Today’s scripture: Mark 6:30-44 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Keith Phillips):
How exciting it must have been: to have gone on their very first mission trip and to come back reporting to Jesus their amazing success! The twelve disciples had preached the Good News of God’s unconditional love, healed the sick, and cast out demons (Mark 6:12, 13). They’d worked hard and were hungry.
The immediate problem was the people, who were crowding in on Jesus and his disciples to such a degree that they didn’t even have the space to eat. So in order to have a good meal and some rest after the exhausting and exhilarating work of a missions journey, Jesus rounded up the disciples and headed across the Sea of Galilee in a boat. The crowds, however, figured out where they were going, raced on foot around the edge of the lake, and actually got there ahead of the boat. (It’s important to know that the Sea of Galilee is only 8 by 13 miles, not a whole lot larger than Center Township in Marion County, Indiana.)
The story then says, “As [Jesus] went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” The crowd obviously had a distinct goal — they were in relentless pursuit of Jesus — but Jesus saw them as wandering aimlessly. Now, when wondering about why the people were crowding in on Jesus and the twelve to begin with, and why they had raced around the lake ahead of them, the cynical part of me supposes that they all wanted to get something, a miracle, a healing, or at least to see something extraordinarily supernatural. But when compassion for this crowd overcomes Jesus, what does he do? He teaches them!
One of my dirty little secrets is that I am not a big fan of intercessory prayer. That doesn’t mean that I don’t pray for others; throughout the whole day I’m constantly lifting others up to the Lord in prayer. But I firmly believe that suffering, even the suffering inherent in aimlessness and being lost, has a much more noble purpose in my life and in this world than divine eradication. I might prefer to have a miracle (it’s a whole lot easier), but I think the more important question is: What might God desire to teach me, or the one I’m praying for, through this suffering? Is it not more probable that I will grow spiritually, become more like the Teacher when that is my prayer?
As he views me with compassion, Jesus just might be able to teach me something in the midst of my suffering.
Thought for the day: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.