7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the evil[a] spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was. NIV

I would imagine that You must have been physically drained. It is often the consequence of being involved in a momentous occasion, a particularly draining moment of conflict. So to gain some space and perhaps to recharge Your batteries You withdrew Your disciples to the peaceful Lake of Galilee. But, amazed by the recent events, there was no way that the crowds were going to let You disappear in the distance. Instead, they thronged after You. Not just those from the synagogue where the man's hand had been miraculously healed, but they also converged on You from all directions. As the crowds pressed forward they hemmed You in with Your back to the lake and so it was sensible to ask Your disciples to prepare a boat in case the crowds surged forward too strongly. I expect the disciples would have been happy to just row off into the distance and into the peace of the lake, but not You. You had compassion. You had compassion in the synagogue and now as the crowds pressed forward full of those who were sick and in need or oppressed by evil, so Your compassion grew.

I can remember years ago watching a film supposedly based on Your life. From memory there was a scene in it where the actor playing You was in a rocky, desert area and from all directions the lepers came crawling reaching out their leprous hands. Instead of compassion, the actor just screamed out at them. But not You here. You had compassion. You healed many with sickness and disease and those oppressed by evil spirits were freed from their oppression as You commanded the spirits to leave. A few verses earlier the Pharisees - the Teachers of the Law- the so called experts - had failed to recognise You. And yet these evil spirits knew exactly who You were. "You are the Son of God" they cried as they were being cast out. But You were having none of it. You might let the stones cry out in praise but You would not allow Your holy name to be uttered on the lips of these unclean spirits.

What an amazing day. But for these disciples their days of watching and learning were about to change.

When did You ever get time to sleep?