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. Mark
6:34
As I’m writing this, our Monday night ladies Bible study
group is reflecting on the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. Mark sets the stage
for a story in Mark 6:30-44 by telling us that Jesus and the disciples were
tired and hungry. I know what tired and hungry looks like for me and it’s not
pretty, in fact, if I’m honest, it’s very ugly. You know the Snickers commercial
“you’re not you when you’re hungry”? I completely identify. Now back to Mark 6,
Jesus had compassion on the people while the disciples urged Jesus to send them
away. Typical human response, as is mine, just dismiss the problem and not deal
with it.
This Advent
season I’m going to lean on Jesus and work to have compassion instead of
complaints. Our true character is
displayed when we are under stress.
Hebrews 4:15 tells us we have the Role Model for behavior when we are
tired and hungry and under stress: “For we do not have a high priest who is
unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted
in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
If you find
yourself tempted, tested, and tried today, stop and ask Jesus for help. He has been tempted in every way we can be,
yet He resisted them all. We can trust
in His goodness, faithfulness and love.
Prayer: Dear
God, I am tempted every day to be self-sufficient, trying to provide for all my
own needs and resisting the vulnerability of sharing my desperation with
others. Help me today to lay my needs at
Your feet, and show me the ongoing miracle of how you provide. Amen.
