Send the Multitude Away - Luke 9:12

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus took His disciples, “, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spoke unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing”, and in chapter nine and verse twelve of his book Luke shared how Jesus' disciples told Him to, “send the multitude away” where we read:

And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

The verse reads, “And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, ...” Luke began with the words, “and when the day began to wear away” or “and at the time and moment the sun was beginning to fall and started to decline”, “then came the twelve” which means “at that time arose and appeared the twelve disciples of Jesus”, “and said unto him” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed to Jesus”, “Send the multitude away” which means “dismiss the crowd of people, let them go and bid them to depart”. Luke shared how the daytime was “far spent”, and it was almost evening. Jesus' disciples approached Him and instructed Him to “make the crowd disperse”.

The verse goes on to say, “... that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.” Luke continued with the words, “that they may go” which means “so the people may depart and leave” “into the towns and country round about” or “toward the nearby common sleeping and dwelling places”, “and lodge” which means “and be put up for the night”, “and get victuals” or “and come upon, discover and obtain food and supplies”: “for we are here in a desert place” which means “because, since and on account that Jesus and His disciples were located within a solitary, lonely, desolate and uninhabited location”. Luke shared how Jesus' disciples said reason the people should be “dismissed” was because they needed “food” and “lodging” which was not available in the “desolate” their desolate location.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus' disciples thought they had the answer for the dilemma before them. The day was coming to an end, and the people who gathered had neither food nor lodging for the evening. Their answer was for Jesus to “dismiss” the crowd so they could go into nearby “towns and villages” to find provisions for their needs. Jesus had something else in mind which we will discover in our next few verses. Because His disciples had “an answer” to their problem does not mean it was Jesus' solution, and it wasn't. God knows everything, and when situations look dire and we think we have the answer, perhaps we should look to Jesus who is able to do above all that we ask or think to meet people's needs.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus told His disciples, “give you them to eat”, 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".