MARK 6:45-46
There's nothing like eating and running. Except this time it was eating and rowing as Jesus abruptly motioned toward the boat. "Cross over to Bethsaida." And with that he disappeared into the crowd.
There was little argument amongst the disciples now, their stomachs full, their heads swimming from what they had just witnessed. Peter was first to the boat. Both hands on the wooden stern as he struggled to raise it from the sand. "All I can say is," as he dug his heels into the damp, "I have never seen anything like that before." As the others joined him, the boat creaked and slid into the water. A few piled in while Peter and John stabilized on opposite sides. With one last heave, both men scrambled aboard and grabbed oars.
Jesus raised his arms. Barely a handful of people even noticed him. Unless a person stood on a rock or sat atop another's shoulders, all you could observe was a sea of humanity. The size of the crowd had not dwindled even one person since the afternoon. And why would anyone leave? Perhaps Jesus would perform another magic trick. Even the late-comers were generously handed leftovers. Groups of men argued about this and that and wild gangs of boys darted between the women and the animals. Jesus closed his eyes and prayed outloud. "Father, I love these people. Please see them home in peace. Please allow your words to penetrate their hearts. I thank you for them and " -- a pack of teenagers, laughing and wrestling, collided into his back. The jolt forced him into an ungraceful sprawl, a knee and an elbow to the dirt. The boys fell as a clump at his heels. One of them, barely 13 and at the bottom of the heap, flashed nervous brown eyes. "Hey, get off me, guys" he said, pushing the others off and scanning Jesus' face for any trace of irritation as if to say, are you mad? Jesus' eyes merely warmed and softened at the edges. No, I'm not mad, Marcus. He didn't hear any sound and Jesus' mouth didn't move. The boy elbowed his way off the ground and just like that, the spell was broken. Before melting into the crowd, his final thought: How did he know my name?
Jesus made his way to the center of the throng, praying silently as he went. If there was anything harder than gathering a crowd it was dispersing one. Still, like a wind over tall grass, wherever Jesus walked, one by one the people stooped to gather their things. An unspoken accord had been reached, somehow everyone knew it was time to leave. The occasional person would approach Jesus, say a few words, but then migrate instinctively back to their departing group.
Jesus watched for over an hour as the last of the crowd shrank into the distance. The sun was setting now and it had been an exhausting yet joy-filled day. There was nothing he wanted more than to share everything with Father. Looking around for the best vantage spot, the mountain rose steep before him. "Okay, Papa. To the top it is."
There was little argument amongst the disciples now, their stomachs full, their heads swimming from what they had just witnessed. Peter was first to the boat. Both hands on the wooden stern as he struggled to raise it from the sand. "All I can say is," as he dug his heels into the damp, "I have never seen anything like that before." As the others joined him, the boat creaked and slid into the water. A few piled in while Peter and John stabilized on opposite sides. With one last heave, both men scrambled aboard and grabbed oars.
Jesus raised his arms. Barely a handful of people even noticed him. Unless a person stood on a rock or sat atop another's shoulders, all you could observe was a sea of humanity. The size of the crowd had not dwindled even one person since the afternoon. And why would anyone leave? Perhaps Jesus would perform another magic trick. Even the late-comers were generously handed leftovers. Groups of men argued about this and that and wild gangs of boys darted between the women and the animals. Jesus closed his eyes and prayed outloud. "Father, I love these people. Please see them home in peace. Please allow your words to penetrate their hearts. I thank you for them and " -- a pack of teenagers, laughing and wrestling, collided into his back. The jolt forced him into an ungraceful sprawl, a knee and an elbow to the dirt. The boys fell as a clump at his heels. One of them, barely 13 and at the bottom of the heap, flashed nervous brown eyes. "Hey, get off me, guys" he said, pushing the others off and scanning Jesus' face for any trace of irritation as if to say, are you mad? Jesus' eyes merely warmed and softened at the edges. No, I'm not mad, Marcus. He didn't hear any sound and Jesus' mouth didn't move. The boy elbowed his way off the ground and just like that, the spell was broken. Before melting into the crowd, his final thought: How did he know my name?
Jesus made his way to the center of the throng, praying silently as he went. If there was anything harder than gathering a crowd it was dispersing one. Still, like a wind over tall grass, wherever Jesus walked, one by one the people stooped to gather their things. An unspoken accord had been reached, somehow everyone knew it was time to leave. The occasional person would approach Jesus, say a few words, but then migrate instinctively back to their departing group.
Jesus watched for over an hour as the last of the crowd shrank into the distance. The sun was setting now and it had been an exhausting yet joy-filled day. There was nothing he wanted more than to share everything with Father. Looking around for the best vantage spot, the mountain rose steep before him. "Okay, Papa. To the top it is."
Labels: bible fiction
posted by ToddO at 9:09 AM
1 Comments:
this is great, todd. good stuff.
jeannie
The Character Therapist
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