Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Gospel - Mark 6:30 34

Summary

This sermon discusses the transition from Mark 6:30-34 to the Gospel of John, focusing on the theme of nourishment through divine wisdom. It highlights the absence of sound leadership, exemplified by Herod Antipas, and the need for a true shepherd like Jesus who teaches and heals. The sermon emphasizes the importance of rest and spiritual retreat for apostles and all believers, stressing the necessity of being refreshed in God's presence for strength in evangelization. It concludes by underscoring the significance of truth and education in the Christian life for greater freedom and peace.

Takeaways

• 📖 The scripture reading from Mark 6:30-34 serves as a transition between the missionary section and the theme of nourishment in the Gospel of Mark.
• 🔄 For the next five Sundays, the Gospel of John will be used in the service due to its more theological and helpful discourse on the Bread of Life, which is central to understanding spiritual nourishment.
• 🐑 The concept of 'sheep without a shepherd' refers to the absence of sound leadership and the need for a true shepherd, as prophesied by Jeremiah and exemplified by the corrupt leadership of Herod Antipas.
• 💡 Jesus demonstrates divine power not only through miracles but also through teaching and preaching, which is likened to feeding the spiritually hungry with the truth of the kingdom of God.
• 🌐 The teaching of Jesus is described as healing because it liberates people from evil and falsehood, emphasizing the importance of truth in spiritual health.
• 📚 The Gospel of Mark emphasizes the importance of being with Jesus, learning from Him, and experiencing His presence for personal refreshment and strength.
• 🧘 The rhythm of apostolic activity includes periods of intense labor followed by rest, reflecting the need for spiritual refreshment in the presence of God.
• 🕊 The Christian life is characterized by a balance between work and rest, highlighting the necessity of being refreshed in God's presence to be effective in evangelization.
• 🙏 The importance of prayer and spending time in God's presence is underscored as essential for strength and fulfillment in doing God's work.
• 🌟 The teaching of Jesus, as found in the Gospel of John, is set to lead to the Eucharist, symbolizing the true Bread from heaven, which is central to Christian life and spiritual nourishment.
• 🛑 The script calls for a pause in the busyness of life to be refreshed and find peace in Jesus, reminding us that our strength and happiness come from God.

Q & A

What is the significance of Mark 6:30-34 in the Gospel of Mark?

Mark 6:30-34 serves as a hinge between the end of the missionary section and the theme of bread and nourishment in the Gospel of Mark.

Why do the Gospel readings for the next five Sundays move from Mark to John?

The Gospel of John is chosen for the next five Sundays because of its 'Bread of Life' discourse, which provides a more theological and helpful understanding of what it means to feed on Christ or to be fed by God.

What is the 'sheep without a shepherd' reference in the first reading?

The 'sheep without a shepherd' reference symbolizes the condition of God's people in the absence of sound leadership, as prophesied in Jeremiah, where God Himself will shepherd His people.

How does the absence of sound leadership manifest in the script?

The absence of sound leadership is exemplified in Herod Antipas, who was a corrupt and selfish leader, not helping the people but only himself.

What is the connection between teaching and feeding in the Gospel of Mark?

In the Gospel of Mark, teaching is equated with feeding, as Jesus begins to teach the people because they are like sheep without a shepherd, demonstrating divine power through preaching and teaching.

What does the vast crowd in the script signify about the people's spiritual hunger?

The vast crowd signifies the people's intense spiritual hunger for Jesus's teachings, as they are willing to follow Him to a deserted place, showing their desire for more of His teachings.

Why does Jesus invite the Apostles to 'come away and rest a while'?

Jesus invites the Apostles to rest as a rhythm of apostolic activity, emphasizing the importance of periods of intense labor followed by rest, which is a participation in the kingdom of God.

What is the importance of being refreshed in the presence of God?

Being refreshed in the presence of God is crucial as it is the source of our strength, happiness, and fulfillment, allowing us to be strong in Him and to do His work effectively.

How does the script relate the Christian life to a rhythm of work and rest?

The script emphasizes that the Christian life has a rhythm of work and rest, indicating the need for God's strength and the importance of being refreshed in His presence amidst our labors.

What is the role of truth in healing and liberating us from evil according to the script?

Truth, as taught by Jesus, is healing and liberating because it destroys the lies of the devil, offering us life in Christ and a better life as part of God's plan.

Why is education important in the context of the script?

Education is important because it steeps us in the truth of the gospel, enabling us to gain greater freedom, peace, and to live a more fulfilling life as God intends.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Transition to the Theme of Nourishment

The first paragraph introduces the scriptural focus for the upcoming Sundays, transitioning from the missionary section in Mark's Gospel to the theme of nourishment, specifically the 'Bread of Life' discourse in John's Gospel. It discusses the absence of sound leadership, referencing the condition of God's people without proper guidance, and the need for a true shepherd as prophesied by Jeremiah. The paragraph also touches on the corrupt leadership of Herod Antipas and the compassionate response of Jesus, who teaches the people despite their hunger and restlessness, symbolizing the spiritual nourishment they seek.

05:01

🌱 The Rhythm of Apostolic Activity: Work and Rest

The second paragraph delves into the rhythm of apostolic activity, emphasizing the importance of rest and retreat after periods of intense labor. It highlights Jesus' invitation to the Apostles to 'come away and rest awhile,' signifying the necessity of being refreshed in God's presence for spiritual strength. The summary underscores the importance of experiencing the kingdom of God for oneself to effectively evangelize others. It also touches on the Western culture's fast-paced lifestyle and the need to slow down, spend time with loved ones, and prioritize God's presence for true happiness and fulfillment.

10:03

🍞 The Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Hunger for Truth

The third paragraph sets the stage for the Eucharist and the 'Bread of Life' teachings, highlighting the people's spiritual hunger for Jesus' teachings. It discusses the role of preaching in preparing the people for spiritual nourishment and the healing power of truth in education and living a life aligned with the gospel. The paragraph also promotes the importance of education in the Catholic Biblical School at Michigan, emphasizing the need for a deep understanding of the gospel for greater freedom, peace, and a fuller life as intended by God.

Keywords

💡Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark is one of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament of the Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Mark the Evangelist, and it presents the life of Jesus Christ. In the video, the Gospel of Mark is discussed in the context of the 'missionary section' and the 'bread section,' which includes the feeding of the 5,000, and it is used to illustrate the theme of nourishment and leadership.

💡Bread of Life Discourse

The Bread of Life Discourse refers to a section in the Gospel of John where Jesus speaks about himself as the 'Bread of Life,' emphasizing the spiritual nourishment that comes from accepting him. In the video, this discourse is mentioned as being more theological and helpful for understanding the true meaning of spiritual nourishment, which is a central theme over the next five Sundays.

💡Sound Leadership

Sound leadership in the context of the video refers to effective and righteous guidance, particularly in spiritual matters. The absence of sound leadership is discussed in relation to the people of God and the need for true shepherds, as prophesied by Jeremiah. The video contrasts this with the corrupt leadership of Herod Antipas, highlighting the need for leaders who genuinely care for the people.

💡Sheep Without a Shepherd

The phrase 'sheep without a shepherd' is a biblical metaphor used to describe a group of people who lack proper guidance and leadership. In the video, it is used to describe the condition of God's people in the absence of sound leadership, and it is connected to the theme of Jesus as the true shepherd who will feed and guide his people.

💡Divine Wisdom

Divine wisdom in the video is the spiritual knowledge and understanding that comes from God. It is associated with the concept of receiving nourishment through the teachings of Jesus, as it is often symbolized by eating and drinking. The video discusses how Jesus teaches the people, offering them divine wisdom as a form of spiritual sustenance.

💡Teaching as Feeding

In the video, teaching is equated with feeding, emphasizing the nourishing aspect of Jesus' teachings. It is mentioned that in the Gospel of Mark, teaching is a form of feeding, as it provides spiritual sustenance to those who are spiritually hungry, likening it to the physical act of eating.

💡Spiritual Hunger

Spiritual hunger in the video is the deep desire for spiritual fulfillment and truth. It is depicted through the actions of the people who follow Jesus to a deserted place, showing their eagerness to learn from him despite the lack of preparation and the challenging location. This hunger is what drives them to seek Jesus' teachings.

💡Rhythm of Apostolic Activity

The rhythm of apostolic activity refers to the balance between periods of intense work and rest in the service of God. The video discusses the importance of this rhythm, emphasizing that even after periods of success, Jesus invites his apostles to rest and be refreshed in his presence, which is essential for their strength and effectiveness in their mission.

💡Presence of God

The presence of God in the video is the concept of being in a state of closeness and connection with the divine. It is highlighted as a source of strength, refreshment, and fulfillment, especially for those engaged in spiritual work. The video stresses the importance of spending time in God's presence to be rejuvenated and to receive guidance.

💡Evangelization

Evangelization is the act of spreading the Christian message to others. In the video, it is mentioned as a work that is God's, not ours, and it is emphasized that we need God's strength to effectively carry out this work. The video also discusses the importance of being refreshed in God's presence to be effective in evangelization.

💡Truth as Healing

In the video, truth is presented as a healing force. It is discussed in the context of Jesus' teachings, which offer spiritual healing by liberating individuals from evil and falsehood. The video emphasizes the importance of living in the truth of the gospel for greater freedom, peace, and a fuller life as God intends.

Highlights

The passage serves as a transition from the missionary section to the theme of bread and nourishment in the Gospel of Mark.

The Gospel of John will be used for the next five Sundays due to its more theological perspective on the bread of life discourse.

The absence of sound leadership is a recurring theme, with a call for God to appoint proper shepherds for His people.

Herod Antipas is cited as an example of corrupt leadership that failed to serve the people.

Jesus recognizes unmet needs and begins to teach, symbolizing feeding the people spiritually.

Scripture often symbolizes receiving divine wisdom through the metaphor of eating and drinking.

Jesus' teaching is likened to feeding the spiritually hungry, likening it to the act of a shepherd.

The rhythm of apostolic activity includes periods of intense labor followed by rest, reflecting the need for spiritual refreshment.

The importance of being with Jesus to gain strength for evangelization and ministry is emphasized.

The Christian life is described as having a rhythm of work and rest, highlighting the necessity of God's presence for strength.

The teaching of Jesus is presented as a healing force that liberates from evil through the truth.

The Apostles' return to Jesus after their mission signifies the importance of rest and being refreshed in God's presence.

The spiritual hunger of the people is depicted by their pursuit of Jesus to a deserted place, showing their desire for His teachings.

The proclamation of the kingdom of God is seen as a means of healing through the destruction of lies by truth.

The importance of aligning personal plans and goals with God's agenda for a fulfilling and peaceful life is discussed.

The teaching that Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light is used to illustrate the simplicity of following God's plan.

The significance of education in the truth of the gospel for gaining freedom, peace, and a fuller life is highlighted.

Transcripts

this weekend we find ourselves in mark

chapter six and this is a short passage

verses 30 through 34 it actually serves

as a hinge between the end of the

missionary section of the Gospel of Mark

and then we start to get to the theme or

the major section on bread and

nourishment the next five Sundays in

fact we jump to the Gospel of John mark

has a bread section feeding of the 5,000

etc 4,000 how much our gospel you're

looking at but nonetheless we actually

moved for the next five Sundays to the

Gospel of John because his bread of life

discourse is more theological more

helpful to us to understand the true

meaning of what it means to feed on

Christ or to be fed by God

the first reading does reference in fact

the the absence of sound leadership and

we'll get to that I guess with the Sheep

and why they are shepherd without a

sheep and what that really means well

just what maybe we just cover right now

perhaps I don't know so the sheep

without a shepherd thing first of all is

that that that's a reference to the

condition of God's people in the absence

of sound leadership now Jeremiah is

prophesying pretty much they get to the

point more in that prophet Jeremiah that

God Himself will have to Shepherd his

people here in that section and

specifically he's talked about God

appointing his own shepherds and he's

war also scorning the ones that were

there you know that you're not

shepherding my people the way they're

supposed to be shepherded and of course

the absence of sound leadership is

exemplified in Herod Antipas who was a

corrupt selfish leader and he did not

help the people but only himself and so

then that's the kind of leadership that

Israel had and so then there's a need

for a real Shepherd who's going to feed

the people

and so then Jesus starts to realize very

quickly that there are needs that are

being unmet which is why he begins to

teach them anything

and so then there's this whole

understanding of that in the Gospel of

Mark teaching for mark is feeding and so

then scripture has always talked about

the the or it's frequently referenced

rather that receiving of divine wisdom

was symbolized by eating and drinking

and so then here Jesus teaches them many

things because they are like sheep

without a shepherd so his heart is moved

with great compassion for them and so

then so then he he teaches them even

though they're hungry even though

they're supposed to be resting even

though they are in the deserted place

and yes yet when they get off the boat

there there's this vast crowd all right

so then backing up kind of giving you

the homily backwards here so that's kind

of like where it ends is that he's

teaching them many things because we get

set up for the bread of life discourse

which takes place over the next five

Sundays but the point here is that Jesus

starts to teach them and he's exercising

his divine power in a different way

earlier in the Gospel of Mark if you

remember the last couple weekends you

know Jesus demonstrated the kingdom of

God through exorcisms miracle healings

power over nature with a storm at sea

which we didn't cover but it was in the

text if you keep going backwards in the

Gospel of Mark you'll see that he

demonstrates his divine power or his

saving power and that partaking in those

particular ways but now he demonstrates

it in a different way through this

preaching and teaching and the giving of

truth

why is truth teaching and why is truth

healing because it does liberate us from

evil

mark 127 a new authority our new

teaching with authority he commands even

the unclean spirits and they obey Him

and so then through this proclaiming of

the kingdom of God the lies that the

devil has we they are destroyed by the

truth which is why Jesus is teaching the

Apostles teaching is so important the

fact that the Apostles return and they

are reporting all that they have done

reported reported to Jesus what they've

done and taught probably means that

their preaching of what we cover last

week what they preach repentance right

their preaching of repentance hit the

mark now the people are very very

spiritually hungry for the teaching of

the Apostles and Jesus so hungry that

they know where they are going and they

hasten on foot to a deserted place which

no one really would go to you know no

one goes to deserted places it's like

where bad things are beasts and wild

wild beasts and bad spirits right let's

start thinking at the time so but that

they go to this deserted place because I

know that that's where he's going to

retreat with his disciples and so it's a

it denotes this spiritual hunger of the

people they get a taste of what Jesus's

teaching is like and they want more of

it so they are willing to go without

preparations which is why it sets up the

next five Sundays for the feeding of the

5,000 etc for the feeding of the people

there's a vast crowd there that these

people are very very hungry for that

Jesus's teachings so the apostles then

this is why Jesus says to them he says

come away and rest awhile why does he

say that he says that because they have

just come back and they have reported

all they've done and taught so here the

rhythm of apostolic activity is that

there are periods of intense labor with

rest

so actually withdrawal and rest is is a

participation in the kingdom of God

all right that's important for those

especially who work in ministry but it's

but it's important for all of us as well

I'll get to that point but the simple

point there is that remember the first

task of the Apostle was to be with Jesus

come away and rest a while now that you

have worked intensely let's go on a

retreat so that we can be refreshed in

the presence of God so the whole point

is that none of us can really even do a

whole lot we can't do anything if we go

by John all right John says without me

you can do nothing right so then we

can't do anything without Jesus so we

need his presence we need that stillness

alone in

presents to be refreshed to be restraint

tvind in him and so that's where our

happiness and our satisfaction and our

fulfillment comes from is from God

himself and if we don't spend time in

that presence then we're going to not be

able to be strong by him God Himself is

our strength especially when we are

doing his work of evangelization and so

then this is what we're all called to

we're all called to be missionaries in

one sense or another to call people to

the kingdom of God but if I don't

refresh myself in the presence of Jesus

then I'm not going to have anything to

give because I have not experienced

experiencing the kingdom of God for

myself all right so it's so important

again back to the first task of the

Apostles the first task was to be with

Jesus so important for the Apostles to

come back even after a period of success

that Jesus invites them to come away and

rest a while and so then we have this

simple understanding to be with Jesus

but for us everybody else if we're gonna

have happiness in life we still need the

presence of God we go through life very

quickly especially in the Western

culture we are very much attached to the

clock and we very much run with a rat

race and we hardly ever have any time to

tell our spouses we love them or our

children that we love them or encourage

them we are running running running

running running alright and this of

course is a prime example of how

important it is that we need Jesus we

need to stop and we need to be refreshed

the apes' good enough for the apostles

who are doing all kinds of apostolic

activity it's good enough for us

alright the Christian life has a rhythm

to it and yes this work and rest and

work and rest and work and rest all

right because we need God so much that

we need to be refreshed in his presence

he is our strength

this whole church is his strength excuse

me is his work right we need her

strength they hit this whole church the

work of the church is God's it's not

mine it's not yours

we might work like it depends on us but

it doesn't all right

that's where

you know if we if we start to

rationalize that my work is my prayer

then that's where the our agendas start

to imperceptibly become substituted for

God's agenda all right because I have

not been taking time with prayer

I'm not refreshed in the Lord then I'm

not strong in history I'm not strong

because of him I'm strong because I'm

pushing my own agenda and it's a pride

thing that starts to take over so if

you're very careful about that what we

want to do and remember you know my yoke

is easy my burden is light okay the Lord

has a plan for each of our lives and he

wants it to be easy enough and we make

things more difficult when we start to

carve our own plans out of our own lives

it's good to have goals it's good to

have a plan but we always want to

subject everything back to the Lord say

is this what we should be doing is this

what I should be doing Lord is this what

you called me to and that's it's and

that goes you know every part of our

lives especially all the very important

decisions we want to be able to be sure

that we're doing what God is asking

because that's where we're gonna find

the most fulfillment the most happiness

and and that's where we're gonna find

the most peace and so come away and rest

awhile here at the Lord here this

passages is just setting us up for what

it's going to what is about to happen

the Lord wants to feed us and first here

he's he's priming them with it with the

preaching of the gospel the preaching

the proclamation of the kingdom of God

he's priming the people and they they

are hungry for truth they are hungry for

what truth offers them which is life in

Christ and this better life that is

being offered them when he when we

finally get set up for the Eucharist the

bread of life the teaching leads to

being fed then with the true bread from

heaven and bread and for John 6:35

through 50 that actually bread is

actually a teaching for for him as well

so there's that section in the Gospel of

John that also called responds to the

Gospel of Mark where for a mark in this

section especially that teaching is

healing as

all right so then that's something that

we realize from the proclamation that

came of god the demonstration of the

kingdom of God through the miracles sure

and all those things earlier on but now

teaching and truth offers us healing

it's why it's so important for us to

live in the truth that's why education

is so important that's one of the

reasons that we're promoting the

Catholic biblical school at Michigan and

you're going to hear at the end of the

mass today is because education is so

important we need to be steeped in the

truth of the gospel so that we can gain

greater freedom and greater peace and

live a more fuller life that God is

calling us to