SERIES: Jesus, Son of God: Headlines from Mark
TOPIC: Jesus Cares for the Masses
TEXT: Mark 6: 30-44
SCRIPTURE:
- Read this passage aloud, as well as the accounts of the same miracle in Matthew 14:31-21; Luke 9:10-17; and John 6:1-15.
- Look for details unique to one or more of the passages. How does hearing all four accounts help to complete the story?
ACCOUNTABILITY:
- In verse 30, Jesus says to the disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” Why was this important? He was (and is) God. Did He need to rest?
- Look again at verse 34, “When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.”
- Talk about Jesus’ compassion for the people in that crowd and for you.
- Why do you think he felt they needed a shepherd? Could Jesus have been making a statement about the religious leaders of their day?
- How do you relate to the sheep/shepherd analogy?
TRANSFORMATION:
- Is Jesus saying this to you today, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while”? What is your answer? What might that look like? What could it take to make that happen?
- This miracle demonstrates how God can take our meager offerings of time, treasure and talents, and do God-sized things with them? Can you think of some examples?
- How does our Jesus-like compassion play out? What needs are you seeing today? Is God’s Spirit nudging you to engage?
“Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to show us that He can take our meager resources and provide in ways we can’t imagine.” Rick Warren
