Send Them Off Or Feed Them

¨Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” Mark 6:36 (TNIV)

Many a great teacher would have us come over to or see his or her view.  We follow the old method of teaching which is to share from ones wealth of knowledge.  However we are finding today that the learning process is not a hand-me-down of information simply transferred from one to the other.  Learning is something done by the individual who is experiencing the new material.  Therefore, the teacher is most useful in that they can spark an interest and facilitate what the learner would need to capture, assimilate and end with usable familiarity of what would be learned.

A worthy goal of any teacher would also be that the student becomes so enthusiastic with their learning of what the teacher has put forth, that they press forward in their interest and perhaps surpass even the teacher´s level of proficiency.  This may be altogether possible when talking about all except our Teacher Jesus Christ.  He was tapped into a wealth of knowledge which went far beyond what the human brain and experience has yet been capable of.  Therefore, He is to us The Great Teacher and absolute from where all other knowledge and learning must stem.

So let us throw our efforts into directing our teachings to our own point of view but back upon the true Teacher. Hopefully we will plant a spark that the Spirit may fan into a great flame for all of us students to pull in closer and listen more attentively our Savior as He instructs.

Almost any biblical character may become a good example to build our learning upon and throw us further upon our Lord.  Here the Disciples approached Jesus with their request.  They had accurately assessed the scene and their concern may be genuine towards the welfare of the people Jesus had been ministering to.  They came encouraging Jesus to send the people off for food.

With this we come to our point.  We see hunger, we see food, we see the things that affect us personally and we make our issue there.  We even go further than recognizing and dwelling upon those stirrings, we bring them to the attention of our Lord.  It is human and it is within our nature.  It is true that we are in need of rest and alimentation.  So whats the big deal?

All the while we are fussing about ourselves or worrying about others, Jesus is there.  He is working.  He is not working on the levels we expect Him to but He is working on infinitely greater and more important levels.  He is caring for souls, not merely the bodies which house those souls.  His concern for those precious hearts reaches into depths of eternity, long after any temporary state or condition.

Little did the Disciples that day suspect what miraculous sign Jesus would perform to demonstrate the levels He was working on.  And little does it seem that we today have progressed in our learning either.  But on the upside, we still have our teacher.  We can still pull in close and learn from Him.  So rather than seeking someone to pass us information.  Let us all meet up at the feet of the One who truly can instruct.

Dear Jesus, thank You for caring enough to come and attempt to lift our eyes and understandings.  There is a spark of interest that a little of awareness into the mysteries of God has planted in our hearts.  Please send us any help available to fan that spark into a flame that will rage inside of us and make our yearnings burn for learning more of what You would teach us.  Let our curiosity and need for understanding proceed to lead us past that of our earthly teachers.  We may be frightened by the thought of learning what immense mysteries the Father may still have for us, but we press on because You planted that desire within us.  So closer to You we come and for more we pray.

Amen