The Day Spent in a Desert Place - Mark 6:35

Mark wrote how Jesus and the disciples, “departed into a desert place by ship privately. And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things”, and in chapter six and verse thirty-five of his book, Mark wrote how Jesus' disciples said, “this is a desert place, and now the time is far passed” where we read:

And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him,

and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

The verse reads, “And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, ...” Mark began with the words, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “the day was now far spent” or “the time between sunrise and sunset was at this time plenteous, sore and straightly late”, “his disciples” which refers to “Jesus' students, pupils and attendants”, “came unto him” which means “approached, arose before and drew near to Jesus”. Mark shared how it was late in the day, and Jesus' disciples approached Him with the following statement.

The verse continues, “... and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:” Mark added the words, “and said” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “this is a desert place” which means “because, since and on account that the location they were in was a solitary, lonely, desolate and uninhabited wilderness”, “and the time is far passed” or “and it is late in the day”. Mark shared how Jesus' disciples told Him what He already knew about the location being a “lonely and solitary” place as well as the time that was “late in the day”.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see how Jesus' disciples were concerned with the “location” and “timing” of their ministry. Jesus had “compassion” upon the people because they were like “sheep without a shepherd”, but His disciples observed their own physical conditions. God knows the spiritual and physical needs of people, and when they submit their lives to His Son Jesus, they put themselves in the best place for His care. In other words, God knows how to meet all their needs “according to his riches in glory”. (See Philippians 4:19)

Next time Mark shares how Jesus' disciples tell Him, “send them away, that they may go into the country … and buy themselves bread”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".