“At that time, Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.”
(Matthew 15:29-30)
Jesus has unending compassion for all the people. In this passage, Jesus is tired from his journey and constant ministry. His going “up on the mountain” shows his desire for some rest, peace and quiet with his Father. Yet, he doesn’t isolate himself completely. His compassion doesn’t allow him to ignore the suffering of the people, who are afflicted with every possible human ailment – physical, mental and spiritual. (I wonder about the troubles of the “many others” who are mentioned here without elaboration.) These people would probably have been mainly poor, dirty, uneducated and unsophisticated. Yet Jesus is not disgusted by them; he (unlike many of us!) doesn’t try to preserve himself in some pristine gated community. He doesn’t even wish for such a thing. He wants to be with the people who need him, to help them with the things they need most.
We know that Jesus was a man of prayer and that he taught his disciples to pray (Luke 11:1-4), but he also never hesitated to perform the good works that were within his power.
May we follow the Lord’s example to find the ideal balance (for us) of prayer and good works, of contemplation and action.
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