Mark 6:33-44  Jesus desired to take His disciples away.. to a "lonely place" to rest.  They all needed this time away from the crowds.. away from the demands.. the pain.. the sorrow.. and the stresses.  Yet, as they went.. the people followed... "and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd;.. " 

These people had no other hope.. not from the Jewish leaders, priests, or scribes.  No hope from the Roman governors.  No hope from any other nation.  We find that we are in the same state.. if we will just admit it.  It is easy to slip into the despondency of the world.. even as the writer of Ecclesiastes wrote, "Vanity of vanities.. all is vanity" (1:2)  In a world that has slipped into darkness in so many ways.. there is only one hope.. and that Light draws us..even as the people were drawn to Jesus in this picture that Mark draws for us. 

Jesus "began to teach them many things.."   Their greatest need was the Word of God.. and Jesus fed them the Living Word.  But.. as the day began to pass and it was getting late.. the disciples were ready to send the crowd away.  Jesus had a different plan.  "You give them something to eat!" He said to them. 

They couldn't do it!  They didn't have enough food or enough money to buy food.. but Jesus was not finished with His lesson.  "How many loaves do you have? Go look!"  They did and found five loaves and two fish.  And, for Jesus, that was enough.  He took what they had, blessed it, and "broke the loaves and .. kept giving them to the disciples.. and they all ate and were satisfied..."  Not only that but the left-overs filled 12 baskets full. " And there were about five thousand men who ate the loaves." 

As I look at this event.. with searching eyes and open ears.. my desire is to know Jesus more.  I ask Him to  help me to  see Himself  more clearly through Mark's picture.  I see a precious Shepherd Who has compassion on the sheep that have a great need.. He sees them clearly and provides what they need.. Hope.  We are not told what He was teaching them there in that "lonely place".. but, we can guess that it was the Good News that God's Kingdom had come and that they could find new life.. a life of worth.. a life of joy and love and purpose. They only needed to believe in Him. He fed their souls and then He fed their bodies. Did they all go away "satisfied"?  Not just their stomachs.. but their souls as well?

Father.. Holy and Loving God.. You have given to us the Bread of Life... the Good Shepherd.. the Living Word.. Jesus Christ the Lord. We are so thankful!  You see our greatest need today.. the need for Your Presence..will You lift up Your countenance upon us.. make Your face shine upon us.. bless us and keep us in Your mighty Hand. We ask for Your grace and peace. We come to You humbly, willingly, and seek You... for You have promised that if we seek You with all our hearts we will find You.  May it be so.. in Jesus' name. Amen.