Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Good morning and welcome to the corona chronicles. We are picking up the story in Mark's gospel chapter 6. And if you've been watching this series, you'll know that just just before this in chapter 6, we had this frightening scene that was on the back just the prophet's on the back is beheaded. And but before that, Jesus had sent out the apostles to to to preach and to to heal and to announce that the king of God had come and we were picking up the story really after that scene. So we're looking at verse 30 chapter 6.

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. So they went away by themselves in the boats with solitary place. But many who saw them leaving, recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd had compassion on them because they were large sheep without a shepherd, so he began teaching them many things.

So pretty successful mission. Sounds on the incident. Yeah. You wouldn't you wouldn't mind most kinds of numbers and I mean, you know, you didn't get a chance to eat. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I think we'll be pretty happy about it, won't we? Yeah. It just you know, it's it's quite it's quite amazing, isn't it?

Just to read that. They were, you know, they they and I just think what must have that what must have been like? They come back and they pass in from teaching and, you know, some amazing things have happened. Yeah. And they're just You reckon it's like, like, when they wanna tell you something.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They've been to a really exciting part of it, but they can't even sort of like Yeah. But they're exhausted as well.

I don't know. He's had that happen, you know. Yeah. And and and they're trying to, like, remember all the exciting things that happened and they're just splurging out these words. Yeah.

And you get the impression that they're all gathered around Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, let me tell you the man who repented who's a notorious sinner, but he really did the best with the kingdom of Jesus, this man who was deemed possessed. Yeah. You spirit enable us to drive this demon and run out of oil. In ran out of oil is to start amazing.

Yeah. And Jesus, the master The master pastor that he is really recognizes that given the crowds that are gathering around and They're obviously fatigued. Yeah. The disciples from what they and he he says, look, come with me by your service to a quiet place and get some rest. And, of course But sitting back and he's sitting set them up for the next teaching, you know, block.

Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, you need you need to learn more. You still haven't quite got it yet. No. No. But he recognizes that, Nick.

And that was something he he saw in himself, wasn't it? Yeah. Yeah. So I've seen in Mark how he himself retired to solitary places in order to pray to rejuvenate, really. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Because the word the words out in verse 33 -- Yeah. -- you know, that that they can't really go anywhere about night now. And, you know, those words and they ran on foot -- Yeah.

-- from all the towns and got there ahead of them. Yeah. And, you know, it's quite stressful as well. Yeah. I mean, I've never really noticed this in Mark before, but the the it just seems that there is constant crowds.

Yeah. Doesn't it clear? And, you know, what once you've kind of picked up on that detail, you start to see it everywhere, you know, and it's it's Yeah. You you begins to make make you've got stress. What?

They cough around. Yeah. You've got some of the public. Actually Yeah. Yeah.

A little bit. Yeah. And I think, you know, if if if I was 1 of them, you know, the disciples there, I can imagine doing the opposite of what Jesus does. Yeah. So verse 34, when Jesus stands in the sword arch grabbing a compassion on them.

Yeah. And he begins you know, And I always think, you know, I would be saying, look, Jesus. We've, you know, leave it out. Come on. You know, let's just send them away, honestly.

I mean, this you know, they we've done up it. We've done up teaching. Let's we just need a bit of downtime. Yeah. You know, let's let's send them away.

They'll find us again. You know, I wouldn't be up for further ministry at this point. But but but Jesus sees them, and he he he has compassion on them. And that is is is is more than just a a sort of sentimental feeling of, oh, you know, you know, it's it's I think it's that word of like a kind of gut wrenching compassion. Yeah.

It's it's like sort of you know, sadness, but also concern and angst. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe even slight irritation of the way that they've entreated or, you you know, there's this every part of it. They are that they are shepherdless.

Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. That's the whole reason, yes, compassion's because they would like sheep without a shepherd and, you know, and he knows that the the shepherds are all around. Yeah.

But they just They just neglected the sheet. They, you know, they're not being shepherds. Yeah. And and it's it is amazing, isn't it? Like, the thing is that that blows me away is that he he sees the need.

He knows the need, and he any the need that he fulfilled is, you know, you you you might think, well, okay, these sheep need feeding. What do they need? They need teaching is what they need. And that's what he ends up doing. So he began teaching them many things.

And that that's just I think that goes against, like, what compassion, you know, you might think, well, what is compassion today? What's compassion? Feeling the poor and, you know, lots of social justice kind of issues. Yeah. But actually, our biggest need is that we need to be taught by Jesus.

Yeah. Yeah. And that that is the that's what that's what the world needs. I think that's right. Yeah.

And I think I mean, obviously, he does go on, doesn't he? Yeah. Take care of that physical. Yeah. Yeah.

So he doesn't neglect those pressing concerns. Yeah. But his his compassion, as you say, leads him to teach. Yeah. That, again, is something that we've seen all over in Mark, you know.

You had a chap 6 verse 12. They went out and they preached, then people should repent. Yeah. You know, all the way back in the early as Jesus went from town to town preaching for that is what he came, you know. So his his priority is 1 of announcement and proclamation, and as you say, it is an expression, compassion.

Yeah. Just letting people believe what they want, go their own way, be themselves, my sound compassionate -- Yeah. -- but would be in fact an act of cruelty -- Yeah. -- if what they're believing is role and harmful. You know, because you're ignoring what their biggest need is, you know.

Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. And so that's that's what he does. And the sheet without a chef, but it's, again, such wonderful. Metaphor because he has come to to be that shepherd, isn't he? That's right.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, I think is it ezekiel 34, that kind of area. I just remember that chapter in particular. I think it's that it talks about, you know, will be your shepherd.

God God is speaking there, and he's saying, I will come. I will be your shepherd. I will feed the sheep. Mhmm. And here he is.

In flesh, Absolutely. Yeah. And and that's sort of not only is that wonderful because we we can say, well, that's that's how he looks upon us. Yeah. You know, he loves us and he wants draw nearer teach us, but it sets a pattern for how we should relate to the world.

Does it -- Yeah. Yeah. -- you know, we we ought to not be stand off fish, judgmental, and harsh, but equally, you know -- Yeah. -- we mustn't we mustn't sort of just do 1 side of the compassion without the teaching staff. Yeah.

You know, this compassion leading to proclamation is our model as a church as well, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. So join us next time when we're gonna see we're gonna see what happens next.