Crowds followed Jesus and his disciples wherever they went after witnessing the miracles Jesus performed. Witnessing these miracles left the crowds in awe, and they praised God for the authority that He had given man (Matthew 9:8). Performing miracles pointed people toward the truth, the truth of the Word of God and the truth of Jesus’ identity. But Scripture tells us that this was not the only reason Jesus performed miracles. Compassion was also a factor. In all four Gospels we can read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, which is just one of many examples of Jesus showing His compassion for mankind.
In Mark 6:34 it says that a large crowd of people had once again been following Jesus, and when He saw them, “he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things.” In Matthew 14:14 it says that when Jesus saw the crowd, “he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Jesus was a person full of feelings. He was, and is, loving, compassionate, and caring. Which is why when Jesus’ disciples came to him and asked him to send the crowds away so that they could go elsewhere to find something to eat, Jesus responded by saying, “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37). The disciples were taken aback by this request. How could they possibly feed five thousand people (and actually even more because the five thousand only included the men, not the women and children who were also present)? The cost was too much (more than half a year’s wages) and they were in a remote location without food. This seemed like an impossible task for them, but not for Jesus. The disciples gathered what food they could find, five loaves of bread and two fish, and gave them to Jesus. In Mark 6:41 it says, Jesus took “the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.” Miraculously, there was more than enough bread and fish to feed all of the people. In fact, the disciples gathered twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were remaining (Mark 6:43).
What Does This Teach Us About Jesus? Jesus, as a human being, had a full range of human emotions. Jesus expressed His feelings (and continues to do so) through love, kindness, and compassion. Jesus cares about our spiritual needs (knowing God’s truth) and our physical needs (healing the sick and feeding the hungry). Jesus wants to teach us the right way, and like the crowds we need to follow him to find it.
How Does This Apply To Us Today? Jesus has compassion for us all, and in this example He expressed His compassion by meeting both the spiritual needs and the physical needs of the people. Providing for the hungry seemed like an impossible task for the disciples, but they did what Jesus asked of them and gathered what they had and gave it to Jesus. What seemed impossible to them was actually an opportunity for God to show His love and compassion by multiplying what they had provided to meet the peoples’ needs. We may not have much to give, but when we do what is asked and give what we do have to Jesus (our time, our resources, or our gifts), He is able to make a way and multiply what we have given Him.
Meditate on Scripture: Psalm 145:9 – The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
Take Action: Jesus showed his love and compassion for all individuals. Most people in our world today at least have a sense of compassion. Jesus went beyond just feeling compassion, He acted on His compassion for others. Take an honest look at yourself today when it comes to acting on the compassion you feel in your heart. Ask God to show you how you can be a more compassionate person and then let the Holy Spirit guide you as you take small steps to make the changes necessary.
Amen! ALL people deserve mercy and compassion. 😊💕
Indeed! Thank you for sharing Angie.