Verse: Matthew 14:13-14
“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick…”

Devotion
“True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure – the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character’s essential nature”
– Robert McKee

Now granted the quote above is just about screenwriting, but I like to believe that it’s generally true. You can appear good during the easy times, but what about when you’re at your worst? Can you hold true to your character when you’re angry, grieving, sleep-deprived, or perhaps worst of all for some people—hangry?

Jesus had just received the news about John the Baptist’s death when he decides, very reasonably, to go grieve away from others and to process. And yet, when crowds of people tracked him down, interrupting his solitude, his response displays his character: “He had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

The natural human response that even Jesus had to fight is to be irritated, withdraw, and lash out in an effort to get what we know we want or need for ourselves. Self-care and self-preservation above all. But Jesus shows us a different way. Despite his own heavy heart, he saw the crowds’ needs as more important than his desire for solitude. Not only did he heal the sick, but as evening approached, he went on to perform the miracle of feeding over 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish.

This isn’t about feeling guilty for our human limitations. Rather, it’s about recognizing the profound gap between our natural inclinations and Christ’s path. When we’re running on empty, Jesus doesn’t shame us or critique. In fact he wants us to lean on him more, like Proverbs 3 says: “in all your ways acknowledge him…”.

Jesus shows us what’s possible through God’s strength, rather than exclusively relying on our own.

We might not always respond with Jesus’s perfect compassion, and it probably won’t be our first tendency, but we can ask for his help to love others even and especially when it’s difficult. God’s greatest work within us happens when we feel like we have nothing left to give.

Author: Jordan Ambra