Devotionally I was drawn to the opening verses of this chapter and the person of Jesus displayed in its words. During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance” (1-3).
I tried to step into this account. Here is Jesus, a folk hero for the people. They hang on His every word and hope for a miracle. A huge crowd has gathered to see Jesus, 4000 men, easily 12,000 men, women and children. Most people lived hand to mouth, so missing a meal was significant.
Even though Jesus could easily have slipped into celebrity mode, distant and removed from the people and their plight, He doesn’t. Jesus stays connected to the people. So as the daily meal is approaching, Jesus worries not about himself but for the people. His heart breaks and compassion flows out. “What will the people eat?”
I cannot image one celebrity today having this kind of compassion. Performers don’t care what sacrifices people have made to be at a concert. No athlete cares about the sacrifices people make to attend their games. And the same could be said for politicians as they look out at their rallies.
Jesus is different than the celebs of today.
Jesus cares… He really and truly cares for the regular person.
This warms my heart…Jesus cares. God cares about the mundane issues of life, about the mundane issues of my life.
What a gift, to be reminded how much the Lord cares.
He cared for the crowd back then and He cares for us today.
Dear God, thank You for this glimpse into Your personality. You care. Jesus cares. The Holy Spirit cares. I am cared for!
I bask in this moment and thought.
Lord, grace me with Your heart. Teach me to care for the everyday person around me. I pray this in Jesus’ name and for His honor. Amen.
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