"Jesus called His disciples and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar." - Mark 8:1b-3
This is our Jesus. He can look at a multitude of faces but see individual hearts. The people said "No man ever spake like this man (Jn.7:46)." They were amazed at His teachings because He taught them as one having authority (Lk.4:32). They were used to hearing the words of the law that came through Moses, but when they heard Jesus, He brought them grace and truth (Jn.1:17). "Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips" (Lk. 4:22a). The grace that would tell a leper that He wanted to touch and heal him. The grace that would tenaciously defend a woman covered in shame from sin and yet would cause shame to fall on her accusers. Jesus spoke the truth that set people free from their sin, their burdens, their despair, their hopelessness. He spoke the truth that gave them peace as they'd never experienced before.
No wonder they would rather follow Jesus than eat. He was feeding a place in their soul that they did not know they hungered for until His words fell upon the tables of their heart. Some traveled from far away but their distance from home could not keep them away. They didn't have food and their stomachs demanded attention but their spirits had never had such a feast. They forsook all of life's basic necessities to follow after Jesus.
This is our Jesus. That knows what we need before we ask Him (Matt. 6:8). And when we "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all of these things will be added to us (Matt. 6:33)" He saw the crowd and His heart was moved by love. He saw their individual needs and was going to meet that need. The people left Jesus after their spirit and bellies were filled to overflowing.
"And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant
with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."
1 Tim. 1:14
"The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain...And it will be said in that day, Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
Isa. 25:6a, 9
