This post is written by Leslie Hudson as a companion for Unit 22, Session 4 of The Gospel Project for Adults, Volume 8: From Wonder to Rejection (Summer 2023).
Great crowds have the potential to bring great emotion.
In this week’s passage, Jesus is again in the midst of a large crowd (Mark 8:1). It wasn’t just a good group of people or a nice turnout; it was a big crowd.
If you’ve ever been to an event that drew a great crowd, you can probably recall some of the big feelings from it. As I considered the times I’ve found myself in such a multitude, I walked through memory lane and tried to relive the events as best I could. And as I share them with you, hopefully you’ll be taken back in time to your own large crowds too.
The first time I remember being in a “large crowd” was in elementary school; my parents took me and my sister to a concert in Lexington, Kentucky to see the Charlie Daniels Band and Alabama. When the first note was struck from the band, I thought my ears might pop. My mom handed me some ear plugs as she sang along to every song. I remember seeing all the people holding up lighters (back in the stone ages before cell phone lights) when Randy Owen belted out the slow songs. The entire experience was magical, and I felt carried away by the music.
Another multitude that comes to mind is when I was in college, and I was able to get tickets to watch our local professional hockey team play the legend Wayne Gretsky. The arena was packed with fans for both teams, and the passion from both sets of fans overflowed. We cheered for everything our team did well and we also cheered every time The Great One made contact with the puck. He didn’t score that night, but he had five assists. We were thrilled to be in the presence of greatness.
But my most memorable crowd was New Year’s Eve 1996. My sister and I spent the week with our uncle, who lived in the city. We couldn’t wait to watch the Times Square ball drop with our own eyes. We arrived at 7PM, freezing in the cold and waiting for hours in the midst of thousands and thousands of people doing the same thing. The crowd was the biggest I’ve ever seen, and I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you there was a little panic at 12:01 when everyone began to pull in different directions in order to leave. That great crowd turned from a time of joyous excitement to one of slight panic—what would happen to me in the midst of that crowd?
You’ve had great crowd moments too. Maybe you loved it; maybe you couldn’t wait to get away. Perhaps you were caught up in the wonder, the music, the presence of greatness, or the fear of it all. Maybe you were hoping it would last forever, or you may have sworn you’d never be in such a mass of people again.
But what if, in your great crowd moment and mine, we’d taken a deep breath and looked at the mass of people as Jesus did: He had compassion on them. He saw their needs, He heard their hearts, He knew their thoughts, and He loved them. He wanted to help, wanted to serve, and wanted them to know that He could meet that need. Instead of being overwhelmed by the crowd, He chose to act on the compassion that He felt deep inside, both as fully God and as fully man. There are still crowds out there, and one day you’ll find yourself in the midst of one. I will too. The question, then, is this: How can we reach out a hand of compassion overflowing from a heart that’s been filled by Jesus?
Leslie Hudson loves her mornings of silence, coffee, and Jesus—not in that order. She lives with her husband and kids in White Bluff, Tennessee, where they raise blueberries, figs, and bees. She loves to spend her free time reading, writing, journaling, and helping others know and follow Jesus.
