Being Rickulous

I have this thing about crowds.  They can unnerve me.  If it’s a phobia, it’s an intermittent one.  And it’s not the most convenient problem for a pastor to have.  So as I watch this passage unfold I sympathize with the disciples and Jesus.  They try to get away but they cannot.  It looks like the crowd runs around the Sea of Galilee to intercept them, which is impressive but annoying.  Now we see one of the many ways Jesus is different from us.  The disciples and I view the crowd as an intrusion.  We want Jesus to send them away.  Jesus views the crowd as an opportunity.  His heart goes out to them.  He teaches them.  He feeds them with resources the disciples gather.  The next time I experience what I interpret to be an intrusion, I want the Spirit of God to remind me of this passage.  How about you?