Compassionate Care

This morning we are returning to the Crown & Cross series from the Gospel of Mark. And we will pick up in Mark chapter 6 where we left off just before Thanksgiving. Wow! Has it been that long?

Have you ever had people drop in unexpectedly, maybe uninvited, and they stay long enough that you feel the need to feed them? If you have kids or teenagers at home, you are probably used to these happy, but unplanned meals. You check the leftovers, the cupboards, the freezer, and you make do with what you have.

I don’t totally remember this from my childhood, but my mom told me about the time my uncle and his family rang our doorbell at 308 North Fullerton Ave in Montclair NJ. They were not expected. And there were seven of them. Uncle Mario, Aunt Lee, and their five kids - Patty, John, Leilani, Mario Jr., and Melissa who is my age. They were of course welcome and they filled the house with along our own family of six. Apparently Uncle Mario had sent my father a letter saying they would like to come visit from Florid and stay with us. But my father never got the letter. Long distance phone calls were expensive so Mario never bothered to call and confirm - even with no reply from my Pop. So not only was my mom scrambling to make up beds for everyone, she had to feed 13 people with no warning. But that what you do for family. But what about strangers? What about over 5,000 of them? Jesus provided compassionate care for the huge crowd that spent the day listening to his teaching.

Series

Mark’s Gospel shows Jesus as a man of decisive action with a clear message and mission, and the reader is called to actively response to the message.

Mark divides Jesus’ life into two parts: his identity as Messiah and King over all things in chapters 1-8a (the crown) and then we see His purpose in suffering and dying on the cross in chapters 8b-16.

In the last message we learned more about the death of John the Baptist, the proclaimer of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God.

Today, we will see how Jesus went into action and cared for strangers when he saw their needs. They had no shepherd to look after them. And his first response was to care for their souls by teaching them. We will see four aspects of Jesus’s care in this passage: compassionate care, omnipotent care, cooperative care, and complete care.

PRAY

READ Mark 6:30-44

Mark 6:30–44 ESV

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

As Mark continues to present Jesus as the Messiah worthy of the crown, in this passage we see Jesus’ compassion for the lost, the disciples seeing a problem but unable to solve it, Jesus blessing what was available and feeding and satisfying the people’s needs. Just as the crowd two thousand years ago in Israel needed a shepherd to save and care for them, today we still need a shepherd to save us and satisfy our greatest needs. Jesus is that Good Shepherd.

Here’s my outline for the passage:

Christ's compassion for the lost

Disciples can’t fix a problem

Jesus blessed what was available

Jesus feeds and satisfies

Christ's compassion for the lost

Capernaum to Bethsaida

This miracle is the only one recorded in all four Gospels. Each writer includes some different details and a unique perspective.

To set the stage, earlier in this chapter we saw Jesus sending out the twelve disciples in pairs to start ministry on their own. They preached the Gospel of God’s kingdom - calling people to repent of their sins, they cast out demons, and they healed the sick. In verse 30, we see them return to Jesus and excitedly telling him about everything that happened. This is the joy we experience when our missionaries come home to tell us about their ministries, or when we get a video like the one from Michael Davis in Scotland today.

We see Christ’s compassionate care. Jesus cared about his disciples and said, go get some rest in a quiet place - because they were surrounded with people again and didn’t even have time to stop and eat. The busyness of their location leads us to believe they were in Capernaum the main city of the area. Luke 9 tells us that Jesus took them to a town called Bethsaida. You can see that on the map.

The passage tells us that the people saw Jesus and disciples leaving in the boat and they followed by land with more adding to the crowd until there was a great crowd who met the boat as they came ashore. It would be about 4-5 miles on foot.

Imagine the disciples’ reaction thinking they were getting away from people for a much needed break. Disciples tired and probably annoyed. They hadn’t yet learned to look at life through the eyes of their Master. To them, the crowds were a problem, perhaps even a nuisance, but to Jesus, they were as sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus looked at the very same situation, not as a problem, but as an opportunity to trust the Father and glorify His name. An effective spiritual leader is someone who sees the potential in problems and is willing to act by faith. We learn to say Yes more, with God’s blessing instead of No.

There are some very clear connections to the Old Testament that help the Jews of that day and us today to see Jesus as the Messiah and fulfillment of these prophecies.

The first is when God called Joshua to lead Israel after Moses died. Don’t forget Jesus name in Hebrew was Yeshua or Joshua which means “to save or deliver.”

Numbers 27:17 “who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.””

The other passage is in Ezekiel 34. We read part of this earlier with Jake. Ezekiel prophesied against the shepherds or priest of Israel who cared for themselves but did not feed or care for the people. "My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains every high hill. They had none to search or seek for them."

These were the spiritual leaders Jesus found when He came to earth. Pharisees and Scribes who cared little for the people, but were proud of their self-righteousness and their positions in the community. God said "I will rescue my sheep from their mouths." Jesus made it clear that He was the Good Shepherd and the religious leaders were the not.

Jesus saw the people and in His great love and compassion for them, v. 34 says he began to teach them many things. Most of all they needed spiritual truth. They needed the hear the Gospel of repentance to be saved. They needed to know about God’s Kingdom which is greater than any earthly kingdom. In our Rediscover Church series, we saw that the best way we can love our community is to share the Gospel with them. Their spiritual needs by far outweigh any physical needs.

READ Hebrews 4:14-16

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We can come to Jesus with any burden, any temptation, any struggle and we will receive mercy and grace from our compassionate Savior.

Disciples can’t fix a problem

Next his disciples identified a problem and came to Jesus with a solution. It’s getting late, we are in a desolate place - send the people away so they can buy something to eat. Maybe they were still hungry themselves! We never heard where they had a chance to eat. Maybe on the boat ride over. But their solution was send the people away.

Jesus responds saying what they did not want to hear. “You give them something to eat.” They had just returned from ministry on their own so Jesus tests their ability to work themselves again.

Their response shows their frustration. V. 37, not even 200 denarii of bread would be enough. One denarius was the equivalent of one days wage. So we are talking about almost a year’s income. That’s a lot of money and it could buy a lot of bread, but it still couldn’t feed such a huge crowd.

There were no restaurants or door dash to call. Let alone a local bakery with bread for 5,000 people. That was just impossible. The disciples were probably thinking how could Jesus tell us to feed them? There’s no way. They were focused on what they didn’t have instead of on Jesus and His power.

So Jesus asked them what they had. Go and see.

They came back saying we have five loaves of bread and two fish.

John 6:8–9 ESV

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

Only John’s Gospel included this detail. The disciples must have gone through the whole crowd asking for food. Surely there must be some people who planned ahead. But no one spoke up. Finally Andrew brings a boy with his small lunch of five loaves and two fish. His mother probably packed this for him earlier in the day and said make sure you don’t lose it! Don’t miss this point - of over 5,000 people, only this small boy was willing to give everything he had to Jesus. Even Andrew missed the point - because he said, but what good is this with so many people?

Just like the widow who gave her last penny in the temple, God is looking for people who have a generous heart and are willing to give anything for God’s work. What does your budget look like? How much do you spend on yourself or your family and you are unwilling to regularly give to missions or support the ministries here at First Baptist? The Old Testament principle of the tithe or 10 percent is a good place to start. If you haven’t been giving start small and stay faithful.

This simple meal of bread and fish, eaten on grassy hillside is a stark contrast from the lavish and sinful banquet of Herod in the previous passage about John the baptist. Those that ate there went home with the horrible memory of John’s head served up on a platter.

Jesus blessed what was available

Jesus didn’t explain his plan, he simply told the people to sit down in groups of fifty and a hundred. This not only would make it easier to serve them but it made it clear to all that this was a huge group. This organized seating plan may be a reference to the great wedding feast promised in the book of Revelation.

Jesus took what was available and asked God’s blessing. He showed the disciples that the amount of money they had or even what food was available didn’t matter. God can use the smallest gifts for His glory.

Jesus looked to heaven and thanked God for the food. Jesus’ blessing may have been, the table prayer common to Judaism: “Praise be to you, O Lord our God, king of the world, who makes bread to come forth from the earth, and who provides for all that you have created.”

He broke the loaves and gave them out to the disciples to serve. He also divided the two fish among the twelve to serve. All could see the food that was offered. God multiplied the five loaves of bread and two fish to feed over 5000 people. Here we see Christ’s omnipotent compassion in action. Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of God who could do anything. Even the impossible! That same power can save the hardest heart and make anyone change completely.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

We also see Jesus’ cooperative compassion. He included others in the caring for the crowd. From the little boy’s gift of his own lunch to the twelve disciples going through the crowd serving all the people. Jesus allowed others to share in this miracle. When we involve others in ministry instead of doing it ourselves, we share the blessing and opportunity for them to grow and serve with us. How many times have you said, “it’s easier if I just do it myself. At least it will get done right!” This is not the attitude Jesus had and it is not the model we want to continue here at First Baptist. If you are not serving somewhere, pick up the flyer that says “Share.” Fill it out and get involved. You will be blessed and you will be glad you did.

Jesus feeds and satisfies

When Jesus fed the crowd, it was not just a nibble or an appetizer. V. 42 says they all ate and were satisfied. They had as much as they could eat. Their hunger was gone.

There is another Old Testament comparison here. Vv 31, 32, 35 all repeated the description of the place where the crowd gathered. It was a desolate place. Far from the cities and civilization. Far from sources of food. Just like Israel in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.

In Exodus 16, the people of Israel complained to Moses: "you have brought us out to this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." So God miraculously provided bread from heaven, manna. The people got enough every day to be satisfied, but they had to trust God to provide it every morning. In His prayer, Jesus said, give this day our daily bread, reminding us that it is God who provides for us.

Jesus provided bread in a desolate place to feed the hungry crowd. They had no other way of getting food. In chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, after this event the crowd came back to Jesus on the other side of the sea looking for more bread.

John 6:32–35 ESV

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Jesus is the bread of eternal life that fills and satisfies our souls. Hebrews shows Jesus as the better Moses who is the bread of eternal life. He is all we need.

The feeding of the 5,000 is also a picture of the last supper, a year later, at Passover Jesus would again ask God’s blessing, break the bread, and share it with his disciples. We remember this each month as we celebrate the Lord’s Table in communion - all eating from the same bread.

The passage ends with the declaration that after all ate and were satisfied, there were 5,000 men not counting women and children. This truly was a miraculous event. That many people could not even have shared a crumb from the bread and fish. But they didn’t have to settle for crumbs they were full. And there were still twelve full baskets of leftovers. Each of the twelve disciples had plenty to eat for that day and for several days to come.

God provides for His children. For those who trust in Him.

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said

Matthew 6:25–26 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Philippians 4:19 ESV

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

This freedom from worry about our daily needs, frees us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. We don’t need to be anxious about our daily needs when we can bring those cares to Jesus in prayer.

Take Aways

Do you see people through Jesus’ eyes of compassion? Or do people simply annoy you and you can’t be bothered? Even when we are tired and worn out from doing good, God calls us to view others as more important than ourselves. Pray for patience and mercy especially when you are tired and vulnerable.

When you see a problem or a potential opportunity are you stopped by your own limited resources? Or do you seek God’s blessing and omnipotent power that can do absolutely anything? Do you seek to say “Yes” more than you say “No?”

Are you willing to offer whatever you have to God for His service and His glory? Or are you tightly holding on to it so you don’t lose it?

Have you accepted the bread of life, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? He is the Good Shepherd who sees you are lost and knows you need to be saved. He will satisfy your soul and give you eternal life.

Benediction

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

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