Jesus is moved with pity
Gospel of Mark 6:30
Mk 6:30-34 (The call to a deserted place...Jesus is moved with pity)
How many of us can relate to this scene where
you’ve just returned from a difficult and worrisome day at work after an hour on
the train or an hour or more on the expressway in traffic and open the door to
the house and are met with mayhem!
The kids are running around the house and your spouse almost immediately begins
to unload their day on you, when all you want to do is just crash and relax.
The phone is ringing and tonight is your turn to provide treats for the
soccer team and you have about an hour to do everything!
Either your scenario is like this or similar,
but this is the kind of pace of our lives take in many, many cases these days as
we try to balance so much activity with along with so many concerns. There’s
sometimes so much to say and talk about but so little time.
In today’s gospel we see that the scene was
really intense, with people coming and going and the apostles freshly returning
from their first missionary trip.
They were full of excitement and amazement for the wonders they experienced in
spreading the good news of salvation.
They wanted Jesus to drop everything and to listen and talk with them,
but the demands of the ever growing and changing crowd made this impossible.
Always the good shepherd and the teacher Jesus
really wanted to listen closely to them and their stories and to teach them the
meaning of all that had transpired during their journeys and knew that in this
particular time and place it would be impossible, so he said let us go to a
deserted place to rest awhile.
But this crowd was not to be denied. They
couldn’t get enough of the teaching of Jesus and felt called to his voice just
like the sheep in great flocks recognize the voice of their shepherd, these
people had the joy of hearing Jesus voice and felt called to it.
Imagine being in that crowd and what Jesus human voice must have sounded
like!
So it happened that the people themselves found
out where Jesus and His apostles were going and not only followed, but the crowd
actually grew and met them there, to this deserted place.
It’s noteworthy that deserted places in Israel are dry and rocky and very
difficult terrain. But the crowd
followed nonetheless. It was in
this deserted place that Jesus was moved with pity for the crowd and we find out
further in the reading about how he fed their bodies as well as their souls.
Jesus could have said to this crowd: leave us
for a while while we talk and rest then we’ll return, but HE did not. He instead
refocused on the crowd and by doing this He taught the apostles another lesson
of charity...that being a true shepherd.
For a true shepherd is totally unselfish and
gives his time even his life to his sheep. And the good shepherd often has to give of himself even to
the point of making his needs secondary to the needs of others.
Jesus and His apostles needed some quiet, some
peace, some time to consider and discuss all that had happened.
But gave that up or at the least postponed that until the needs of the
people were met.
I’m sure that Jesus and the apostles eventually
found time for them to unpack all their exciting stories and questions and to
listen to His teaching about their experiences,
But like Jesus told His apostles to find a
deserted place, we’re also called to find balance in our lives, to make time for
quiet, to find a deserted place to be alone with Jesus to open our hearts and
not only talk but to listen to Him with our hearts.
This place can be a few minutes at the end of
the day, an hour a week with the Eucharist in the adoration chapel, quiet time
on the train or in the car, either every day or at least every few days. We need
this for both body and soul and will find that once we start reserving this time
we will even be able to cope better with the relentless pressures of our hurried
lives.
Jesus was moved with pity when he saw the crowds
and was again the good shepherd as He changes his plans to prioritize the needs
of others. We are also called to continue His mission by being good shepherds of
our lives, and good shepherds to others by caring for all those in our lives by
always being open to and conscious of their needs, not just our own.
This is not an easy challenge for us in the
world we live in here in Naperville, the challenge to find balance between work
and family and self or our needs and the needs of others.
But this is a challenge which can be met
successfully if we develop peaceful, prayerful hearts, by being sure that we add
a balancing time of quiet, a time of being in a deserted place where we can talk
with Jesus and be quiet, a place and time when we can listen to His voice.
Dear Jesus,
In the midst of my hurried life
Guide me to a special deserted place
To place my stress in Your hands
For You are my good shepherd
In my cluttered heart make space
Help me to find peace in time of strife
Help me find balance in my life
Dear Jesus,
Help me find time to really listen
Through the clutter to hear Your voice
And be truly open to the needs of others
To find the balance I need
And in Your boundless love rejoice