Jesus’ Power of Compassion

Intro

Mark 6:30-31

Mark 6:30–31 NIV

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 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.”

The first need that the Disciples have is for rest. Whether they realize it or not, they need rest and time alone with Jesus.

Mark 6:32–33 NIV

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

How I feel about being interrupted.

Mark 6:34–37 NIV

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. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

As great as the Disciples are, they are not going to be able to feed these people.

Mark 6:38–40 NASB 2020

But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” And He ordered them all to recline by groups on the green grass. They reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties.

On our own we have only access to the world’s resources. With Jesus we have access to Kingdom Power.

Mark 6:41–44 NASB 2020

And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He gave them to the disciples again and again to set before them; and He divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied; and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces of bread, and of the fish. There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.

Economy and Prices.

Mark 6:45–46 NASB 2020

And immediately Jesus had His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He Himself dismissed the crowd. And after saying goodbye to them, He left for the mountain to pray.

Need time to self.

Mark 6:47–49 NASB 2020

When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out;

What is happening.

Mark 6:50–52 NASB 2020

for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

The generational arguments.

The Compassionate Power of Jesus can meet our every need.

“The cumulative testimony of the four Gospels is that when Jesus Christ sees the fallenness of the world all about him, his deepest impulse, his most natural instinct, is to move toward that sin and suffering, not away from it.” Dane Ortlund

What always drove Jesus, what moved him was a compassion. He could not walk away from pain, he had to move towards it. And there is one word for this, Selfless.