Mark 6:32-44
The heart of a shepherd is moved at the sight of sheep. He loves them, and cares for them and they are his concern on a 24-hour basis. His heart must be tuned this way, for sheep have no natural defense mechanism, and they are nature’s completely dependent animal. Without a loving shepherd, they will wander aimlessly; find themselves in mortal danger and have no hope at recovery. The shepherd is their link to life, and once they find him, they stay close for the sound of his voice.
Jesus called Himself “the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11), and stated that His sheep know His voice (John 10:27). Love and compassion emanated from Jesus with such overwhelming force, that when He entered a village or even attempted to flee from one, the crowds would come running to throng Him. In Mark 6, Jesus attempts to go to a desert place with His disciples in order to be alone, but “the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all the cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him” (Mark 6:33).
The draw of a “good” shepherd is powerful! The sheep see a defender and a protector and they flock to be near Him. Jesus was not only good, He was great, and word of His greatness spread in every direction. When Jesus looked at the people, He saw a desperate lot. These men and women were pressed on every side and were looking for hope from someone. The timing of Jesus’ arrival was impeccable, for the world was a chaotic and hard place to live. The arrival of the Prince of Peace brought people a hope that the world had never seen.
When the 12 disciples and Jesus finally arrive at their destination, the disciples encourage Jesus to send the people away. These good, hard-working citizens have just followed Jesus into a desert so that they can be near Him, and the last thing that He wants to do is leave them hungry! Remember, God’s grace will never lead you where His provision will not supply for you. This desert place becomes the setting for a miracle that every one of the four Gospels records: the feeding of the 5,000.
The reason that Jesus was moved with compassion toward the crowd on that day is the same reason that He is moved with compassion toward us today: “because they were as sheep not having a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). We garner no compassion from the Lord because of our good works or our efforts. It is our total dependency on Him and our utter helplessness to save ourselves that still moves the heart of the Master. Now that we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, we have made Him our Shepherd; we are no longer scattered; no longer “astray”. With Jesus, we are resting beside the still water and eating in the green pastures (Psalm 23:2, 3).
Finally, when the Shepherd provides for you, it will always be a super-abundant provision. There were 12 baskets of fragments left over, and everyone ate until they were full (Mark 6:42). Trust your heavenly Shepherd to not only provide for your needs today, but to provide an abundance above and beyond what you need. He loves you that much!
The heart of a shepherd is moved at the sight of sheep. He loves them, and cares for them and they are his concern on a 24-hour basis. His heart must be tuned this way, for sheep have no natural defense mechanism, and they are nature’s completely dependent animal. Without a loving shepherd, they will wander aimlessly; find themselves in mortal danger and have no hope at recovery. The shepherd is their link to life, and once they find him, they stay close for the sound of his voice.
Jesus called Himself “the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11), and stated that His sheep know His voice (John 10:27). Love and compassion emanated from Jesus with such overwhelming force, that when He entered a village or even attempted to flee from one, the crowds would come running to throng Him. In Mark 6, Jesus attempts to go to a desert place with His disciples in order to be alone, but “the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all the cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him” (Mark 6:33).
The draw of a “good” shepherd is powerful! The sheep see a defender and a protector and they flock to be near Him. Jesus was not only good, He was great, and word of His greatness spread in every direction. When Jesus looked at the people, He saw a desperate lot. These men and women were pressed on every side and were looking for hope from someone. The timing of Jesus’ arrival was impeccable, for the world was a chaotic and hard place to live. The arrival of the Prince of Peace brought people a hope that the world had never seen.
When the 12 disciples and Jesus finally arrive at their destination, the disciples encourage Jesus to send the people away. These good, hard-working citizens have just followed Jesus into a desert so that they can be near Him, and the last thing that He wants to do is leave them hungry! Remember, God’s grace will never lead you where His provision will not supply for you. This desert place becomes the setting for a miracle that every one of the four Gospels records: the feeding of the 5,000.
The reason that Jesus was moved with compassion toward the crowd on that day is the same reason that He is moved with compassion toward us today: “because they were as sheep not having a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). We garner no compassion from the Lord because of our good works or our efforts. It is our total dependency on Him and our utter helplessness to save ourselves that still moves the heart of the Master. Now that we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, we have made Him our Shepherd; we are no longer scattered; no longer “astray”. With Jesus, we are resting beside the still water and eating in the green pastures (Psalm 23:2, 3).
Finally, when the Shepherd provides for you, it will always be a super-abundant provision. There were 12 baskets of fragments left over, and everyone ate until they were full (Mark 6:42). Trust your heavenly Shepherd to not only provide for your needs today, but to provide an abundance above and beyond what you need. He loves you that much!
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