"Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John the Baptist - his cousin], he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." Matthew 14.13-16

The crowds knew about the sad news of John's death and yet they went out to disrupt Jesus' quiet time to seek out something for their own benefit, not to comfort Jesus.

How selfish.

But Jesus had compassion on them.

When the disciples asked Jesus to send the crowds away in the evening "to go into the villages and buy food", I am not so sure all the crowds would be able to get food. More likely they would need to walk all the way back to the towns where they came from before they would be able to eat.

I think that is a fair consequence. If I go out of my way to a remote place and I did not prepare food, then as a consequence I may go hungry until I can get back.

But Jesus did not insist on what is fair. He had compassion on them. "You give them something to eat."

It is easier to insist on fairness than on being Christlike.

But we ought to choose on being Christlike.