基督的憐憫
約翰福音六章1至14節
1這事以後，耶穌渡過加利利海，就是提比哩亞海。
2有許多人因為看見他在病人身上所行的神蹟，就跟隨他。
3耶穌上了山，和門徒一同坐在那裡。
4那時猶太人的逾越節近了。
5耶穌舉目看見許多人來，就對腓力說：“我們從哪裡買餅叫這些人吃呢？”
6他說這話是要試驗腓力，他自己原知道要怎樣行。
7腓力回答說：“就是二十兩銀子的餅，叫他們各人吃一點，也是不夠的。”
8有一個門徒，就是西門彼得的兄弟安得烈，對耶穌說：
9“在這裡有一個孩童，帶著五個大麥餅、兩條魚，只是分給這許多人 ，還算甚麼呢？”
10耶穌說：“你們叫眾人坐下。”原來那地方的草多，眾人就坐下，數目約有五千。
11耶穌拿起餅來，祝謝了，就分給那坐著的人，分魚也是這樣，都隨著他們所要的。
12他們吃飽了，耶穌對門徒說：“把剩下的零碎收拾起來，免得有糟蹋的。”
13他們便將那五個大麥餅的零碎，就是眾人吃了剩下的，收拾起來，裝滿了十二個籃子。
14眾人看見耶穌所行的神蹟，就說：“這真是那要到世間來的先知。”
信息分享
基督走遍加利利，在各地廣泛事奉，然後去到西北面的推羅、西頓，再到北面的凱撒利亞腓立比，並在黑門山上變像；不久，祂就要最後一次前往耶路撒冷。祂先去東邊的利比亞地區，最後回到伯大尼和耶路撒冷。根據路加福音的記載，基督在登山變像之後，便定意向耶路撒冷去。
我們在今天的經文中，再次看見基督對跟隨祂的群眾有無限的憐憫和慈愛。祂極其關心他們的屬靈狀況，也非常關注他們的肉身需要。
可惜，當時的門徒還沒有這種憐憫之心。在其他三卷福音書，我們讀到門徒提議說：「請叫眾人散開，讓他們自己買吃的。」然而，基督卻明白百姓很難找到吃的，便吩咐門徒看看能做些甚麼幫助他們。
我們接著便看見，基督如何施行神蹟，讓群眾吃飽；但縱然如此，基督仍然需要門徒的合作。祂供應食物，而他們要將食物分發給飢餓的人。基督施恩給世人的計劃仍是一樣。祂憐憫世人，祂願意將福音賜給他們；但祂正等待信徒與祂合作，將福音傳給等待救恩的人們。
我們是否已將基督賜給我們的福音與人分享？祂的受死與復活成就的是甚麼？這是我們的責任。基督已將責任交付我們。我們該做甚麼呢？
CHRIST’S COMPASSION
John 6:1-14
1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.
5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”
6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,
9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.
12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”
13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Message
Christ had an extensive ministry in Galilee. Then He went northwest to Tyre and Sidon and then north to Caesarea Phillipi and Mt. Hermon where He was transfigured. Soon He would start for Jerusalem for the last time. He would go east to the area of Perea and then finally back to Bethany and Jerusalem. Luke tells us He set His face for Jerusalem when He came down from the transfiguration.
Here in our reading today we see again the tremendous compassion and emotion Christ had for the crowds of people who followed Him. He yearned over their spiritual condition but also was very conscious of their physical needs.
Sad to say, the disciples at that time did not share His compassion. In the other three Gospels we are told they said, “Send the multitudes away. Let them go and find food for themselves.” But Christ knew this might be difficult for them and asked the disciples to see what they could do to help.
Then follows a remarkable story of Christ’s miraculous provision, but notice particularly that Christ also needed the co-operation of the disciples. He supplied the needed food but they had to give it out to those who were hungry for it. Christ’s plan for reaching the multitudes of the world is still the same. He has compassion for them. He has made provision for them but He is waiting on the co-operation of His followers to take the news of that provision to the waiting people.
Have we been giving out what Christ has given us; what He made possible by His death and resurrection? This is our part today. Christ is counting on us. What are we doing about it?