, 2023
From Mark 8:1-10
Who Provided the Boat?
"And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples..."
This raises an interesting question that I will return to in a few paragraphs.
For me and for today, the big phrase in this morning's gospel portion is this phrase:
"I have compassion for the crowd..."
He was concerned that they were hungry and would not make it home in good health.
So, he immediately formulated a strategy and involved his inner circle in solving the problem, calling upon the power of Eternity to make up for what resources they might have lacked.
Then he got into a boat.
Here is another statement that I often overlook.
It seems that, while in Galilee, Jesus often traveled by boat and would just get in the boat.
Where did the boat come from?
Did he hire it, rent it, borrow it, or own it?
I think, I would like to imagine that it was a part of the mini-fleet from the business that Andrew and Simon Peter left behind.
I like to imagine that when they became disciples of Jesus, the resources that they had were available to the God-Movement and that there was always a boat ready for Jesus and the disciples.
What resources from your life and work have you brought to the God-Movement?
Are they available to Jesus at a Moment's notice?
Someone made fish and bread available, but there was also, that boat.
Mark 8:1-10
In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.""If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way-- and some of them have come from a great distance."
His disciples replied, "How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?"
He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"
They said, "Seven."
Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd.
They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed.
They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
Now there were about four thousand people.
And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.