9th after pentecost year b - mark

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

30The apostles gathered around Jesus,

    and told him all that they had done and taught.

31Jesus said to them,

    “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves

         and rest a while.”

    For many were coming and going,

         and they had no leisure even to eat.

32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.

    33Now many saw them going and recognized them,

         and they hurried there on foot from all the towns

              and arrived ahead of them.

34As Jesus went ashore,

    he saw a great crowd;

         and he had compassion for them,

              because they were like sheep without a shepherd;

         and Jesus began to teach them many things.
  
53When Jesus and the disciples had crossed over,

    they came to land at Gennesaret

    and moored the boat.

         54When they got out of the boat,

              people at once recognized Jesus,

              55and rushed about that whole region

              and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

                   56And wherever Jesus went,

                        into villages or cities or farms,

                             they laid the sick in the marketplaces,

                             and begged him that they might touch 
                                  even the fringe of his cloak;

                                  and all who touched it were healed.

Queeries for the text:

What is missing?
Does Jesus ever actually succeed at resting?
How much unpaid labor is unquestioningly expected from others?
Where does Jesus' compassion lead us now?
Who are the sheep without a shepherd, living aimlessly, in our time?
Which many things did Jesus teach them?
How long does it take to "rush about that whole region"?
How fast could word spread about the woman who touched Jesus' cloak?
What is the power of the fringe?
What artificial boundaries does Jesus continue to cross?

What are your queeries?



Sermon:

Today's sermon drew on both the queeries in this text and today's second reading: Ephesians 2:11-22.  I understand the connections between the queerying my sermon and am happy to share if you have any questions or queeries of your own, just let me know!

This is the visual for my sermon.

If you'd like to listen to the sermon, the second reading begins at 17:10, the gospel reading begins at 19:35, and the sermon itself begins at 21:27.