God Gives Us The Compassionate Shepherd
When Jesus stepped out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. His heart went out to them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach them many things. (Mark 6:34)
While Jesus waited for his disciples to return from the missions that he had sent them on, Jesus continued to draw crowds to himself. He taught them and healed their sick. He took care of their needs. When the disciples returned, Jesus wanted to go to a private place, to rest. But the crowd recognized where he was headed and ran on foot to that place. They arrived before Jesus and his disciples. When Jesus stepped out of the boat, he saw the crowd and he had compassion on them, just like he did for all humanity.
The leaders of the people of Israel had failed to shepherd the flocks that they were given. They had failed to point the people to God’s grace in promising a messiah, one who would save the people from their sin. They cared only about their outward obedience to God’s law and maintaining their earthly righteousness. Because of that, the people that they had been called to serve were like a group of lost sheep, with no shepherd to guide them or direct them. So, Jesus fixed that. He taught them what they needed to know. He probably guided them to the forgiveness that he himself had come to offer. He shepherded them to rest in the green pastures of heaven.
When God looked out at humanity, he saw a crowd of lost sheep without a shepherd. They had been lost because of their rebellion against him, because of their sin. And he had compassion on us. He wanted us to have him as our shepherd. He wanted us to have a home with him. So he sent his Son, Jesus, to die our death, to bring us back into his flock. God gave us our compassionate shepherd because he loves us and wants us to be his. And he tells us this in his Word. He gives us all that we need for life in his Word because there we find rest. There we find peace. There we find our shepherd who is always watching over us and loving us. Amen.
The song for today is “Compassion Hymn” by Keith and Kristyn Getty