Key Verse: When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on
them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36
The Lord is moved with compassion when He sees us in our
circumstances. We are told that as He walked through the villages He felt the
despair. Having grown up in poverty Himself, He understood, firsthand the toll
that Roman oppression and religious legalism was having on His people and He
was moved with Compassion for their situation.
Why then, if Jesus truly was God, did He leave those people
in their situations? What good is compassion if you can't, or won't do anything?
Compassion doesn't put food on the plate, or clothe the naked! He was God! He
could have fixed everything instantly! He could have killed the Romans and
gotten rid of the religious leaders. He could have punished evil and restored
those poor people to their glory!
That's what they thought Messiah was supposed to do! That's what the people wanted Him to do, but that was not what He came to do. Besides, if Jesus did wipe out the Romans and all oppressors to set the poor people free as they wanted, they would have just risen up to take the places of power and become the new oppressors, for they were still sinners! So, Jesus' compassion lead him to do something greater. He came to pay for sin so that sinners could be transformed into compassionate servants. In the long run, that was the only solution that would work.
That's what they thought Messiah was supposed to do! That's what the people wanted Him to do, but that was not what He came to do. Besides, if Jesus did wipe out the Romans and all oppressors to set the poor people free as they wanted, they would have just risen up to take the places of power and become the new oppressors, for they were still sinners! So, Jesus' compassion lead him to do something greater. He came to pay for sin so that sinners could be transformed into compassionate servants. In the long run, that was the only solution that would work.
It's interesting that Matthew saw the crowds as sheep
without a shepherd. That is his description of the people. Sheep need guidance. But Jesus' actual words in this section reveal that he himself saw the crowds as a field ripe unto harvest, like wheat. Wheat doesn’t need guidance. It
needs harvesting. But Matthew wrote this
down for us. He didn’t write it as it happened. He wrote it down after reflecting upon
it. So both metaphors work at once. The harassed and helpless need a good
shepherd. That’s Jesus. The wheat field needs workers to harvest
those who are ready to respond to Jesus and gather them into the fold. We are the workers.
This teaches us that Jesus does not want to work alone.
"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." (Matt.
9:37-38) Jesus needs others to be moved with compassion as well. It's not
enough for Him to care. If He is in us, we should be caring as well and moved
to act.
Jesus calls His followers to be moved with compassion as He
is, see the needs and meet them. This is His plan. If He just fixed everything
Himself, what would there be for us to do in His service? How would we grow and
become more like Him if we just sat back with our hands in our laps and let Him
do all the work? Christ feels compassion. Christ calls us to feel his compassion
for the lost. Christ calls His body to
action. Christ laments that, "the workers are few." Christ needs me
and you to be His hands and feet in a lost and hurting world where there is
little hope. Christ's forgiveness of your sins turns you into a compassionate servant. Let's bring His hope to someone in need today!
Hymn: Each One Reach One
Also, "Hands and Feet" by
Audio Adrenaline
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