“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)
When you see a crowd how do you feel? Some of us find large numbers of people overwhelming. some feel afraid when they are surrounded by them. Others are just exhausted by crowds. When we are traveling on a busy train we certainly dont want to talk to anyone. We see the crowd as a unit. Almost as though it is is one.
Jesus loved the crowd. He saw it for what it is: a collection if individuals he cared for. Each of them at least a little bit lost. Each of them feeling in need of a caring shepherd. Don’t we all want direction?
Some people struggle with crowds even at church. Perhaps you joined a nice small church but it was also joined by a lot of other people, and now Sunday mornings are a crowded experience.
But when you remind yourself of Jesus’ perspective on crowds you appreciate their true nature and their true value. Each individual in that crowd is loved by our Master, the Good Shepherd. We don’t have the capacity to love the whole crowd like that. But we do have the ability to find someone in that crowd and show them the love of Jesus.
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