好牧人

有些时候，我们似乎难以觉知我们真正的需要。例如，某人在一个刮着大风的海滩尝试生营火，他可能认为自己只是需要多添加些火柴，但事实上，他真正的需要乃是有人帮他挡风。

跟随耶稣的群众，很多都是想得到医治，以及因看见衪所行的神迹而感到兴奋稀奇的人，然而耶稣却看到他们真正的需要乃是领受各样的教导。门徒是耶稣最亲密的跟随者，他们只想知道怎样获得食物供给群众吃，然而耶稣却看到，他们真正的需要是认识到衪是供应一切所需的好牧人。

门徒因为不知道怎样为那么多人提供食物而大感苦恼，但他们大概已留意到，耶稣就像好牧人那样怜悯众人，因为他们就像羊没有牧人那样。因此，在那个安静偏僻的旷野之地，耶稣吩咐他们坐在草地上，等候力量复原。如果你读诗篇23篇，你便可以看到一幅类似的图画，耶稣像牧羊人那样照顾在场的每一个人。尽管门徒当时不完全明白祂所做的事，但祂还是为他们做了这事。

感谢主，衪像一位认识羊群真正需求的牧人，来悉心看顾我们。

主耶稣，求你帮助我知道自己真正的需要，感谢你时常眷顾我。求你帮助我在你里面安息和一无挂虑，又帮助我相信，万事都已经在你的掌握中。阿们。

30使徒聚集到耶稣那里，将一切所做的事、所传的道全告诉他。
31他就说：“你们来，同我暗暗地到旷野地方去歇一歇。”这是因为来往的人多，他们连吃饭也没有工夫。
32他们就坐船，暗暗地往旷野地方去。
33众人看见他们去，有许多认识他们的，就从各城步行，一同跑到那里，比他们先赶到了。
34耶稣出来，见有许多的人，就怜悯他们，因为他们如同羊没有牧人一般，于是开口教训他们许多道理。
35天已经晚了，门徒进前来说：“这是野地，天已经晚了，
36请叫众人散开，他们好往四面乡村里去自己买什么吃。”
37耶稣回答说：“你们给他们吃吧！”门徒说：“我们可以去买二十两银子的饼给他们吃吗？”
38耶稣说：“你们有多少饼，可以去看看。”他们知道了，就说：“五个饼，两条鱼。”
39耶稣吩咐他们，叫众人一帮一帮地坐在青草地上。
40众人就一排一排地坐下，有一百一排的，有五十一排的。
41耶稣拿着这五个饼、两条鱼，望着天祝福，掰开饼，递给门徒，摆在众人面前，也把那两条鱼分给众人。
42他们都吃，并且吃饱了。
43门徒就把碎饼碎鱼收拾起来，装满了十二个篮子。
44吃饼的男人共有五千。

The Good Shepherd

“They all ate and were satisfied.” - Mark 6:42

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Sometimes it can be hard to know what we really need. On a windy beach, as a man tries to start his campfire, he may think he just needs more matches. But what he really needs is someone to help block the wind.

The crowd that followed Jesus was full of people who wanted healing and people who were thrilled and amazed to see his miracles, but Jesus saw that they really needed to be taught many things. Jesus’ disciples, his closest followers, wanted to know how they could find food for the crowd, but Jesus saw that they really needed to understand that he was the good shepherd who provides.

The disciples were distressed over how to feed the crowd, but they might have noticed that Jesus, like a good shepherd, had compassion because the huge crowd was like sheep without a shepherd. So in that quiet, remote place he had them all sit down on the green grass in order to be restored. If you read Psalm 23, you will see a picture like this one, with Jesus taking care of all these people like a shepherd tending his flock. And even if the disciples didn’t fully see what he was doing at the time, that’s what he did.

Thank the Lord that he looks after us as the shepherd who knows what his sheep really need.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me to know what I really need. Thank you for always caring for me. Help me to rest in you and not stress out; help me to trust that all things are already in your hands. Amen.