In yesterday’s Daily Teaching we saw that Jesus took His disciples aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida (Lk. 9:10b). According to Mark’s Gospel, Jesus had the specific intention of seeing His disciples get some rest (Mk. 6:31). But that invitation to some much needed relaxation would be short-lived, at least in the short term. The deserted place of Bethsaida wouldn’t be deserted for too long.

The beginning of verse 11 says, “But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him” (Lk. 9:11a).

According to John’s Gospel the multitude followed Him “because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased” (Jn. 6:2). Mark says many ran and even got to the shore before Jesus did (Mk. 6:33). They must have moved with great haste. The journey from where Jesus was to Bethsaida was about a four-mile journey by boat, and by land it was double – about eight miles.

What’s potentially surprising, however, is Jesus’ reaction to the multitude. The second half of verse 11 says,

“…and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing” (Lk. 9:11b).

I think this reaction was incredible. Jesus wasn’t bothered by the multitudes; “He received them.” He was okay with interruptions and He was okay with inconvenience. This would be a lesson for the disciples. Particularly in light of the fact that they were people who were very busy and very tired.

You can see why this would be a good lesson for us as well; especially if you happen to be someone who is very busy and very tired.

If you get involved in the lives of people, and if you seek to put yourself out there as a servant to the body of Christ, know that interruptions and inconveniences will become increasingly more common. But what happens is – as Christ-likeness is formed in you and I more and more, we don’t mind it as much because, like Mark said about Jesus, He was “moved with compassion for them” (Mk. 6:34). It’s the difference between your children waking up in the middle of the night versus a broken car alarm that keeps going off.

A few summers ago my car had this random problem of making a beeping sound, and then sometimes that beeping sound would turn into a full-fledged alarm. Each time it happened it interrupted whatever I was doing and then I’d have to either press the button on my car remote or go to the car and stop it and start it. It was incredibly annoying. But when Zachary (my son) wakes up in the middle of the night (which, thank God, isn’t too often) Lauren and I are moved with compassion and we want to help him. And so that becomes the case in our ministry to one another as Christians. When someone unknowingly interrupts our prearranged rest, on the other side of that interruption isn’t a car alarm but someone we care about.

So then, by the grace of God, let us better embrace interruptions as they come, seeing them as Jesus did – per Luke 9:11 and Mark 6:34: as opportunities for ministry, and by seeing the person on the other side of the interruption as someone you’re moved with compassion for and not a broken car alarm.