Mark 8:1-13New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
8 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
5“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied.
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
Personal Insights
Jesus had compassion on the people and in this situation He was thinking about their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. Jesus loves us holistically.
To have compassion is to be kind-hearted, to care, to have concern for someone or to show sympathy and empathy. Jesus showed that to these people who had already been with him three days and hadn’t had anything to eat during that time.
Jesus meets our needs in ways that we might not think. The disciples looked at the practical side of things when it came to meeting the people’s needs. They were in a remote place and food was not readily available. However, Jesus’s approach was different. He saw what was available around Him and gave thanks for it and performed a miracle before their eyes. The people were fed that day and were satisfied.
Sometimes the answer to our difficulties or the situations we find ourselves in are staring us in the face but we just don’t have the eyes to see. Often times we are not thankful to God for what we already have and are not prayerfully seeking Him for the answers of the needs that we do have. Do we have a thankful heart?
The Pharisees didn’t have ears to listen to Jesus and respond to Him. They wanted to judge and condemn Him. Often times they missed out on seeing Jesus’s miracles as their hearts were not open to seeing. Sometimes we are no different from the Pharisees. We question Jesus and we test Him but we do not listen and are not expectant of what He has to say to us.
Challenge: As you prayerfully consider this story in Mark 8 what is God showing you personally through these verses? What words or phrases leap off the page from this text for you? Be expectant!
No comments:
Post a Comment