Sheep need to be led. They need a shepherd to protect them, guide them, lead them to food and water, and find them shelter. They are not resourceful. Left to their own devices they will starve to death. They need a shepherd.
Despite our ultra-independence here in the West, we need each other and we need leaders. I know the popular politically correct beliefs teach that all beliefs are of equal value, but this is just dumb. How can opposite and exclusive beliefs both be true? You can’t believe the glass is full and empty at the same time. One of those beliefs is incorrect. We need an outside arbiter of Truth.
There was something about Jesus that caused people to run to hear Him. This, in and of itself doesn’t make what He said true (the size of the following does not prove the truth of what is being taught), but Jesus tries to get away from the rush of the crowds and the rush follows him anyway. He takes a boat; they run on foot.
When was the last time you rushed to hear someone speak? Maybe you sat overnight in a line outside the ticket booth to be sure you got the ticket. Or you clicked at one minute past midnight. Or stood outside the entrance to the store on Black Friday. Or were one of the first ten callers.
Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell all the people who ran ahead to go home. He doesn’t turn His back those who are honestly seeking Him. Although His plan was to pull aside with His disciples and have some quiet and recuperation, He responds with compassion for the crowd that has gathered.
We don’t know what Jesus taught that day. But from His actions, the multiplication of food to feed the crowd, I would be willing to bet the lesson was about spiritual hunger and the only way for that hunger to be truly satisfied. We don’t know if any were healed of physical illnesses that day, but it would not surprise me, since Jesus often spent time healing and casting out demons.
But Jesus also taught a lesson to the disciples that day, perhaps the more important of the two lessons. They too were sheep without a shepherd, unless they stayed close to Jesus. Jesus’ has many things to teach each of us. The deeper the teaching, the more we need to pull aside, slow down, and find a place of rest in Him.
The Arnold Journey 