Compassion

6-14-26

Hoonah-Hadley

Matthew 9:35-10:8

Call to Worship Psalm 100

Daily Verse Matthew 9:36

Compassion

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (NKJV) The NIV reads “…they were harassed and helpless.” Other versions use “fainting”, “troubled”, “problems”. They were lost, broken, sick, hopeless. Jesus went, He saw, and He was moved. Compassion is seeing a need, feeling it and doing. Compassion is touching the need. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.” 2 Cor. 5:20 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.” James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” We are the instruments, the utensils of God’s care to meet the needs of the lost and broken. Remember, we ourselves were lost and blind, but now we see. Grace upon grace, His mercies are new every day. When we study the life of Jesus, we see that compassion was a hallmark of His ministry. He was in a constant state of rubbing shoulders with those in need. He went to the “other” side. He intentionally went to the darkness. He not only saw and felt the need, He touched it. 1963 Bill Gaither, He Touched Me: “Shackled by a heavy burden. Neath a load of guilt and shame. Then the hand of Jesus touched me, and now I am no longer the same. He touched me, oh, He touched me, and oh, the joy that floods my soul. Something happened, and now I know, He touched me, and made me whole.” Jesus walked the streets and touched people.

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Compassion is concern for the suffering of another. To give aid, support, mercy. Vs. 35 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Jesus “went about”. He didn’t preach in one location for 40 years. He didn’t hide in the basement of a church for Wednesday evening bible study. He didn’t take Monday off, or Friday. He didn’t go to the game on Sunday. He didn’t play video games, golf or put a lift kit under His pickup truck. He “went about”, that is, He walked, taught, preached and healed. He didn’t have the millions of distractions we have today. He didn’t have the millions of idols we have today. He didn’t preach the gospel on Sunday for 20 minutes and then slip out the back door and rush home to watch the Kentucky Derby. He is the gospel. Remember when He was 12 years old? Essentially He left His family behind. In fact when His parents noticed Him missing, they “sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.” Guess what? Jesus wasn’t found at His family reunion. Eventually in Lukes account He said, “Did you not know I must be about My Father’s business?” Listen in to Matt. 10:34-39 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against His father, a daughter against her mother…and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother…son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And those who do not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake will find it.” Carrying one’s own cross is accepting hardship, persecution and even death. It is an invitation to surrender personal ambitions and comforts. The willingness to endure suffering, ridicule and loss.

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Vs. 36 “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Jesus “went about”, “He saw”. We do that, don’t we? Go about? What do we see when we’re out and about? A weary and scattered multitude? Vs. 36 sounds like today doesn’t it? We read the local “Herald”, the “Argus”, watch CNN News, the Today Show. We go out into the highways and by ways of life. The local gas station today has gambling machines, lottery tickets, cigarettes, beer, energy drinks and a host of other wasteful, harmful products that humanity purchases by the billions. We run here and there chasing after the wind, wake up tomorrow and do it all over again, with no purpose, no direction, no teacher, no leader, no Savior, no hope, troubled, weary, scattered, helpless. When asking some folks on their smoke break if they watch the news they said no. When asking them if they knew what was going on in Israel, they said no. When asking them if they cared, they said, not really. Matthew 15:24 “But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’” Ezekiel 34:5 “…they were scattered because there was no shepherd.” Zephaniah chapter 3:1,2,18,19 “Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted…She has not obeyed His voice. She has not received correction. She has not trusted in the Lord. She has not drawn near to God…I will gather those who sorrow…To whom its reproach is a burden…I will save the lame, and gather those who are scattered.” Isaiah 6:5 “Woe is me, for I am undone! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” Our lost, broken, scattered, weary nature, “like sheep without a shepherd” is blatantly obvious. The gate is wide, the way is easy that leads to destruction, and many enter it. Like sheep being led to slaughter, do you see them? Are you moved?

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Vs. 37 “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few.’” Scripture gives us many examples, numbers, percentages how wide the gate is. The parable of the Sower, 1 out of 4 seeds falls on “good” soil, that’s 25%. The parable of the 10 Virgins, 5 get in, 5 do not, that’s 50%. The parable of the 10 lepers, 1 returns to give thanks, that’s 10%. In Matthew 7:13-14 many enter the wide gate, few enter the narrow gate. Every time you go out the door, wherever you go, you are outnumbered by the “many”. Jesus saw the “multitudes”. He only had “12 disciples”, one of those would betray Him, one would doubt. Whether it’s the farmers field, the wedding banquet, the hospital or the church, it’s always a numbers game, the gate remains wide while simultaneously it is narrow, “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few.” Vs.38 “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” In our lesson the multitudes desired good preaching, instruction, healing, they had great expectations, for the One that walked among them was able. That One, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, sent the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, Helper and Guide, to remind us, to empower us, to dwell within us to go out into all the world, to teach, preach, and, heal. To raise the dead, give sight to the blind, to heal the broken hearted, to preach the good news. How do we do that? Pray. To whom? “The Lord of harvest. Who’s harvest is it? “His harvest.” His word will not return to Him void, but it will accomplish what He pleases, it will prosper in the things for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) The valleys are covered with corn, the harvest is great but the laborers are few. Much of the corn will fall to the ground and rot for want of reapers. We should pray more and complain less for the great task at hand. God himself presides over the harvest, but first we must see, feel and be moved. Compassion touches the need. Amen.