Mark 6 tells us the story of Jesus’ miraculously feeding the 5,000. The miracle of this story is often viewed simply as the multiplication of food, but there is so much more at work here. Jesus chooses to set Himself, His needs and His desires aside for the sake of a people that are in need. Mark writes that Jesus and the Apostles were trying to go to a “deserted” place so that they could have time together to share what had happened in and through the 12 as they had gone out in ministry, and also to be able to mourn and process the death of John the Baptist. When they arrived at the “deserted” place they found more than 5,000 people there waiting for them. Jesus looked out at that crowd and instead of being frustrated that they had found Him, or disappointed that His planned time of quiet and fellowship had been interrupted, Mark says that He “was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.” Instead of seeing the crowd for what they were taking from Him, He saw them for what they lacked that He could provide. That is the definition of compassion.
As we live we are surrounded by people that are like sheep without a shepherd. We are surrounded by people that are left to their own devices. We can evaluation how they got to this point, we can examine whether or not this was by their choice or someone else’s failure, but the compassion of Jesus looks past the circumstances and sees the hearts of men and then sees that within Him is the answers that they need and the help that they lack. Our focus today is on our response to the world, community and even family around us. Are we moved with compassion or are we hardened with frustration? The feeding of the 5,000 was the outcome of Jesus’ compassion, my prayer today is that we would see God work miracles through our lives for the world around us, but miracles are birthed out of compassion. Lord, give us hearts like yours that we might walk in your love, pour out your glory and see the fulfillment of your desire of redemption for the people that you have placed in our lives.