Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
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.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.
54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.
55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns, or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Compassion is an interesting word, it wasn't until preparing for this message that I learned passion comes from a word that means "to suffer", and that the com prefix means "with”, so compassion means to suffer with someone. There are some things that I know I suffer for, that I am passionate about. Family, health, things that I feel need justice. I am sure there are some things we are compassionate about, things that stir our spirits. However, true compassion will drive action, we won't just feel some way about it, we will do something.
In looking at compassion, we find ourselves in the Gospel of Mark again, this story is in all four gospels. The lectionary reading for the week leaves out Jesus feeding the 5000 and walking on water and only lists the scriptures before and after those events. It is easy to think the scriptures read are not important but there are lessons to learn from these as well, we can get a whole bunch from the beginning and the end and save talking about the miracles for another day. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus went home, couldn't do many miracles because people there were more concerned about the Jesus they knew back then and not the miracle worker in front of them now. Then Jesus sent his disciples out to heal the sick, sometime during this time Jesus hears that John the Baptist has been killed by Herod, who threw a big party for his birthday. John the Baptist spoke truth to power, and it cost him his life. Because of John the Baptist, I am always leery of a so-called prophet that wants to get buddy-buddy with politicians just to further their aims. I am not saying don't work with them, I work with politicians all the time to help the community, I do it to help the community, not make myself famous. John the Baptist spoke truth to power and so shall I.
In the text the Apostles, the disciples, the sent ones are coming back to Jesus after being sent out, Jesus told them to go around preaching repentance and if someone did not accept them, shake the dust off their feet and keep it moving. The disciples went out to the people, they did not stay inside somewhere and wait for the people to come to them, and when they were done, the disciples had fruit in their ministry. I wonder what state the church would be in if we had more people willing to go out instead of waiting for everything to come to them?
Now the disciples are back telling Jesus what they have done. Jesus and his disciples are traveling the countryside, casting out demons and healing the sick. Everything is so busy that the disciples aren't even able to rest and get a bite to eat. Jesus calls the apostles to hop into a boat with him and go away to a deserted place across the Sea of Galilee to enjoy some rest. Jesus tells them to get away for a bit and rest a while. Rest is good, and rest is especially good when you earned it. Jesus saw that the disciples had a need and he met it.
But their plans are quickly derailed. The desperately needy people of the region see where Jesus is heading and hurry on ahead of him. When his boat hits the ground, there is a huge crowd waiting for him. Although Jesus is weary, he somehow avoids being annoyed that his much-deserved day off is being interrupted. He isn’t irritated that these people are unable to help themselves. He isn’t even frustrated that the need all around him is so enormous.
People began to see and hear the work Jesus and the disciples were doing and the word spread, people were beating Jesus and the disciples to the towns they were going to. Large crowds gathering at these places and Jesus had compassion for them and began to teach the people and heal them. Jesus saw them as sheep without a shepherd and had compassion for them. Shepherds feed their sheep, shepherds, protect their sheep, shepherds clean their sheep. The people needed a shepherd, Jesus saw the need and he met it.
Jesus went to Gennesaret, which is important because that is not where they set sail, Jesus and the disciples were getting in the boat headed for Bethsaida but ended up in Gennesaret. Gennesaret was a place where no one spoke Aramaic, this was not a comfortable cozy place for ministry, even so, Jesus and the Disciples still did kingdom work there. We may not always be in the most ideal situations where everything is going to go as we planned it, but God can still get the glory and the work of the kingdom can still be done.
Christianity is about proclaiming the Gospel and helping people in need. A compassionate Jesus was willing to help his disciples, a compassionate Jesus was willing to help people from towns and villages that spoke his language, a compassionate Jesus was willing to help people who didn't speak his language. Christ's compassion helped him to act, not just feel for the people from afar. This was only a glimpse of Christ's compassion because we would see Christ's compassion on full display at Calvary, aka Golgotha, aka the place of the skull, when Jesus would willingly give himself up for all of us to have access to eternal life.
Where could we be if we went out to the people instead of waiting for them to come to us? Where could we be if we allowed our compassion to drive us to act instead of waiting for someone else to do it? Where would we be if we didn't wait for the perfect opportunity, in the perfect place, at the perfect time to do something for God?
