LIVING WITH COMPASSION (Part 4)
Mark 8:1 – 9. Verses 1 – 3 read:
“In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.”
The multitude had been with Jesus for three days, listening to him deliver the good news of the Kingdom of God. Naturally, the people were hungry, and leaving them to go without food could lead to many of them perishing on their way home. Jesus could identify with their condition. This was a demonstration of the fact that being a man, he could feel or be touched by the needs of fellowmen. We can not afford to sacrifice our humanness for a life of insensitivity. Out of his compassion for the people, Jesus asked His disciples to find food for them to eat. As a leader, Jesus was not only interested in the spiritual well-being of his followers, but he was equally interested in their physical well-being. It takes compassion to demonstrate all-round interest and identification in the lives of followers.
Sadly, most leaders of today tend to exploit their followers because they, lack the compassion to identify with them. Beloved, the loss of compassion results in the lack of the helping touch. In such an environment, it is easy for cruelty and wickedness to creep in. Note that where good is absent, evil will invade.
Compassion is a way maker. Once it is stirred up in the heart, intervention will come through. The gathering place of the multitude was the wilderness. It was far from the city where food could be found. After searching through the camp, the disciples found seven loaves of bread and a few pieces of fish. This was woefully inadequate to feed the multitude. Compassion had already been triggered in the Master’s heart. This paved the way for God’s intervention. Our God is able to take little things infused with compassion to meet great needs.
Miraculously, the multitude was well fed with what was seemingly insufficient, with seven full baskets remaining. The secret is that, where compassion is triggered, God is present to bless and make a difference. True compassion will drive us to seek God until he intervenes with a solution.
SHALOM 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏