Something we have not commented on very much is the never-ending love of Jesus – that is of Jesus as God. We saw it in the Old Testament as the love of God the Father for his children Israel, but here Mark sets the stage:
“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat” (Mk 6:30-31).
This is a command from Jesus, but it is far more than that, and it teaches us that commands in the Cycle are not always about restricting some evil activity. A leader demands sacrificial service from his closest advisers and workers; but he or she also intuitively watches to make sure that the ones who go the extra mile do not fall from total fatigue.
And the never-ending love of Jesus is far stronger than any boss at work!
But the mini-retreat Jesus offers is not to be. The crowds follow them to the desolate place, and now more than five thousand people have gathered to hear Jesus:
“And when he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things” (Jn 6:34).
There it is again – the never-ending love of Jesus.
These two events suggest that never-ending love is best practiced when it comes as a surprise to a very needy recipient, whether apostle or anonymous.
Jesus then commands the apostles to give the people something to eat – they are out in the middle of nowhere with almost no food to eat. Talk about a surprise – to the apostles!
You know the story that follows. Jesus uses five loaves of bread and two fish to feed all those people, who leave more than double what they started with behind after their feast.
Still trying to take care of his apostles who must be exhausted by now, he commands them to get in the boat and head back where they came from before night closes in. Jesus goes up on the mountain alone to pray. Here is his secret to perfect unity with God the Father.
Is your secret, too?
Meanwhile, the apostles are caught in a storm on the sea and are moving far too slowly as darkness descends. Jesus sees them struggling from up on the mountain, and about three o’clock in the morning he comes to them, walking on the water.
Imagine pitch darkness, and suddenly a figure appears right next to you, but outside the boat!
“…when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.’ And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded” (Jn 6:49-51).
Think of the boat as you, fighting the headwinds and death-defying waves of life. Have you ever stopped to think that quite possibly, Jesus is walking on the water right beside you? Not figuratively, but literally! And have you ever taken courage because he commands you to take heart and not fear?
It is true – he actually does – because of his never-ending love for you!
But it gets even better. There is something else sandwiched between those two commands.
What is the reason Jesus gives for not fearing the storm?
He says, “It is I.”
This is not, “Yo, dude, it’s me! How’s it goin’?”
These are exactly the same two words God spoke to Moses and on many other occasions. It is an emphatic shout, “I AM!!!”
The never-ending love of Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit is I AM. I AM right beside you, always and forever!
The bread is physical food, miraculously produced.
The boat is perfect unity with the never-ending love of Jesus.