*Mark 6:30-44* - "30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 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.” 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognised them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 

 

34 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. 35 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. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 

 

37 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?” 38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 

 

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.” 

 

*Source of the provision* 

 

*John 6:8-9* - 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a *boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish*, but how far will they go among so many?” 

 

*Reflections* - Mark 6:30-37 (Sensitivity)

 

1. Jesus Christ initiated the decision to have the disciples take some rest away from the busyness of the day. He is interested in us taking a break. 

2. While Jesus and the disciples travelled in a boat to a solitary place, the large crowd ran on foot from all the towns and got ahead of Jesus and the disciples who travelled by boat. That shows the crowd’s resolve to see and meet with Jesus. They had real problems that needed real solutions. Jesus was providing value that met their needs. 

3. *Compassion* is bringing kindness to an individual’s suffering. 

4. On the surface, the disciples seemed to care that the people had not eaten. They requested that Jesus should send the people away so that they could go to the surrounding countryside and villages and *buy themselves something to eat*. 

 

Father, help me to not be insensitive to the plight of my brother. I receive the same compassion that moved Jesus to action today. I shall extend the light, love and grace from Jesus to my fellow brother, friend, or acquaintance so that they do not remain in darkness. 

 

*Reflections* - Mark 6:37 (Compassion)

 

1. Jesus’ reply exposed the fact that the disciples had answer to the challenge at hand when he said, “You give them something to eat*.” He would not have said this had he not known that the disciples could actually handle the problem. 

2. It is interesting to see that a boy was willing to share his packed lunch as dinner with adults who did not prepare supplies necessary for the journey they undertook. 

 

*Prayer Point 2* - _Compassion_ 

Father, you can count on me to be a witness of your goodness in my area of influence. Help me to use my resources to be a blessing to other men. Birth in me genuine compassion to see people come out of darkness in to Your light.

 

*Reflections* - Mark 6:38-44 (Blessed!)

 

1. Jesus Christ was willing to give the disciples an opportunity to be a *conduit of blessings*. But they may have been so concerned about the inconvenience and the interruption the crowd had caused them all day. 

2. Unbeknownst to them, the disciples passed on the privilege to be a blessing and be blessed since they sought out a boy instead, and presented his lunch to Jesus as the only available option. 

3. They did not understand that God only requires us to give to him whatever we have, no matter how small, and He can work out his miracle with it. 

4. Who do you think would have taken most of the 12 baskets of fragments of food that was left? 

 

 “*Opportunity _to be blessed_ is often dressed up in work clothes*” – Croft Pentz 

 

“Whenever you bring compassion to your sensitivity, you end up ‘*Blessed*!’.” 

 

*Prayer Point 3* - _Blessed!_ 

Father, help me to be a conduit of blessing and not to pass up an opportunity to be blessed. I pray for all the men that I will be inviting to The Secret Place, let their hearts be willing and ready to meet with you.