Mark 6:30-44 My Burden for Lost People
Officer Tori Matthews of the Southern California Humane Society got an emergency call: a boy’s pet iguana had been scared up a tree by a neighbor’s dog. It then fell from the tree into a swimming pool, where it sank like a brick. Officer Matthews came with her net. She dived into the pool, emerging seconds later with the pet’s limp body.
As the Arizona Republic (2/14/95) reported, she thought, Well, you do CPR on a person and a dog, why not an iguana? So she locked lips with the lizard.
“Now that I look back on it,” she said, “it was a pretty ugly animal to be kissing, but the last thing I wanted to do was tell this little boy that his iguana had died.” The lizard responded to her efforts and is expected to make a full recovery.
Tori Matthews didn’t see a water-logged reptile; she saw a little boy’s beloved pet. We may never see the beauty in some people, but when we realize how much they mean to God, we’ll do what we can to keep them from drowning.
What follows is the most repeated miracle in the Gospels. The story of the great feeding is told six times—(twice in Mark) and is the only miracle story described by John as well as the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Obviously, it is of great significance, being a foretaste of the great messianic banquet which will be enjoyed in the age to come and echoing the story of manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16; Numbers 11). Jesus, like a new Moses, feeds his people with teaching and food as well as offering leadership. There are links also with the narrative of the last supper.
The burden for lost people is there within us. We just need to pray that God release the burden for lost people which God has put within me. I should pray like this: God, release the burden for lost people in me.
There are two questions which this passage brings up:
How does Jesus look at lost people (6:31)?
“He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31, HCSB)
Jesus sees people who are:
Broken
Bitter
Banished
Therefore, Jesus had compassion on them. (6:34)
“So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34, HCSB)
Jesus sees the true condition of people.
So what prevents us from having compassion for these same kinds of people?
We are not seizing the opportunities God gives us for times to share with others.
Jesus asked the question: How many loaves do you have? (6:38)
“And He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look.” When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”” (Mark 6:38, HCSB)
Jesus helped the disciples to discover how sufficient He was for them. At first, they were thinking that they did not have the resources to help other people. Once Jesus showed them that He was going to help them, then they learned to cooperate. In the same way, Jesus wants to help us discover how sufficient He is for us. We need to stop thinking that we don’t have the resources to help people because we do have the resources to help people. We have to learn to cooperate with Jesus in providing those resources when we see people in need. If we see lost people as Jesus sees them, then we will care more about them and less about us. Ultimately, the question that the disciples raised (6:37) about spending their own money to help others was a selfish one.
““You give them something to eat,” He responded. They said to Him, “Should we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”” (Mark 6:37, HCSB)
Instead of investing in the people with physical resources like food, they wanted to send the people away. When they saw a human need, they brought up the following human excuses:
Excuse #1 – “It’s too late to do something” (procrastination) (6:35)
Excuse #2 – “It’s not my problem” (avoidance) (6:36)
Excuse #3 – “We don’t have enough ourselves” (inability) (6:37)
Jesus taught them to evaluate their resources and let Him help you use what you have. (6:38)
Here are some questions He made them ask:
1. What do I have to work with?
2. How am I using what I have?
Principle: God always starts with what you have. He will use whatever I give to Him to use.
The church should never turn people away when it comes to the physical help they need. God will use whatever we have to help them. However, it takes a burden for the people like Jesus had. It takes seeing people as Jesus sees people.
Do we see people as Jesus sees them?
Disciples saw lost people as liabilities. (6:36)
“Send them away, so they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat.”” (Mark 6:36, HCSB)
Jesus saw lost people as worthy His work on the cross. (6:37)
““You give them something to eat,” He responded. They said to Him, “Should we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”” (Mark 6:37, HCSB)
The disciples’ heart was, “Send them away. We’re weary.”
Jesus’ heart is, “Come unto Me, all ye who are weary.”
I relate to the disciples—but I long to be more like Jesus.
Compassion is the key to releasing the burden for lost people around us. Chuck Swindoll relates the following story:
A Greek class was given an assignment to study the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37. These young theologs were to do an in-depth analysis of the biblical text, observing and commenting on all the major terms and syntactical factors worth mentioning. Each student was to write his own translation after having done the work on his commentary.As is true in most language classes, a couple or three of the students cared more about the practical implications of the assignment than its intellectual stimulation. The morning the work was to be turned in, these three teamed up and carried out a plan to prove their point. One volunteered to play the part of an alleged victim. They tore his shirt and trousers, rubbed mud, catsup, and other realistic-looking ingredients across his “wounds,” marked up his eyes and face so he hardly resembled himself, then placed him along the path that led from the dormitory to the Greek classroom. While the other two hid and watched, he groaned and writhed, simulating great pain.Not one student stopped. They walked around him, stepped over him, and said different things to him. But nobody stooped over to help. What do you want to bet their academic work was flawless … and insightful … and handed in on time?
This incident always reminds me of a scripture that penetrates the surface of our intellectual concerns.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
(1 John 3:16–17, NIV).
Many people known John 3:16, but even fewer known 1 John 3:16-17.
Charles Stanley reminds us that the Lord desires to see some traits in us to the point that He will work and rework and rework us as clay in His hands until we manifest the traits He desires. Compassion for others is one trait. Compassion gives rise to patience, prayer, generosity, kindness, and actions rooted in love. Compassion moved Jesus to heal the people and give them words of life-giving blessing. Compassion moves us to rescue people from evil and turn them to Jesus Christ, the source of all that is good.
Who is the lost person in your world who needs to see Jesus?
When D.L. Moody was building his great Sunday School in Chicago, children came to him from everywhere. They often passed by other churches and Sunday Schools to be with Mr. Moody. When asked why he walked so far to attend Moody’s Sunday School, one boy replied, “Because they love a fella over there!” The children could tell the difference.
Lost people should see the difference that this church really has compassion for them, that we love them, and that we will care for them.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In