The Twelve

As I read the Scriptures in my quiet time with the Lord, I am reminded time and again of His humanity during His time on earth. Though He was and is God, Jesus laid aside His divinity and came to earth to live in a human body, to live as a man, showed the heart of God to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit before He suffered and died for our sins on the cross and was raised from the dead by God's power.  He is our example of how the righteous can and should live by the power of the same Holy Spirit.  I wrote this free-verse poetry after reading Mark chapter 6 today.  I like to imagine myself there in the scene with Jesus and the disciples and how things are likely to have happened.  Today I saw things I'd never thought of before.  What is God saying to you?  I invite you to share comments below.

 The Twelve

The sad news spread quickly.

“John has been beheaded, Jesus.  He’s dead.”

The Twelve

Had gathered around Him

To tell of their success

In teaching, healing,

And casting out devils

As He had sent them to do

Two by two.

Grieving for His cousin,

And tired from ministry,

Jesus planned a getaway

For all of them.

 “Come away to a deserted place

To be alone and rest awhile,” He said.

Clamoring crowds watched them leave

And ran on foot ahead of them

From cities all around.

As Jesus’ boat landed,

His tired eyes saw a multitude

Waiting for Him.

Denied a respite,

But moved with compassion,

He knew these sheep had no shepherd.

Sheep who were spiritually tired,

Hungry, beaten, bruised and sore,

Uncared-for-sheep

With matted hair and infestations.

Physically sick and afflicted,

They needed a Teacher.

So He taught them.

Disappointed by change of plans,

The Twelve became

Disgruntled and hungry

As the day wore on.

When would they get to eat the food

They had brought with them

In the boat?

It wasn’t polite to eat

In front of hungry people.

And evening was upon them.

“Jesus, send this crowd away

“To buy food for themselves.

“They’re hungry in this deserted place. 

“It’s late, and time they all went home

“Where they belong.”

 Knowing their selfish motives,

Jesus said, “You feed them.”

The Twelve retorted,

“You want us to deplete our money bag

“By four thousand dollars

“To go buy food for this horde?”

Jesus paused, looked at them and asked,

“What do you have on hand?  Go see.”

The report was grim: five loaves of bread

And two fish.

Food The Twelve

Had planned to parcel out

Among themselves

Once the hordes left.

After all, it’s not polite

To eat

In front of hungry people.

Patiently, Jesus instructs The Twelve.

“Divide the people into orderly groups

“Of hundreds and fifties

“And tell them to sit down.”

After they obeyed,

The Twelve watched as Jesus

Laid his hands on the loaves and fish

Held out in front of Him.

He looked up to heaven,

And declared the food blessed.

The Twelve watched as loaf after loaf

Was broken into serving pieces

And handed to them to distribute.

As they served one hungry person

After another,

A fresh piece of bread appeared

In their hands

To take the place of the one just given!

Same with the fish!

Amazing!  What was this?

Would it be enough for five thousand

Hungry men?

Yes, it was, and then some.

When all had eaten their fill,

Twelve baskets full of leftovers

Were gathered—

One for each of The Twelve.

Jesus ordered them back across the sea,

But He went up the mountain to pray—

Alone.

He needed to hear from His Father

How and what to do and teach—

Not just the masses—but

The Twelve.

Based on Mark 6 and John 12:49 in the Holy Bible, NKJV

Copyright © 2015 Elaine Beachy