Scripture Reading : Mark 6:30-56
Theme : The Compassion of the Perfect Servant
- Compassion on the Twelve I. After Jesus sent the Twelve to preach the Gospel, they returned to Him and reported to Him all that they did. Jesus had compassion on the Twelve and wanted them to retreat to a quiet place to rest (Mark 6:31).
- Compassion on the People I. The crowd knew about where Jesus and the Apostles were headed, and they followed Jesus. Even though Jesus intended to have a retreat with the Apostles, He had compassion on the people when He saw them. In the end, He did another miracle and fed more than 5000 people (plus women and children) with five loaves and two fish.
- Compassion on the Twelve II. After feeding the people, Jesus did not forget His original intention of letting the Apostles rest, so He sent them away without Him, but He stayed to dismiss the crowd. Jesus knew that if He had gone with the Apostles, the people would certainly follow them again, denying the Apostles rest.
- Compassion on the People II. When they came to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the people there (a different group) also came to Him. Again, Jesus had compassion on them and ministered to them instead of resting.
Praying the Scripture
- Charles Spurgeon once said, “Let me remark that being ‘led by the Spirit of God’ is a remarkable expression. It does not say, ‘As many as are driven by the Spirit of God.’ No, the devil is a driver, and when he enters either into men or into hogs he drives them furiously.” Not so with Jesus. He had compassion on His disciples and desired that they rest. Let us pray that we will not be drivers, but have compassion on others, just like our Lord.
- Some Christians think of God as a slave-driver, a cosmic kill-joy, who is out to torture His people. This is far from the truth. Let us thank God for His compassion on sinners like us.
经文：马可福音6:30-56
主题：完美仆人的怜悯
- 对十二门徒的怜悯（一）。耶稣差派十二使徒传福音后，他们回到祂那里，向祂报告一切所行的事。耶稣怜悯他们，想要他们退到一个安静的地方休息（31节）。
- 对群众的怜悯（一）。群众发觉了耶稣及使徒们将前行的地方后，便跟从祂。虽然耶稣本想与使徒休息，但看到群众时，祂就怜悯他们。最后，耶稣行另一个神迹，用五饼二鱼喂足超过五千人（另加妇女及孩子）。
- 对十二门徒的怜悯（二）。喂饱群众后，耶稣并没忘记祂起初想让使徒们休息的意图，便辞别了他们，自己却留下来叫众人散开。耶稣知道祂若与使徒一起去，众人必然再次跟从，叫使徒们无法休息。
- 对群众的怜悯（二）。当他们到加利利海的另一岸时，众人（另一群）也到祂那里去。耶稣再次向他们显出怜悯，不休息，乃服侍他们。
用经文祷告
- 查尔斯·司布真（Charles Spurgeon）曾说道：“且让我说，‘圣灵引领’这短语是很惊人的；这与‘由神的灵驱赶’有别。不，魔鬼是驱赶人的，而当牠进入人或动物里头时，牠是疯狂地驱动他们。”然而，耶稣并非如此。祂对祂的门徒有怜悯，并要他们休息。让我们祷告我们不会驱赶他人，而是对人有怜悯，如同主一样。
- 有些基督徒认为神是逼迫人的，不让人享乐，成天只想折磨祂的子民。可是，事实恰恰相反。让我们感谢神怜悯像我们这些的罪人。
