Jesus, Man of Compassion

^“But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.” Matthew 14:16 NLT

In some families, cousins are as close as brothers. Jesus and John were cousins and Jesus got the news that Herod had beheaded John. He wanted to be alone so He traveled by boat to a remote place. But the people came looking for Him.  When He saw the crowd, He had compassion on them and took the time to heal the sick.

Late in the evening, the disciples told Jesus that the meeting should be dismissed because the people needed go and buy food. Jesus response was, don’t send them away; feed them. Feed them! Have you any idea how many people are here? There were 5,000 men plus women and children. They told Him, “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!”  Jesus took control of the situation. The people sat on the grass and He looked toward heaven as He blessed the loaves and fish.

They fed the crowd. Everyone ate as much as they wanted. In the end, the disciples collected twelve baskets full of leftovers. Jesus is a man of compassion. He didn’t allow His personal pain to interfere with His work of ministry. Yes Jesus was sad about the death of His cousin; however, He understood His calling. We should never be so consumed with our personal pain that we lose the ability to show compassion to the people we meet.

Thought for Today: Take the time to give a helping hand

Have a blessed day and walk in faith and victory.