Thursday, January 30, 2025

Sheep Without A Shepherd


The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. Mark 6:30-46

We find ourselves at some times like sheep without a shepherd. Even the most faithful among us can get lost in grief, rejection, hurt and pain. Today we hear how two little fish and five small loaves, simply a child's lunch and dinner, ended up feeding more than five thousand people with baskets full leftover. These were hungry people, with little hope, with little support who found sustenance and abundance in Jesus. And we are reminded, when we are lost in these times, to be reminded that Jesus is ready to supply our needs and renew our hope. We never have to do this on our own.

Gracious Creator, you give eagles wings to soar
you instill a divine eye in painters and sculptors
you put gorgeous words in the poet's heart
and you renew our hope when we are very lost.

This is a season when so many are terrified
a time of dashed hopes and hunger for justice
the fears are deep, and the worry is real now
yet in hungry, dark times you always provide.

Help us put our whole lives and faith in you
so that we might share the little we all have
with the lost, the forgotten and the hungry
trusting in your compassion and mercy here. Amen.

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