When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” Mark 6:35-37 NASB
In this story, Jesus is about to preform an amazing miracle of multiplying food to feed 5,000 men. But the disciples do not see how this is possible. To feed all of these people would cost 200 denarii. A denarii in bible times was equivalent to a day's wage for an unskilled laborer. So, 200 denarii would have been around 8-9 months of hard labor for a single person. That is a lot of "hard earned" money to spend on just bread! The disciples are trying to understand how they will afford to feed all of these people by looking at their earthly resources. They can't afford it, or at least don't want to afford it! So, they are wanting to send the people away to find their own food. But Jesus is about to show them that the kingdom of God doesn't work that way. In Mark 6:34 it says: When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. In this whole section of scripture, Jesus is operating in compassion for these people, while the disciples are merely concerned. There is a vast difference between compassion and concern. Compassion moves our whole being into action; while concern may only set our mind into action. There was nothing sinful with the suggestion of the disciples to send the people away so they can go buy something to eat. It was actually a "kind" thought that they were concerned about the people's well-being. The problem was wrong thinking that Jesus is about to address. How is Jesus going to combat this wrong thinking in His disciples? He is going to give them a scathing rebuke by saying: “You give them something to eat!”. As followers of Christ and sons of the kingdom of God, when we see a need, we have then been given the opportunity and responsibility to act. Being concerned for people is nice and easy; but being compassionate requires a sacrifice. Concern leads to a human plan that usually relies on human resources, and often "sends away" for a solution; compassion is immediate, relies on divine resources, and draws close those in need. Jackie Pullinger is a missionary over in Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. At the age of 22 she felt the call to become a missionary. She wrote to various missionary organizations looking for support but she found none. So, instead of waiting around she felt the Lord tell her to "GO". She left from London on a one-way ship being led by the Holy Spirit on where to get off. She arrived at the port of Hong Kong and she has been there for 56 years. In reading her story in "Chasing the Dragon" and listening to quite a few of her messages, she would often say: "Always give. You don't have to give what people are asking for but you always give." She is not alone in this sentiment, she is taking it directly from the lips of Jesus: “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Luke 6:30 NASB On that day on the sea shore, the disciples started to see the difference between how the world handles those in need and how the kingdom of God handles them. Let us be kingdom minded in every situation we face. Questions to Consider: 1. How can you and I prepare our hearts to live a life where we "give to everyone who asks"? Hint: It starts with one step of obedience. 2. How can we move from being concerned for people and having compassion for them? What does that look like?
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