基督的怜悯
约翰福音六章1至14节
1这事以后，耶稣渡过加利利海，就是提比哩亚海。
2有许多人因为看见他在病人身上所行的神迹，就跟随他。
3耶稣上了山，和门徒一同坐在那里。
4那时犹太人的逾越节近了。
5耶稣举目看见许多人来，就对腓力说：“我们从哪里买饼叫这些人吃呢？”
6他说这话是要试验腓力，他自己原知道要怎样行。
7腓力回答说：“就是二十两银子的饼，叫他们各人吃一点，也是不够的。”
8有一个门徒，就是西门彼得的兄弟安得烈，对耶稣说：
9“在这里有一个孩童，带着五个大麦饼、两条鱼，只是分给这许多人 ，还算甚么呢？”
10耶稣说：“你们叫众人坐下。”原来那地方的草多，众人就坐下，数目约有五千。
11耶稣拿起饼来，祝谢了，就分给那坐着的人，分鱼也是这样，都随着他们所要的。
12他们吃饱了，耶稣对门徒说：“把剩下的零碎收拾起来，免得有糟蹋的。”
13他们便将那五个大麦饼的零碎，就是众人吃了剩下的，收拾起来，装满了十二个篮子。
14众人看见耶稣所行的神迹，就说：“这真是那要到世间来的先知。”
信息分享
基督走遍加利利，在各地广泛事奉，然后去到西北面的推罗、西顿，再到北面的凯撒利亚腓立比，并在黑门山上变像；不久，祂就要最后一次前往耶路撒冷。祂先去东边的利比亚地区，最后回到伯大尼和耶路撒冷。根据路加福音的记载，基督在登山变像之后，便定意向耶路撒冷去。
我们在今天的经文中，再次看见基督对跟随祂的群众有无限的怜悯和慈爱。祂极其关心他们的属灵状况，也非常关注他们的肉身需要。
可惜，当时的门徒还没有这种怜悯之心。在其他三卷福音书，我们读到门徒提议说：「请叫众人散开，让他们自己买吃的。」然而，基督却明白百姓很难找到吃的，便吩咐门徒看看能做些甚么帮助他们。
我们接着便看见，基督如何施行神迹，让群众吃饱；但纵然如此，基督仍然需要门徒的合作。祂供应食物，而他们要将食物分发给饥饿的人。基督施恩给世人的计划仍是一样。祂怜悯世人，祂愿意将福音赐给他们；但祂正等待信徒与祂合作，将福音传给等待救恩的人们。
我们是否已将基督赐给我们的福音与人分享？祂的受死与复活成就的是甚么？这是我们的责任。基督已将责任交付我们。我们该做甚么呢？
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?