Mark 6:30-52 In the details surrounding the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 it is interesting to observe the things that are important to Jesus. Rest is important: John the Baptist had just been executed and buried and the disciples had just gotten back from a missionary trip that had been filled with miraculous exploits. Je sus' intention was to take them to a quiet place for rest. People are important: While on their way to rest, they encountered a large group of people. Jesus described them as sheep without a shepherd. He took the time to teach, to heal and to feed them. Including people in the process of helping people is important. Matthew tells us that He used a little boy's lunch to provide the food for the multitude. He used His disciples to distribute the food to the people and to pick up the leftovers. His own personal time of prayer and fellowship with His Father was important. After He had dismissed the multitude of people and sending His disciples across the lake in the boat, Jesus went into the mountains alone and spent time with His Father. His disciples' safety was important to Him. It was so important to Him that He came to them in the middle of the night, walking on the water. These same things are important to Him today, and we need to learn from them. Our bodies need to be taken care of; they are not yet ready for eternity. They need to be rested and nourished properly for them to function at their best efficiency. Reaching and touching people is important to Jesus today, just as it was then, and He still wants to use us in the process. Finally, if it was important for Jesus to find time to spend alone with His Father, it is even far more important that we also spend the time. It is survival.

Things That Are Important to Jesus