When I’m ready to be alone…I’m ready to be ALONE! That’s where I recharge. I’ve been known to get away by myself for a week at a time. And when I’m alone, I don’t want contact with the outside world.
There are two important stories back-to-back in Mark 7 & 8. The first says Jesus entered a house and wanted no one to know it. He’d just had a confrontation with the Pharisees and then spent time teaching his disciples what it meant. I can’t imagine how exhausted he was. He’d been traveling, healing, teaching, and doing miracles. Those all set him up for attacks from the enemy. So not only was he tired physically, but he was spent emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. If anyone deserved a break, it was Jesus. But instead, a Greek woman hears he’s in the house and comes and wants a demon cast out of her daughter. Instead of having her sent away, he interacts with this woman and then delivers her daughter—from where he sat.
This may seem like a small thing. But Jesus was SPENT! He gave out of what he didn’t have. Instead of being exhausted and thinking only of himself, he sacrificed and gave. He leaves there and performs another miracle on his way to the Sea of Galilee…which brings us to chapter 8.
It's here that Jesus spends three days teaching a multitude of over 4000 people. He tells his disciples, “I have compassion on these people because they’ve been listening to me teach for three days and have no food. We can’t send them home like this or they may faint along the way.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Guys, I’ve been teaching for three days and have eaten very little. I’m exhausted. Will you figure out how to get these people some food and send them away while I go sleep?” No. Jesus takes the little they find, blesses and breaks it, and feeds over 4000 people.
Did you know that a person preaching a 30-minute sermon can expend the same amount of energy as someone working an 8-hour work day? They give mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Jesus had to have been exhausted—and coming off of a time when he was already spent! But…he had compassion. He didn’t ask the disciples to “fix it.” Instead, he demonstrated how to give out of compassion when you have nothing left to give. He was always mentoring them…and us.
We’re living in a day where the needs are great and people need to know about Jesus. We have a choice. I have a choice. I can come home tired, hide away, and kick my feet up…or I can have compassion for the hungry and feed them.
Which will you do? Which will I do?
No comments:
Post a Comment