“So they [Jesus and the disciples] departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 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 [out of the boat], 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. And when the day was now far spent [3 pm], His disciples came to Him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ And they said to Him, ‘Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?’ but He said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see.’ And when they found out they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks in hundreds and in fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled [gorged]. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.” Mark 6:32-44.
The miraculous act of feeding of the five thousand comes before the feeding of the four thousand, which is just a couple pages over in your Bible, you will find that described in Mark chapter eight.
Another thing is that in this account it says those who ate were about five thousand men, this does not account for the women and children who were present, so the number might possibly be double five thousand.
You may also want to open your Bible to Mark 6:45-52 where it gives the account of Jesus’ walking on water.
You will find this a fascinating study on its own; see also Matthew 14:21-33, John 6:16-21. While the feeding of the five thousand is in Luke 9 but, the walking on water is not.
When Jesus arrived with His disciples at this deserted place He found that multitudes had anticipated Him and arrived at His destination first.
Again we have the same word compassion here and it is for the people gathered because they were like sheep with no shepherd.
For Jesus compassion is an action word, He saw that the multitude was without a shepherd and He began to minister to them.
He did this in spite of the fact that He and the disciples had come here to rest from the constant crowds of people who came and went where they were before. So many so that they did not even have time to eat.
But Jesus came to minister, not to be ministered to; so this Servant denied Himself and ministered to His flock.
These sheep should have had shepherds, but it is the sin of the priests and religious leaders like the Pharisees that they turned inward and ministered to themselves rather than to the flock that God had entrusted to them.
They even sank to the low of disparaging the common man and elevating themselves far above them.
“Then the Pharisees answered them [men who were sent to arrest Jesus], ‘Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.’” John 7:47-49.
Just who was responsible for teaching this crowd the law? The Pharisees will have to answer to God on judgment day for rejecting and crucifying Jesus.
They will also have to answer to Him for misleading Israel and for not teaching the people from the Scriptures. These hypocrites are sitting in hell now awaiting the day when they will have to answer for these grievous sins.
This is a warning to everyone who aspires to be a pastor or teacher, it is not just a solemn responsibility, but pastors in particular are not their own once they take on the task of shepherding the flock.
They are not their own even in the same way a real shepherd is not his own when tending sheep. It is a monumental job which requires constant vigilance by a person who loves people and one should count the cost before they take on the job, because they will give an account to God for their actions.
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” James 3:1.
“Then they brought young children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16.
It is little children that Satan wars against most successfully because they have no champion.
In the disciples case it is likely that they erroneously thought that the Master had more important things to attend to than mere children. They compounded that error when they failed to consult Jesus before rebuking the folks who brought them to Him.
But today, as throughout past millennia, though we all started out as children, they are disparaged and demeaned because they are unlearned and innocent, therefore of little use and disposable.
These disposable children are first aborted when they are not convenient or often when they are not boys.
The child loses when their parents divorce leaving the child fatherless and feeling as though the breakup came because of something they had done.
The abuse or neglect that often comes in a single parent home and the confusion that comes when a new parent is brought in only increases the anxiety.
Often it is someone who has no love for the child and worse still; this new person abuses them, verbally, physically, or sexually.
Today in this country children are sent to schools steeped in atheistic socialism, where they are taught that they are nothing but parasites that are destroying the planet.
They are taught to be politically correct, amoral, and dependent on the state for everything. And with the addition of Critical Race Theory liberals should be able to drive child suicide rates through the roof.
When Common Core is taught in schools, children will not even learn basics like arithmetic because it has intentionally been made so confusing that adults cannot grasp it.
Common Core is designed to frustrate children until they feel too stupid to grasp anything and give up.
For many more this heartbreaking destruction of their innocence is compounded by being molested by someone, whether family member, neighbor or stranger.
And this is going to get worse when pedophilia is legitimized as a sexual preference, and decriminalized (as it has been in California) along with other sexual deviations, including rape.
Even today there is a movement to take the shame out of being a pedophile by using euphemisms when referring to them.
Anyone who has examined the liberals’ tactics to advance the acceptance of sexual perversion over the last seventy years will agree that this is something that is going to happen. Do not for one moment think it cannot happen.
It is now legal in some places to kill a baby on their due birth date by sucking the child’s brains out in the process of birth. Not only legal, but perverse lawmakers actually applauded when it was signed into law.
Even more children are mutilated to change their sex from boy to girl or girl to boy, all without their consent. Many of these wind up in sex slavery along with thousands of other children who have been abducted and enslaved.
Courageous, moral, men and women will have to stand up for these children who will be ruined by perverts run amuck insisting on their right to marry small children.
All sex with children is rape no matter whether it is the first or the fiftieth time.
In the end, God will be blamed by the victims of pedophiles for the evil things that have been done to them. But God is not to blame for the perverted things men do when they know it is wrong, a sin, and a sin against society itself.
Jesus will also be blasphemed as He was when men accused Him of having a sexual relationship with Mary Magdalene, and a homosexual relationship with the Apostle John.
Soon enough they will fill up their cup with the sin of accusing Jesus of having a relationship with children.
But that is not what we see here when the compassionate, love of God is exhibited by God the Son as He says.
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14b.
The heavenly kingdom is filled with people who exhibit the innocence and humility of little children. It is a place of peace, and joy.
Jesus is jealous for these little ones and the punishment is severe for those who harm them.
“And Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.’” Matthew 18:2-6.
“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…” Colossians 2:6.
And how does anyone receive the Lord Jesus as Savior?
“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” Mark 10:15.
One receives Christ as their Savior in childlike faith accepting God’s word as true; and then they walk in childlike humility and faith that what God tells us of His care for us is true.
“And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:16.
If you are not a child of God, you can receive these blessings right now, today, if you are already a child of God, believe them.
“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” Luke 23:39-43.
For the first three hours both of these men blasphemed Jesus as He hung on the cross. But this man must have watched Jesus as He hung there, caring not for Himself but for His mother, giving her into the care of the disciple John, and in forgiving those who crucified Him.
“And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.” Luke 23:33-34.
The peace in the midst of agony must have spoken to this man bringing him to realize that all the things he had surely heard about Jesus and His claims to being the Messiah were true.
And with the faith of a little child all he could ask was “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [full payment] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:7-12.
God’s love and compassion is shown to the world in Jesus Christ, the eternal God the Son who loved us and gave Himself for us that we might live with Him for eternity.
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
Love and Compassion, Part 2 taken from godisrevealed.com updated on 2-5-19, reposted on 3-4-22.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission all rights reserved.