大戰時，在一個義大年軍營中，軍長把獎章頒發給一位士兵，因為這位士兵在一個月內，從德軍的營中偷來四部坦克車。
頒獎典禮結束以候，軍長立刻把小兵被叫到辦公室，並問他怎麼能夠從德軍的軍營中每七天就偷倒一部坦克車？這是件不可能的事。
小兵回答說：容易嘛，長官，只要我送他們两部坦克車，他們就送我一部……
今天福音的開端，是宗徒們首次宣講回來後，「聚集到耶穌跟前，將他們所作所教的一切，都報告給耶穌。」 (谷6：30)宗徒們的成積看起來是不錯的，因為上主日讀到耶穌首次派遣他們出外傳教：「他們就出去宣講，使人悔改，並驅逐了許多魔鬼且給許多病人傅油，治好了他們。」(谷6：12-13)
1.但是在這時間內，馬爾谷記載了若翰為了捍衛真道，不惜賠上了性命：真的做到了「拋頭顱，灑熱血」的地步。相形之下，宗徒們距離這境界，應當還差遠了。建立天國，並不只是一些攻城略地的外表成績，而內心裡仍充斥著大大小小的妥協；天國的臨現，首先是每人自身徹底的改變。在猶太曠野宣講時，若翰就很清楚的說：「你們悔改吧!因為天國臨近了。」(瑪3:3)
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
Mark 6:30-34
They told him all that they had done and taught
The twelve return from their mission. The translation ‘the apostles’ should read ‘the ones sent out’. Only Luke and Paul speak of ‘Apostles’. For Mark they were ‘sent out’ (see 6:7-13). Now, after an interlude during which the death of John the Baptist has been reported (6:14-29), ‘the ones sent out’ return to Jesus (v. 30).
These missionaries were successful (v. 13). Although the account is not included in the Sunday Lectionary, it is important to know that between the sending out of the missionaries (vv. 7-13), and their return to Jesus (v. 30), the death of John the Baptist is reported (vv. 14-29). While disciples are out on their mission, the Baptist is slain for his fidelity to his ‘mission.
Jesus is the source of all that the twelve have said and done. When he called them he told them he would make them ‘fishers of men’ (see 1:17); as he appointed the twelve they were informed that they would be able to do what Jesus had done because they had been called ‘to be with him’ (see 3:14). But now they return, after their successes, full of their own importance. Instead of recognising that their success depended entirely upon the one who sent them, they ‘told him all that they had done and taught’ (v. 30). They are under the false impression that their own authority has empowered their deeds and words.
John the Baptist responded radically to his mission, so much so that it cost him his life. Flanking this account of obedience until death we have the mission (vv. 7-13) and the failure of disciples who do not understand the nature of their vocation to be disciples of Jesus. Like the Baptist (see vv. 14-29), they must follow him down his way, and not create a world of their own making (v. 30).
As we saw in the reflection on Mark’s passion story, this Gospel often reports the failure of the disciples (see pp. 98-110). But it also reports that Jesus never abandons his failing disciples. For this reason, Jesus asks his failing missionaries to come away by themselves, to rest for a while. They have been caught up in the excitement of their missionary success, and they have lost their perspective. So many were coming and going that the missionaries didn’t even have time to eat (v. 31).
Earlier in the Gospel Jesus’ own family thought he was mad because so many people came to him (3:20-21). The answer to these problems is not more activity, but a recognition that through all the fuss, God directs the spread of his kingdom. Crossing the lake, Jesus leads the disciples to a quiet place, but the crowds seek him out (v.33). Jesus’ taking pity on the crowds and having compassion upon them makes him their Good Shepherd (v.34).
Behind the scene of the quiet place where Jesus has led his disciples and the people are the words of the Psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul’ (Ps 23:1-3). Disciples may fail in their arrogance; those searching for an answer to their needs may lose their way in the hustle and bustle of life. Neither the railed disciple nor the hassled searcher is ever abandoned by a God whose love is made known to us in Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
30. 宗徒們聚集到耶穌跟前，將他們所作所教的一切，都報告給耶穌。
31. 耶穌向他們說：「你們來，私下到荒野的地方去休息一會兒!」這是因為來往的人很多，以致他們連吃飯的工夫也沒有。
32. 他們便乘船私下往荒野的地方去了。
33. 人看見他們走了。許多人也知道他們要去的地方，便從各城徒步，一起往那裏奔走，且在他們以先到了。
耶穌一下船，看見一大夥群眾，就對他們動了憐憫的心，因為他們好像沒有牧人的羊，遂開口教訓他們許多事。
