Psalm 85 – “Lord, you poured out blessings on your land! You restored the fortunes of Israel. You forgave the guilt of your people—yes, you covered all their sins” (85:1-2).

You resisted destroying us for our failings. “Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more” (85:4).

“I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways” (85:8).

And from the Jerusalem Bible, this last verse: “Love and Loyalty now meet, Righteousness and Peace now embrace; Loyalty reaches up from earth and Righteousnss leans down from heaven” (85:11).

Just when you sometimes get so tired of hearing about the anger of God and the kind of eternal family feuding that makes up the relationship between God and his people, the psalmist will throw some beautiful phrases at you that helps you open your eyes yet again.

Psalm 86 – “Listen to me, Lord and answer me, poor and needy as I am; keep my soul. I am your devoted one, save your servant who relies on you” (86:1-2).

“Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you” (86:4).

“No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do! All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name” (86:9).

“Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you” (86:11).

“[Y]ou, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (86:15).

Psalm 87 – This psalm is, I think, a very influential one. I haven’t read City of God, but I would expect that Augustine was influenced by this one:

“On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord. He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel” (87:1-2).

“I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me—also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia. They have all become citizens of Jerusalem . . . ‘Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there’ and the Most High will personally bless this city” (87:4-5).

Matthew 14 – When Herod Antipas hears about Jesus, he thinks he must be John the Baptist returned from the dead.

Herod had arrested John on account of Herodias (his brother Philip’s wife). He had been afraid to kill John, but when his birthday came, Herodias’ daughter danced and pleased him so much he asked her what he could give her and with her mother’s inspiration, she asked for John’s head. The disciples tell Jesus about it. Mark has this same story, but Luke does not go passed telling us of John’s imprisonment—and this in the course of introducing John’s ministry, even before the story of Jesus’ baptism by him.

Upon hearing about John, Jesus goes off to be by himself, but the crowds (upset by the news too) seek him out. He has compassion on them and cures their sick.

When evening comes, the disciples want to send them away to buy food, but Jesus tells them to give the crowd something to eat. He takes the five loaves and two fish they have and multiplies them for everyone - 5000 men along with the women and children with them (14:18-21).  

In Mark, the feeding follows the story of John the Baptist but is distinct—the gathering of the crowd more relates to what they have heard about Jesus and his disciples than to having heard about John. After the meal, Jesus sends his disciples on to the other side of the sea to Bethsaida. 

In Luke, the feeding of the 5000 is in Bethsaida (9:10) and there is no comment made about Jesus having compassion for the crowd. Marcus Borg’s novel, Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith is a great discussion of faith issues. In a discussion between two characters, one points out that the feeding stories are meant to invoke Jesus identity as the new Moses, feeding his people the manna from God on their journey of faith. Augustine also has great things to say about seeing Jesus with the mind, with more than simply fleshly vision [see Homily 13 on John]. They are saying the same thing.   

Jesus sends his disciples across the sea afterwards but stays, going up a mountain, to pray for a while.  There is a terrible storm that night. In early morning, he is seen walking toward them on the water. Jesus calms them. Peter asks him to command him to come to him on the water. Jesus does, and Peter starts out, but when he notices the strong wind, his faith fails and he sinks. “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (14:31) In the boat they “worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (14:33).

Mark has Jesus intending to walk on by them, and has nothing about Peter.  It also ends the story with the mysterious passage, “And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (6:52). And Luke does not include the story. The chapter ends at Gennesaret with more healings.