Compassion Enough For 5,000-plus

But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.  Mark 6:33-34

In Mark's gospel, the disciples had just returned from their first mission trips and Jesus led them to a deserted place to rest up a bit. However, multitudes saw them leaving, word spread quickly, and people ran from cities to get to where Jesus was going. The Lord Jesus steps out to minister to His twelve...and finds the eyeballs of five thousand men, plus their wives and children, looking back at Him. Adapting quickly to the circumstance, Jesus had compassion enough for the 5,000-plus and began teaching them all. And as people will do, they were hungry for His word but soon became hungry in body as well. Jesus had an answer for that hunger too. 

The story has become famous wherever the gospel has been told. The disciples were tested, 200 denarii of bread would not be enough. Today we figure conservatively that 5,000 men would also have a wife and children, or a minimum of 16,000 persons who would need a Swiss Mushroom Runza® each for a mere $105,440 at the current Sidney price on their online menu. No, no, these people were hungry! Double cheeseburger combo meal for sure, plus most of them wouldn't know a Runza® from a loaf of bread! Okay, big burger combo makes it $188,640 plus the Sidney 'good grief!' tax on hungry travelers, and a generous tip for the Runza crew who is even now weeping in the back, "He wants sixteen thousand of them?!!" 

I've been following the beginning of the start of our Lord Jesus' ministry for a bit now, and suddenly I skipped ahead a little to the feeding of the five thousand. There is a reason to share with you of course. Today, as soon as this is posted on Blogspot, will be the 5,000th posting from this little devotional message you read and share! 

Have a great big day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky