His Strength

What I love most about the Book of Mark is the focus on the servanthood of Jesus. “That is what the Son of Man has done; He came to serve, not to be served - and then to give his life in exchange in exchange for many who are held hostage” (Mark 10:45 MSG)  Titled “Jesus Feeds Five Thousand, the passage begins as the apostles are returning from their ministry and while exuberant, they are exhausted. Jesus quickly instructs them, “Let’s go off to a quiet place and rest a while”.  (Mark 6:31 NLT). While the instruction is simple and concise, how often do we actually obey this command?  Even as Christians, how many times have we allowed work, family, and even ministry to separate us from the very power that allows us to do these things effectively? Are we truly taking the time to slip away to a quiet place to convene with Jesus? My barometer for the need to spend more time in His presence is indicative in my heart for servanthood. When ministry becomes more dutiful then it does a blessing it is usually an indicator of a misaligned heart and warning to my spirit. Like a steadily rising temperature gauge of a car about to overheat, an ungrateful heart is my spirit’s way of telling me to pull over and spend some time with Jesus. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalms 73:26)  

Jesus serves as the perfect example of servanthood and unconditional love for people. With the intention being rest and solitude, Jesus and the apostles make an attempt to get away by boat to a remote place.  Exhausted and hungry, Jesus exemplifies selflessness by placing his own needs aside to teach and minister to the people. “At the sight of them, his heart broke - like sheep with no shepherd they were.” (Mark 7:34 MSG) Relying primarily on the limitations of the flesh, his disciples urge Jesus to send the crowds away for food.  With only 5 loaves and 2 fish at their disposal, and 5000 people to feed, the apostles gripe at how they would have to work for months to raise enough money to feed the multitude of people in their presence. 

The problem was that they were relying solely on THEIR POWER and THEIR WILL to show the compassion and love of God for the people. Even with Jesus in their midst they chose to see this opportunity in the carnal sense, completely forgetting the power of God. Through the human lense this daunting task appeared impossible however scripture reminds us, “Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God, everything is possible.”  (Matthew 19:26 NLT)  How often do we take on the roles of the apostles in our own lives and ministries?  What if Pastor Marco and Pastor Lindsey discarded the idea of planting a church in New Bedford because it seemed like an impossible task? I believe that there is intent as to why this miracle appears in all four of the Gospels. Through repetition it is to remind us of the limitless possibilities when we rely on the power of Jesus. Just as the apostles were equipped with a finite amount of food to feed many, so are we with our talents, and abilities for the good of the kingdom. Like the apostles, we could declare defeat due to our limitations or we could bring what we have and ask God to multiply for His glory. Through Jesus we have been granted the power to move mountains, if we believe.   

Prayer:
Lord we come to You with gratitude for the ability to spend time in the presence of Your love. Lord we thank You for being our guidance and our strength in our families, ministries, and careers. We pray, Lord, that we do not allow the busyness of the world to separate us from Your power and from Your authority. We pray that our moments of weakness be short-lived as we turn to You for Your power and Your strength. We pray for the mustard seed of faith necessary to heal, speak life, and to introduce more people to You. We love You, and we thank You. In Your mighty name we pray. Amen.