Love

He was tired

Not just from a day’s work but tired from the weight of emotion.

Tired from living in a world where the unfair happened.

Someone He loved had died[1].

Not a random someone. His cousin[2].

In reality they were more like brothers on the same mission. Both had been conceived miraculously. Both had  been sent for the same purpose. John had been sent to clear the way for humanity’s redemption. Jesus was the way for that redemption. Not only did the brutal murder of one so dear,  hit close to home, it was a reminder that He would also suffer a fate that was worse on His mission to redeem mankind.

Keep all of this in mind.

The Jesus who needed to get away[3], I understand. The Jesus who needed peace and quiet after hearing such devastating news, I get. He was after all a man, and one of his human needs was emotional breathing room in the face of such heartbreaking news.

This was our Lord’s state of mind when He was pursued by the multitudes[4].

Not unlike a celebrity being pursued by the paparazzi, our Lord was followed. Worse than the paparazzi, the crowd wanted more than just a picture. They wanted to be taught. They wanted to be healed, and they would end up needing to be fed[5].

Keep in mind  that Jesus could have Vanished. He disappeared when they wanted to forcefully make him King[6]. He disappeared when they wanted to stone Him for blasphemy[7]. He chose to remain in the face of spiritual and physical needs, even when He had legitimate needs of His own.

I was waiting for the part that says He healed some of them and left some. I was looking for the part that says He fed half the crowd and left the other half, or maybe He set the loaves to multiply and left the disciples to deal with the crowd.

I never found it.

Why does this matter?

I often wonder if God isn’t too busy with other important things to attend to my needs. It’s such a big world out there and there are so many people with bigger issues who need help. Then of course He has a universe to run, and it sometimes feels selfish to bring my puny needs to Him.

Jesus in human form feeling all of the emotions of a human, put the needs of others before His own at a time where no one would fault Him for needing time off.

That’s the Jesus who asks that you cast your cares on him.

There are no exceptions to His love and once you bring Him a genuine need, He’s the one who will go out of His way to make sure you’re ultimately taken care of.

He did that at the cross, but long before the cross, He demonstrated unusual compassion towards all manner of people.

Your needs are not  trivial to Him. Your aches are noted by the King of Kings.

So come without wondering.

The one thing you can know is that Him being inconvenienced isn’t something you need to worry about

Don’t you just love a God who loves like that?

[1] Mt 14:13

[2] Mt 14:13

[3] Mt 14:13

[4] Mt 14:14

[5] Mt 14:15

[6] Jn 6:15

[7] Jn 8:59