Mark 8
“In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, He called His disciples to Him and said to them, ‘I have compassion on the crowd…”
He has compassion.
It hit me extremely hard that there is a very good chance that at least some of these people who follow Him around everywhere, who are about to be fed and full by Jesus Himself, are some of the same people who later will yell with passion inside of them, “CRUCIFY HIM!”
Maybe this isn’t geographically correct for most of the group, but as my mind seems to go 1000 thoughts a minute, this thought led to another.
Literally, some of those who will for a fact want Him dead and yell “crucify Him,” later do indeed become His followers.
“I have compassion.” This isn’t just a prideful statement or an ego booster. This is a real emotion acted out.
He loves and accepts and feeds and calls sons and daughters some of these same people who will with all their might make it known they want Him killed.
He loves and accepts me when I have given Him plenty of reasons not to. When I have failed to stand for Him, He stands by me.
I know people who feel and I myself have felt that there are those who have wronged us or have even does what what seems like betrayed us. And I KNOW that most people probably have felt the same at some point in their lives. Sometimes it comes from the people who are family or friends, your most loyal supporters.
But who am I to hold a grudge or to teach someone a lesson? Who am I to not have compassion?
If He was able to have COMPASSION knowing the future,
If He was able to have compassion, and after acknowledging sin FORGIVE it, after He rose from the dead seeing the same people who spat on His face come to Him and believe in Him,
I sure ought to be able to have compassion and love and forgive and HUMBLE MYSELF also.
Oh precious Jesus, thank you for who you are.