Our Gospel lesson from Mark today is located between the Apostles missionary journeys and Jesus’ feeding of the 5000. The Apostles are reporting in, telling Jesus all that they had done and taught. Can you imagine their excitement? First time out on their own. I can picture them talking over each other, interrupting each other, one upping each other, each bragging about their amazing successes! It wasn’t long though, before their excitement turned to a real sense of tired, pure exhaustion! You know the feeling you get when the excitement is over? The adrenaline has gone, all of the sudden you feel drained. Now, what they wanted and needed was Jesus, His undivided attention and His affirmation. However, the crowds were gathering. People wanting to be near this miracle man that they had been hearing so much about. People from all kinds of backgrounds with all different sorts of needs and desires. At the same time Jesus knew that the Apostles needed to get away to a quiet place to finally get the rest that they sorely needed. This was not to be the case today. They did get away, but their alone time was cut very short. The crowd actually beat them to their hoped for, solitary place. When they came ashore, the crowds were already there, the Apostles saw them and so did Jesus. Don’t you suppose they might have thought, ‘oh no! Come on Jesus let’s turn around and go somewhere else!’ Jesus’ reaction was not what the Apostles were hoping for. The Apostles wanted Jesus. Instead, Jesus turned His attention to the crowds and had compassion on them.