Reading Mark 6:30-46 this morning, I was struck by the care and compassion of Lord Yeshua which moved Him to also minister to the physical needs of the multitudes who He had been teaching and ministering the words of God to. At verse 34 we read, ‘And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.’ Here, we can note the “spiritual food” with which He fed the souls of the multitudes – food they wanted to eat! Continuing on at verses 35-42, we read this:
When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and
already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”
37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”
38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”
39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled.
In the midst of my thoughts of this, I asked myself the question:
What would your response have been in seeing the multitudes – needy multitudes – and particularly, seeing the late hour and the obvious need to eat?
I’m pretty sure my instinctive reaction would have been:
Why can’t they realise that they need to leave and go to get some food and
not put their needs onto others when the could do for themselves!
The conviction was acute! And the lesson swiftly realised! I had need to note the compassion of Lord Yeshua and its difference to the compassion of the disciples – and the hardness in my own heart evidenced by what my own instinctive reaction would have been. Moreover, I noted my need to learn more deeply what kind of heart God wants me to have towards the needs of others that I might increase in compassion. This is a blessing – for it is that He may increase and I decrease.
I did note though, that after Lord Yeshua had fully ministered to the multitudes, He sent them away and after fully seeing to the needs of others, Yeshua went apart by Himself to pray. Verses 45-46 says, ‘ Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.’
This taught me a piece wisdom of knowing when compassion has completed its task. When the needy have been fully ministered to in all you have to give them, it is important to move them on their way, so that you can continue in what is needful in serving God – whether taking time apart to seek the will of God and His strength and wisdom to replenish you or ministering in the next place of need God calls you into.
Precious lessons. May we learn our lessons well as we walk in His light.
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