Vacation plans gone awry rank high on the scale of stress and disappointment. Meticulous planning and expense go in to a long-anticipated, much-needed reprieve from daily pressures and routine. And the more investment of time and money, the greater the disappointment if these precious plans need to be modified or cancelled.
Few people knew stress and pressure like Jesus as He walked the earth. The three and a half years of His earthly ministry was characterized by the constant press of desperate people seeking healing and help. At one point His family came to "take custody of Him" (Mark 3:21) because of their perception of what appeared to be an out-of-control situation.
Sensitive to the pressure of this lifestyle on His disciples, Jesus invited them on a vacation get-away:
"Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)" (Mark 6:31).
Unfortunately, the vacations plans became public knowledge, and the very crowds they sought to escape arrived ahead of them at the location of their vacation outing. But, rather than expressing frustration, disappointment, and anger, Jesus responded as few of us likely would have:
"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" (Mark 6:34)
Rather than resenting the persistent crowd, Jesus was compassionately moved for these directionless people, and instructed them further with life-changing words.
We have a Savior Whose compassion never allows Him to take a leave of absence from us. He is keenly sensitive to our need for direction and instruction, and is unrelenting in this role even today as He sits at the right hand of His Father and intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:34).
According to His pattern, we are also encouraged to be compassionate and instructive to those who look to us for help and direction. And again notice that important connection between compassion and instruction: true compassion directs us to instruct others with life-changing teaching. Helping in other ways is compassionate but, according to the pattern of Jesus, instruction is they key response to compassion.
Opportunities for service and compassion rarely come at "convenient" times. Anticipate the inconvenient as you trust the Lord for opportunities to serve and help today.
Steve
Few people knew stress and pressure like Jesus as He walked the earth. The three and a half years of His earthly ministry was characterized by the constant press of desperate people seeking healing and help. At one point His family came to "take custody of Him" (Mark 3:21) because of their perception of what appeared to be an out-of-control situation.
Sensitive to the pressure of this lifestyle on His disciples, Jesus invited them on a vacation get-away:
"Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)" (Mark 6:31).
Unfortunately, the vacations plans became public knowledge, and the very crowds they sought to escape arrived ahead of them at the location of their vacation outing. But, rather than expressing frustration, disappointment, and anger, Jesus responded as few of us likely would have:
"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" (Mark 6:34)
Rather than resenting the persistent crowd, Jesus was compassionately moved for these directionless people, and instructed them further with life-changing words.
We have a Savior Whose compassion never allows Him to take a leave of absence from us. He is keenly sensitive to our need for direction and instruction, and is unrelenting in this role even today as He sits at the right hand of His Father and intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:34).
According to His pattern, we are also encouraged to be compassionate and instructive to those who look to us for help and direction. And again notice that important connection between compassion and instruction: true compassion directs us to instruct others with life-changing teaching. Helping in other ways is compassionate but, according to the pattern of Jesus, instruction is they key response to compassion.
Opportunities for service and compassion rarely come at "convenient" times. Anticipate the inconvenient as you trust the Lord for opportunities to serve and help today.
Steve
posted by steve @ 7:38 AM
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