Mark 6:30 – 34
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
I take two things away from this passage.
First, and it might seem like a basic point, is that God cares about our physical and emotional well-being.
Rest is so important to the health of our bodies and our souls, yet it can be hard to carve out the time in the helter-skelter world we now live in.
The apostles had many important things to do, but Jesus here reveals the God-given emphasis on rest by telling them to come find some solitude and peace.
The second is just the compassion of Jesus. I love the part where it says he had that compassion on the crowd because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
I have felt like it is easy to feel that way – lost, like a sheep without a shepherd. In a culture of distraction, it can be easy to lose my place in the overarching story of life, which gives that purpose, meaning and direction. So, it’s comforting to know that in those times, Jesus has compassion on me and brings me back to Him.
Let’s praise God for his compassion on us and pray for the rest and peace that He brings.
David Lather – Creek Road
