Like Sheep: Mark 6:33-34
A significant portion of our culture is based on following. One person does something interesting and suddenly everyone is trying to copy them, outdo them, or somehow connect themselves to it. Youtube videos borrow formats and content from other creators. Someone invents an interesting product and suddenly dozens if not hundreds of copycats and knock-offs are trying to steal part of the market share. As much as we like to claim our individuality, the reality is many of us are who we are based on the people we follow.
Jesus invited His disciples into the boat. He wanted to sail over the sea and find a more desolate place so His disciples could rest and debrief from their experiences. He wanted a place where He could focus on them and give them the time they deserved and needed.
Unfortunately, as they head out in the boats, they are recognized. It is hard to tell if the people who recognized Jesus and His disciples were there when they left or if people along the shoreline recognized Him as the group sailed. Either way, word gets out and people begin anticipating where Jesus is heading. People from surrounding towns flock to the shoreline to meet with Jesus. What Jesus intended as a time for relaxing and intimate teaching with His disciples turns out to be anything but.
Jesus sees the crowds and has compassion. Rather than turn the boat away from where they were planning on landing and sailing to someplace new, Jesus sees the crowd and decides to interact with them. It wasn’t what He planned, but it was needed. I love this dynamic of Jesus because it demonstrates a truth about God’s will. As God, Jesus could have forced His will to happen. Instead of letting His will dominate, though, Jesus accepts the will of the crowd and the needs of the people. God is willing to put aside His will to allow us to get our way. God is willing to compromise – or even abandon His will – so we can dictate our terms to Him. Many people think of God’s omnipotence in a forceful and unyielding manner. This story shows us the opposite. God’s omnipotence doesn’t imply He always gets His way.
Jesus has compassion on the crowds because they are like sheep without a shepherd. The people are looking for someone to follow. They are looking for someone to imitate. This doesn’t mean they all want to follow Jesus intimately; they are simply looking for the next thing to follow. There can be no doubt some do follow. There can be no doubt that many see Jesus in a similar light as modern humans see something new on TikTok: here to claim His fifteen minutes of fame before the world moves on to something else. Jesus knows the crowd. Jesus knows the world. A significant portion of our culture is based on following.
