The first account (Mark 6:30) takes place after the disciples have been on a mission. Jesus tells them to go with him to a deserted place here they can rest for a while. The only problem? The crowd reaches the ‘deserted’ place before they do. They expected a lonely place only to find a place filled with 5,000 men (plus women and children).

Jesus has compassion because the crowd was like sheep without a shepherd so he began to teach them. As he taught them into the night the disciples came to Jesus and told him to send the crowd away so the crowd could go buy something to eat because it was getting late.

Jesus responsed, “You give them something to eat.” The disciples respond with, “You want us to go and spend 200 denarii to feed all these people?” There are some questions about whether the disciples had enough resources to feed all the people. One would expect that if they did not have the resources, Mark would have told us. Instead, the disciples respond as if they are surprised that Jesus would want THEM to go purchase the bread for the crowd. I don’t think this is reading too much into the account.

Fast forward to Mark 8. Instead of being surprised by the crowd, the crowd had been with them for three days. Instead of the disciples going to Jesus telling him to send the crowd away, Jesus goes to the disciples and tells them he has compassion on the crowd because they haven’t had anything to eat. Instead of the disciples telling Jesus to send them away, they respond with, “How can one person feed all these people in the desert?”

Notice, the change in the disciples. Even though this passage is just a two chapters removed from chapter 6, there could be six months to a year difference in time. The disciples have gone from telling Jesus to send the crowd to go into the city to solve their own problem, to asking Jesus how a feeding could possibly take place. Jesus asks them “what DO you have?” They give him what they have, even though it isn’t nearly enough to meet the need (A few loaves of bread and fish). They discover that there is more than enough to feed the crowd.

The model of ministry I see in this passage can be outlined as:

1) Problem: The people were hungry without anything to eat

2) Compassion: Jesus has compassion on the people

3) Connection: The disciples ‘hear’ of Jesus’ compassion

4) Ministry: The disciples give Jesus what they do have and see a miracle.

Instead of just looking at the problems, I need to be listening to Jesus. When I do, I hear the heartbeat of his compassion. When I hear the call, and give him what I have, I will discover there is enough to meet the need he has called me to meet.

The usual mode of ministry that I see in many churches is spending time discovering and defining the problems, deciding what we can do (or what we have) coming up with our approach and praying that Jesus might bless our efforts. Wouldn’t it be freeing to instead hear the compassion of Jesus and allow him to use our offerings, no matter how small, to meet the need.

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