And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.(Mar 6:31-44)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

SELECTIVE ATTENTION?

WEARY OR WONDER

Needing rest?

Or needing redirection?

Out of compassion for his disciples Jesus offers to take them aside, to spend time with them that they might be refreshed.

But instead they are caught up in the wonder of what Jesus did!

EMPTY OR EXPECTANT

Come to the end of yourself and just give up?

Not Jesus: When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. (34) 

Compassion fatigue. Feeling empty?

But not Jesus.

“Like sheep without a shepherd”.

Mass hysteria...

Jesus is A good shepherd.

HOPELESS OR HOPEFUL

The disciples are exasperated, resentful, hopeful?

Do you ever feel this way?

Jesus will have none of this. 

Their selective attention.

Scarcity mindset. 

Acts 8:3,4 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison! Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

We may feel hopeless – but with God there is always hope.

          Now is time for His power to be at work