Right Brain, Left Brain Thinking

Scripture(s): Mark 8:1-3

In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, "I feel compassion for the people [fn] because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. "If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance."

Commentary:
Jesus had been teaching a multitude of people for three days. He communicated to the disciples that he felt compassion for the people because they had been with him the entire time, and that they had not had anything to eat.  He expressed concern for them physically and emotionally, and he acted on meeting the needs of 4000 people. There was noone that was left physically hungry, spiritually, or emotionally empty. Everyone was satisfied.

Jesus met the needs of the people. They obviously were not concerned about themselves at all. They wanted to spend more time with Him to hear Him speak. They wanted to find out more about the kingdom of God. Their focus was not on temporal things, but on heavenly things. Even though Jesus was fulfilling His purpose by teaching them about the kingdom of God, it did not negate the fact that He seen their physical need, and desired to fulfill that as well. Therefore, Jesus had compassion on them, He was concerned about them. He did not want them to lack anything, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Therefore, He met everyone of their needs at the moment of the need, because He loved them.

Reflection:
It has been said that men in general are left-brain thinkers, and women are right-brain thinkers. However, Jesus is a perfect example of being a balanced thinker His entire ministry. The word says Jesus had feelings, and was moved with compassion. The ability to feel is an emotion which resides in the right side of the brain; controlled by the left side of the brain. God is love. Love is an emotion which resides in the right side of the brain; controlled by the left side of the brain. God is also a God of order; which is a logical function that is on the left-side of the brain; controlled by the right side of  the brain.

Man is made in the image of God, and his mind is complex in nature. Nevertheless, the mind of man consists of the attributes of our heavenly Father. A godly father wants to make sure that his family is well taken care of. He does not want his wife or his children to worry about anything. He desires to take care of them, and seeks remedies to take care of whatever needs that arise. The mind to take care of what is needful is dominate. Whether that be right brain or left brain, no matter. What matters is that God will bring the right and left hemispheres of the brain together to manifests His purpose in any given situation. Let us not be limited by what we have the ability to understand, but let us trust God in all things concerning the mind that He has given us, and God will bring the balance in all aspects of life.

Strong's Concordance Definitions:

Feel: 4697
1) to be moved as to one's bowels, hence to be moved with compassion, have compassion (for the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity)

For the People:3793
1) a crowd
a) a casual collection of people
1) a multitude of men who have flocked together in some place
2) a throng
b) a multitude
1) the common people, as opposed to the rulers and leading men
2) with contempt: the ignorant multitude, the populace
c) a multitude
1) the multitudes, seems to denote troops of people gathered together without order
They have remained: 4357
1) to remain with, to continue with one
2) to hold fast to: the grace of God received in the Gospel
3) to remain still, tarry, stay

Nothing to eat: 2068
1) to eat
2) to eat (consume) a thing
a) to take food, eat a meal
3) metaph. to devour, consume


Faint: 1590
1) to loose, unloose, to set free
2) to dissolve, metaph., to weaken, relax, exhaust
a) to have one's strength relaxed, to be enfeebled through exhaustion, to grow weak, grow weary, be tired out
b) to despond, become faint hearted

References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Gospel of Mark 8 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 3 Mar 2010. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mar&c=8&t=NASB

Higgins, S. (2010). Right Brain, Left Brain Way of Life.  Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com, http://www.higginspublishing.com