Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 6 verses 30 through 44:
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 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. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 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. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
In this story of the feeding of the 5,000 there is an interesting detail which is easily missed but is a clue to what the writer Mark is intending to tell us about Jesus. The detail is this: the grass was green.
The Bible does not usually give us descriptions about setting. We don't get a lot of color commentary on the trees or the fields or the sky. We don't, that is, unless it matters.
The grass was green beside the Sea of Galilee. And 5,000 people were there, hungry and helpless -- "like sheep without a shepherd". And looking out on to that sea of humanity he had compassion on them and he made them sit down on the green grass and he fed them.
Or, if you're getting the picture . . . The shepherd made his flock to lie down in green pastures and beside still waters and restored their souls by setting a table for them. It's the 23rd Psalm in action.
Mark is trying to tell us something about Jesus. That he is the good shepherd. That he restores our souls in our times of greatest desperation and want. That he provides for us here in the wilderness. And that he can be trusted in the way ahead, that he can be trusted to deliver us through even the valley of the shadow of death.
Receive now again these faithful words from the Psalmist and take comfort in the promise they afford for us who walk without fear behind our good and faithful shepherd:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
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