The Gospel reading today reflects experience of people gathering together, to listen to the words of a teacher. After a hectic time of missionary work, the disciples are exhausted, and Jesus says, “You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while.†As they sail away, the crowds of people can guess where they are going, and on arrival Jesus and His friends find that the “lonely place†has become a crowded arena. Confronted by this demanding situation, Jesus sets himself to teach the people at some length. That is why they have come, why they are here before Him. The work of teaching and healing is the greatest work of all. We want to live our lives, and we want to be well. For this we need good teachers, people who will show us the way, people who will inspire us by their words and by their deeds. People who will put fresh heart into us, and who will be with us on the journey.
When Jesus stepped ashore, His first reaction was a feeling of pity for people whe were bereft of such guidance. At the mercy of the great powers of this world, these ordinary people, often the victims of injustice and cruelty, were looking for a light to guide their way, a wisdom by which to live. Something told these people that they had found a treasure. They wanted more.