Compassion on the Crowd

Written by Julie Cosgrove

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The feeding of the thousands with a few fish and loaves is a familiar story. It shows how God can multiply what little we have to offer, bless it and use it to do wondrous things well beyond our capabilities. That is the point – He wants us to give. He wants us to be part of the compassion process.

Jesus could have rained down manna from the Heavens or provided a rock gushing with water and a flock of quail, just as it happened in the book of Exodus when the Hebrews wandered in the wilderness with Moses. He could have had fig trees sprout up from the ground and grow before their eyes, limbs bent over and lushly burdened with fruit. Jesus could have sucked up the fish from the Sea of Galilee in a tempest and plopped them at the crowd’s feet. Instead, he asked his disciples to get involved and took a few mundane, everyday things to work His miracle.

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Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way” (Matthew 15:32).

Why get them involved? He wanted the disciples to share in His compassion for the crowd. He wanted them to offer what they could to the cause. He wanted them to give and watch as He began to multiply that gift. And He wanted those who had nothing left to give to rejoice when they learned that He can provide all our needs. Most likely his disciples were hungry as well. But by sharing what little there was to be found, their hearts were filled as well as their stomachs.

So many times, God is working in the background of our lives with the little stuff. We want a huge miracle – a “poof” that changes things in an instance. Then we get disappointed when God doesn’t rush in like Superman with the music blaring to save the day. But if we stick with Jesus, even when our resources run dry, we can be assured that He will provide for our needs just as He did for those thousands. If He had preformed that miracle two days prior, it would not have meant as much because those people would have had still had some of their own provisions.

Never think you have nothing to offer, and never believe that God will not provide enough for you to give. There is healing in both the receiving and the giving. He wants you to be part of the process for your sake and for the sake of others. God has compassion for this crowd called humanity that is so hungry for Him in their lives.

When you reach out to another person and give them a small part of what you have, be it a dollar bill, your time or a smile, God can do wonders with it.

When someone offers you a small something, know that God’s hand is in that as well. Don’t discount it because it is not the huge miracle you were praying to receive. Just like one of the loaves of bread that day on the side of the mountain, whatever it is you receive from someone else, believe it is a gift from God. Break it, save just enough to meet your urgent need, then pass the rest on and watch the domino effect of God’s love work. That’s your miracle. That is why it is better to give than receive. You become a part of the process, part of the crowd, part of the compassion.

Question: What can you offer today? What will you receive from someone else? Will you give that to God, too?

About the Author Julie Cosgrove

Tags: compassion, disciples, exodus, fish, hebrews, Jesus, Julie Cosgrove, loaves of bread, manna, miracle, moses, Sea of Galilee, superman

3 Responses to “Compassion on the Crowd”

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Luna says:

August 8, 2010 at 10:47 pm

“There is healing in both the receiving and the giving.” I never thought about this. Thank you for your word of encouragement, Julie.
Jen says:

August 8, 2010 at 10:17 am

Thank you for this blog, I’ve been getting a lot of help from friends over the past few years & have felt guilty for not being able to do more for them in return. Now I know that God appreciates anything I can do, not just the big things!
kim says:

August 8, 2010 at 6:06 am

This is/was exactly what I needed today – thank you!