Sheep without a Shepherd
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:34
In Mark 6, Jesus has been teaching and healing people. His cousin, and fellow minister, John the Baptist was murdered by Herod. His disciples have returned from being sent out to spread the gospel. They are all tired and hungry. Yet the people crowd around Jesus so much that they do not even have a chance to eat. So Jesus tells the disciples that they should go away to a desolate area, allowing them to eat and recharge.
The people in the area have another idea. They track the boat that Jesus and his disciples are in and then run on foot, beating them to their destination. Jesus looks upon the people and their desperation for His presence, and he has compassion on them. This compassion leads him to teach them.
We might not naturally associate compassion with teaching. Instead, we typically think about Jesus having compassion for others by healing the sick or raising a beloved relative. Yet Jesus’ compassion here compels him to teach. He recognizes that they have a more urgent need than physical illness. They have lives wrecked by folly. Like sheep with a shepherd, they consistently find themselves wandering into dangerous situations, falling into pits, and coming into contact with vicious animals bent on their death.
We can learn from Jesus’ example. The world views compassion as something to ease physical suffering. It might also focus on offering vague comforts or reassurance. Here we see that the most valuable gift that we can offer others is the teachings of God. He knows what they need to find their way back to safety. Yet we often ignore teaching people these things to offer a more worldly form of compassion. To help others, we must prepare to do so. We must study and know God’s word, so we have the right words to help guide them on their path.
There are also people in the Lord’s church who despair. They have gone off course. They do not know how to get back on track. They may be suffering silently next to us as we worship. Encouraging them by pointing them back to the great shepherd is one of the best things we can do for them.
Finally, we must always look inward. Do we find ourselves constantly miserable? Are we in distress because we foolishly try to find our way without the shepherd? Jesus still has compassion for us today. He wants us to chase after him as the people did, seeking after his word and his teaching no matter what it takes. We will find that he still has compassion on us, leading us so that we want not (Psalm 23:1).
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:34