Mark 6:45-46 “Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” NIV
The story that is related in this passage is fascinating in its sense of immediacy. There seems to be an emphasis on the fact that Jesus wasted little or no time in concluding this miraculous event that has just taken place. Jesus had been teaching the crowd for an extended period of time and as the day is getting late he performs a miracle of multiplication by creating enough food to feed the thousands gathered from five loaves of bread and two small fish. Verse 45 emphasizes the fact that very shortly after finishing this act of feeding the multitudes Jesus sends his disciples off in the boat as He prepares to send the crowds away.
These two verses are fascinating for the many questions that they raise. Why did Jesus do this quickly? Evidently Jesus wanted to encourage His disciples to get on their way across the water before it got too late in the evening since the trip across the water was a long one. It is also thought provoking to consider why Jesus left Himself in a position to have to deal with a crowd of many thousands by Himself? He has sent His team of workers and leaders off ahead in the boats and now must tell thousands of people “it’s time for you to leave!” Have you ever tried to get the people whom you have just had at your house for a good time to go home!? Even a small crowd is not so easy to dismiss from a social function. How much more a crowd of thousands who have been miraculously fed and seemingly have an unhindered access to Jesus now that His disciples have gone off in the boats?
The fact that this went smoothly is a testimony to the authority of Jesus. With no microphone, no crowd control help, Jesus simply dismisses the crowd and they leave. The same man who has the problem in some places of people pressing in so much that they could almost crush Him now just tells the people to leave and they obey. This tells us something about Jesus. When the crowds were gathered round Jesus to touch Him their proximity was because He wanted them near. In Lu. 4:29-30, when the crowds were against Jesus and wanted to throw Him off of the cliff, they could not. He simply walked right through the crowds. As they were mocking Him on the cross He told them that if He wanted to He could call for legions of angels to deliver Him. Jesus knew the authority that He possessed which made His willingness to accommodate people in their weakness even more amazing.
So what is it that moved Jesus to send away the disciples and dismiss the crowds? It was a longing to pray! Jesus wanted to be alone! This is a powerful image of the priority of Jesus. He had just performed one of the most amazing miracles in recorded history and He doesn’t get in the boat with His disciples to share high-fives as they celebrate the awesomeness of the moment. There was no “way to go Jesus!” taking place. Jesus just wanted to be alone! “Give me time with my Father!” Instead of celebrating the current victory Jesus is already presenting Himself to the Father for the next set of instructions. What a picture of focused obedience. May each one of us learn to live with a humble, focused heart!
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