Devotional Tuesday: Mark, David, and Jesus
Jesus our shepherd.
Preface: Today’s post is a bit longer than usual. I felt the introduction and the devotional thoughts themselves were important to keep intact as written. I hope you talk the time to experience this beautiful connection. I think is worth the read.
Estimated read time: 10 Minutes
Mark, the forgotten artist
I have been in church for the last 2 decades. I have read the Gospels dozens of times. Their stories are frequently and deeply flowing through my mind.
This past week, I was reading in Mark 6.
The sometimes challenging thing about Mark’s Gospel is its brevity. Mark writes quickly and concisely—compared to the other gospels.
Mark—often overshadowed by John, less quoted than Matthew, and less socially engaging than Luke—is often relegated to simply highlighting the works, miracles, and acts of power of Jesus. Mark’s succinct Gospel rushes Jesus to the cross reveling his miracles on the way.
I—like many readers—have primarily read Mark’s Gospel narratively. I see the stories told by Mark as testimonies of Jesus’s divine power. While aware of Mark’s ability to tell stories, we often forget that Mark is still masterfully able to weave into the story of Jesus the deep imagery and beauty of the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament).
What follows is my (not novel) uncovering Mark’s allusions to Psalm 23. Following my exploration this week, I did some research to find that my findings were widely documented and supported by other believers and Bible students. I find these moments a blessing; affirmation that the Lord has divinely revealed what the author has intended to share with us. [If the Lord could divinely inspire the authors of the Bible to write, he can divinely inspire our understanding to receive what they originally wrote and meant to share.]
Mark 6 contains the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000.
Growing up, I head this preached occasionally. Most often, it was focusing on the miracle of Jesus’s multiplication, his provision, or his power. I never heard it preached through the lens of the Psalm, Old Testament, or Jewish identity.
The following contains some devotional thoughts considering Mark’s reinterpretation of the 23rd Psalm and Jesus’s miracle of feeding the 5,000.
For flow, I will try to follow the story in Mark.
Mark, David, and Jesus
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.Psalm 23 NIV
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
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. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When 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. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But 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. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking 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. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
Mark 6:30–44 NIV
Sheep without a Shepherd…
First, with a passing comment, Mark makes this clear allusion to the iconic opinion of Psalm 23.
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Mark throughout this story will re-imagine the shepherd of Psalm 23 as Jesus himself. Jesus becomes the shepherd for the lost sheep of Israel. The proclamation, “Jesus is Lord!” now connected to the proclamation that “YHWH (THE LORD) is my shepherd.”
Mark personifies YHWH, this loving shepherd, in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Yet, before Jesus is the shepherd of the people, Jesus is undoubtably the shepherd of the disciples…
Jesus leads us into still waters of rest…
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. Mk 6:30–32.
Jesus, our shepherd, draws us to rest.
I think this is the part we [my primary, western, American audience] would most deeply appreciate... Rather, we fear.
The disciples, much like us today, are busy people. So busy this day that they were not granted the opportunity to eat. Jesus knowing their state, offers his guidance and wisdom. He leads them beside still waters.
It is possible that the disciples were not even aware of their need. The thrill of ministry, the energy of testimonies and good reports, the adrenaline of zeal and passion to change the world could have blinded the disciples of their deep need for peace and rest.
Jesus, the shepherd leads his flock, his most beloved, to the quiet waters and invites them to find rest.
He removes them from the place of ministry and brings them to the place of solitude—the place of rest.
As much as we believe Jesus commissions us to “go into all the world,” just as often does Jesus guide us to the still waters of solitude and peace.
The shepherd knows what his flock needs. More than we believe, it is probably the still waters of his rest…
Jesus the teacher, the guide…
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Ps 23:3.
So he began teaching them many things.
Mk 6:34.
Jesus, the teacher, is always the true guide. Guidance is at the heart of shepherding. The shepherd guides the sheep in the correct way of living.
Without him, they were as lost sheep without a shepherd. It is because of that reality that Jesus, drawn by compassion chooses to teach them.
He sees their wandering. He is aware of their insufficiency.
So, he teaches.
Jesus, the teacher, embodies the guidance of the shepherd…
Jesus, preparer of meals…
As the day ended, Jesus asks the disciples to feed the people.
The disciples had a question? Where in this dark valley (“remote place” Mark 6:35) could we find food for all these people?
Jesus miraculously prepares a table… [ultimately, for enemies who would not accept him. (John 1:10–11)]
Mark, now links together a new layer of the shepherds guidance… provision.
Jesus, not only guides them in the ways in which they should go, now he is actively providing the things they need on the journey itself.
Jesus’s remark: “You give them something to eat.” is striking. The shepherd, as are all spiritual leaders, are tasked with feeding their sheep, not only spiritually but physically.
The shepherd is concerned with the sheep well-being. Hungry sheep are not going to remain spiritually healthy sheep. Thus, Jesus tasks his shepherds in training to feed his people—his sheep. Where they—in this moment—were not able, he supplied.
Jesus did not abandon his sheep to partake in his own meal. Instead, Jesus creates a table in which they are all invited.
He keeps watch over his sheep while eating.
He keeps watch over his sheep by provided their food.
The shepherd has led the sheep to their eating table… for them, that table is in a field of green grass…
Jesus makes the lie down in green pastures…
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.
Mk 6:39–41.
In order to partake in the meal of Jesus, he requires them to lie down in the field of his rest.
As opposed to forcing the people to trek back through the remote paths and valleys from where they came, Jesus invites them to lie down in his rest and sit at his table.
Mark is careful with his words. Mark is approximately 40% shorter than Matthew and Luke. Mark writes clearly and concisely usually sticking to the main parts of the story, yet here, Mark adds this little detail to again point us back to Psalm 23.
Jesus invites the people to embrace his rest.
Notice, that this is the second invitation of rest. He first invites the disciples to rest in verse 31.
We all are in need of rest.
Jesus, our shepherd, invites us to rest… to lie down in green pastures… to eat and restore (refresh) our souls.
I can imagine that those 5,000 people were refreshed sitting there with Jesus eating his loaves and fish.
When we lie down in the pastures that Jesus directs us to, we will always find a table set, ready to refresh and restore our soul…
There is always overflow…
Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
Mk 6:41–43.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Ps 23:5
My mother-in-law and father-in-law live in the mountains of North Carolina. One thing I love about the mountains is the well water. It seems as though everyone in the mountains have a well somewhere on their property. My in-laws have a well and their house draws water from it. Well water tastes so much better than tap water.
When I read David’s image of a cup overflow, I imagine fresh mountain snow melting into a crystal clear stream ready for my cup to be completely refilled until my thirst is quenched.
A few years back, my mother-in-law and I were hiking through the mountains of Colorado. It had snowed a few days before and the snow was finally melting off the mountain. During this hike, we found a spot where the snow was melting into a small stream. After a quick google search, we took the chance of drinking this melting overflow. It was pure and refreshing…
Here again, Mark is able to connect Jesus and the living God of his people.
Jesus embodies our cup overflowing.
The resting people eat and continue until they are satisfied. Their shepherd provides not only the table, but also the abundance.
The disciples are tasked with cleaning up the cup spilling over.
There was twelve cups full…
Mark and David, the prophets…
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Ps 23:6.
The overflow does not cease with the loaves.
Mark and David leave us with one final gift…
Overflow continues all the days of our life.
Jesus, our shepherd, ensured we would always be able to experience his rest, hear his guidance, recline at his table, and overflow with his blessings.
The Jews understood the house of the Lord through the context of the temple—the place where his spirit and presence resides. [Think back to the story of Exodus, the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, the holy of holies.]
Mark and David affirm that God’s—Jesus’s—desire as our shepherd is to dwell with his sheep. That is the nature of the shepherd. Without sheep, the shepherd loses its purpose. God desires to be with us—his sheep. If he did not, he would never have assumed the role of our shepherd.
Thus, Jesus our true shepherd has made a way for that overflow to continue all the days of our lives.
Through the Holy Spirit, we no longer dwell in the house of the Lord… the Lord now dwells in us.
His Spirit is the constant and unceasing overflow that fills and restores our life.
Mark and David prophetically reveal that God’s intention was to be ever-present with us, to overflow in our lives. This is the heart of the shepherd.
He is no longer bound by the singular place or location, but he is now freely poured out into our lives.
“We may dwell with him” has become he is dwelling in us.
Forever…