Jesus’s Compassion
Mark 8:1–10
I have compassion on the crowd. Mark 8:2

The story of Jesus feeding the four thousand contains a lesson for anyone who feels that God has forgotten him or her. Do you feel that way? If you do, notice Jesus, out of compassion, had initiated the matter of feeding the people. That is an encouragement for us, both if we fail to show concern for others or if we are one of the multitude and so feel forgotten. Let us take our attitude toward others first. We often fail to see human need. We miss the cry of loneliness, despair, or frustration expressed by some poor soul. Jesus hears it. Our hearts may be cold, but the heart of Jesus is warm with compassion.

Or suppose you are one of the lonely ones. Even when there are other people who are interested in you, that interest still is always imperfect and partial. There are people in your home, office, or church who care for you, particularly if they are Christian people. But they are beset by all the sin and failure that is common to men and women. Only One will not fail you. There is only One whose interest does not waver. He created you. He planned the circumstances of your life. He knows your situation. It is this One who desires to supply all your need according to his abundant resources.

Do you say that you cannot see it? Consider Jacob. He was in his old age and complaining about the harsh blows that life had dealt him. Years before, his son Joseph had been killed by wild animals, so he thought. Then famine had come, and he had sent ten of his remaining sons to Egypt to buy food. He had kept Benjamin, the youngest, at home. The sons came back, but without Simeon, who had been left as a hostage. When the famine continued it became necessary to send the sons back to Egypt for more food, but they refused to go, saying they could not return without Benjamin. The man in charge in Egypt had told them that if they did not return with Benjamin he would treat them as spies. Jacob was greatly distressed. All things seemed against him. But it was at this moment that God was planning his greatest blessing for him. God knew the end from the beginning, and he cared about Jacob. He had actually sent Joseph to Egypt years in advance to prepare for this moment. Joseph was the man in charge. It was only when Jacob gave in to the situation that God brought to completion the blessing of a full reunion of all the brothers and their father in their new land.

Maybe you are going through a situation like that in your own life. Do not wring your hands and say, “God has forgotten.” Trust him. He knows your need and where he is leading you.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.