In this passage, Jesus had withdrawn to a private place to mourn the death of John the Baptist. However, when he saw the crowds of people that had followed him, he didn't think of them as a distraction or a hassle. Instead, he had compassion on them--he saw them as people in need of food, of healing, and above all of grace and of salvation. The needs of the people were more important to Jesus than his own need for solitude.
Now, possibly more than ever before in history, humanity needs a reminder about the importance of compassion. Just as Jesus called his disciples to show compassion to this crowd, he calls us to show compassion to those in need around us.
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