Article January 16, 2012 Issue

Out with 'desert-place' thinking

By Candace Lynch

One morning, when rereading a familiar Bible story, I was struck by something I had not noticed before. Following the news of the arrest and beheading of his cousin, John the Baptist, Jesus left Jerusalem. The account of this in Matthew’s Gospel says, “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities” (14:13). Jesus wanted to be alone, but the crowd followed him.

The story then continues, “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick” (verse 14). What moved me so much was his Christlike viewpoint, in spite of his own sorrow. It seemed to me that Jesus looked at that assembled crowd, many coming to him for healing and teaching, and he saw, not so much their long list of problems, but rather a multitude of opportunities to encourage, uplift, and heal. He was ready and willing to show them God’s tender love and to feed their spiritual hunger.

The disciples were present; they listened to Jesus’ teachings all that day, and saw the healing work he accomplished, but when evening came, they felt it was time to send the crowds away. They went to Jesus and said to him, “This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals” (verse 15). In their eyes, there was no source of supply evident to feed so great a crowd. What they saw was only a desert. But Jesus had a different viewpoint.