Two Parties

I want to take another angled view at Mark 6:30-44, Jesus' feeding of 5,000 people from this past Sunday's lesson.

I don't think Mark just happens to put verses 14-44 together in his Gospel account (not that Mark was putting verses in his writing anyways). These two accounts fit together and I believe Mark uses them to compare. 6:14-29 is a 'flashback' to explain how John the Baptist was killed. It just happens to be placed right before Jesus' miracle. Why? I think they contrast two parties: the world's and Jesus'.

Read Mark 6:14-44 by clicking.

Mark is going to flashback to the night John the Baptist was killed to further explain his comment in verse 14 and 15. People's comments to explain Jesus were that John had been raised from the dead and was essentially continuing his ministry or the great Prophet Elijah had returned. Mark takes this opportunity to share how John was killed and counter this view that John the Baptist came back from the dead, since this was King Herod's opinion.

First of all, let's simply look at two kings being compared: Herod, of an earthly throne and Jesus, king of life.

King Herod throws a party. His party is one of self. It's all about him and for him, being his birthday. Herod throws a bash to celebrate himself. The hot shots are all there and apparently the entertainment was all geared toward Herod himself.

Jesus on the other hand doesn't necessarily throw a party. His party, so to speak, comes out of a perception of people's needs that led to an overwhelming compassion. Jesus comes off the boat and sees a large crowd waiting for him. People desperate to hear or even simply get a glance of him. This party is not thrown for a birthday and the entertainment in this countryside get together is much different. Jesus turns this into a spiritual feeding that will end in a great banquet of food.

In Herod's party, the King offers up to half of his kingdom because he was pleased with his entertainment. I don't feel the need to go into his niece being the entertainment and what kind of entertainment it was. Needless to say, Herod enjoyed it so much he was willing to give a lot in return. This promise comes from his pleasure. It is a reaction to pleasure.

Jesus on the other hand makes a promise. His promise is to feed 5,000 people. When Jesus orders that the crowd be split into groups he is making the promise. He is promising that something is going to happen. I love the note that R. Alan Cole gives in his Tyndale commentary about this: "perhaps it is not unfair, too, to see a hint in this detail, that God is a God of order, one who at the dawn of time brought order out of chaos." This promise is a promise out of compassion and ministry.

The big shindig of Herod's ends in death, murder actually. The party thrown was so much fun that death was the end result. Because of this foolish promise, a man that Herod feared had to be beheaded. His head was brought on a platter to show further the foolishness of this death. It was out of jealousy and anger; emotions that do not draw us closer to God, but ones that separate us from Him. These are not emotions Paul uses to describe love in 1 Corinthians. So, this party resulted in death.

Now, Jesus' gathering? Life. Miracle. Happiness. The result of Jesus' promise was satisfaction through life. Amazing isn't he?

Mark wants this to be seen I believe. These two parties with two completely different purposes. The guest of honor with two different promises. And two promises with other end effects. See, the world is all about self. It's a message I harp on again and again because more than anything it's a message I need to be reminded of constantly. The priorities and reasons for a party to the world end up on the other end of the spectrum from Jesus'. Death, destruction, hatred...sinful nature rule in the party of the world. Life, miracle, satisfaction...godliness rule in the party of Christ.