Matthew 9:35-10:4

His Holy Ministry— Demonstrates Compassion!

³⁵Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

¹He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

²These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

⁵These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:  “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ ⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” (NIV1984)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

About a week ago as I was driving up to Windsor I saw a van that instantly grabbed my attention.  On the side of the van in very large letters was the word, “Compassion.”  Since I knew that compassion was going to be the focus of our sermon today I maneuvered through traffic to get a better look.  It turns out that the van belongs to an organization called “Compassion Without Borders.”  When I looked them up on the Internet I learned that Compassion Without Borders is dedicated to bringing “Brighter futures to animals in need on both sides of the border.  We focus our efforts where the need is the greatest, but where animals are the very least likely to be helped due to financial, geographic, and cultural barriers.  Our programs include a dog rescue program from Mexico and the Central Valley.”  Their website includes a link where you can view the pictures of dogs who are looking for compassionate people who will provide them with a forever home.

Just this past week I saw some information that someone had left for Brenda.  The information is on the Common Ground Society.  Their tagline says, “It starts with HELLO, ends with BELONGING.”  The purpose of this organization is “to share the stories of our lives to educate and empower our community to be more compassionate, accepting, and inclusive of people with disabilities.”

Compassion.  Whether it’s compassion for animals or compassion towards our fellow human beings, even the world understands how important it is to have compassion.

Our text for today reminds us that while compassion is indeed important to the world in which we live, it is even more important to our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  As we continue our sermon series entitled His Holy Ministry let’s see how these words of Matthew remind us of this truth:  His Holy Ministry— Demonstrates Compassion!

Since compassion is the focal point of this sermon, I’d like to begin by focusing your attention on chapter nine verse thirty-six.  Matthew writes, “When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them….”  The verb which is translated here as “he had compassion” is used twelve times on the pages of the New Testament.  It very literally refers to someone’s “inner parts” being “moved.”  The ancient Greeks considered the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver to be the “seat of one’s emotions.”  When this part of a person is “moved” it pictures someone who is ”moved” by pity, compassion, and love.  While this same verb is used when Jesus fed the 5,000 (Matthew 14:14); when Jesus fed the 4,000 (Matthew 15:32); and when Jesus healed the two blind men who begged Him, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 20:30, 34), to me the most descriptive use of this word is found in Luke chapter seven.  As Jesus was approaching the town of Nain He came face-to-face with a widow who was preparing to bury her only son.  What was Jesus’ reaction?  Luke tells us, “His heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’” (Luke 7:13).  Then Jesus’ compassion for this widow led Him to raise her son back to life!

Just as Jesus’ “heart went out” to the widow at Nain, so also Jesus “had compassion” on the crowd here in our text.  How did Jesus’ “heart go out” to these people?  Why did Jesus have so much “compassion” for them?  There are two answers to that question.  First, look at the opening verse of our text.  Matthew writes, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”

Jesus’ heart was filled with so much compassion for this crowd of people that He lovingly reached out to take care of their physical needs.  As the true Son of God He used His divine power to heal them of whatever physical ailments they were enduring.  We see Jesus display this kind of compassion over and over again throughout His ministry, don’t we.  Every time someone came to Jesus for help— He helped them!  No matter what disease or what sickness they were enduring, Jesus’ “heart went out to them” and He healed them!

Jesus’ compassion for others makes it very easy for us to understand why Matthew tells us in chapter ten verse one, “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”  Jesus wanted His disciples— both then and now— to know that His holy ministry is a ministry that demonstrates compassion for others!  Demonstrating compassion for someone’s physical needs is very often what opens the door and gives us the opportunity to address their greater needs— their spiritual needs.  When someone sees and/or experiences the compassion that we have for those who are in need, they are often more willing to listen as we share with them the Good News of how Jesus provided for their greatest needs— the spiritual needs of their soul.

Follow the example that Jesus has set for you, my friends.  Even though Jesus has not given to us the “authority to drive out evil spirts and to heal every disease and sickness,” we need to realize that Jesus wants His holy ministry to be a ministry that demonstrates His compassion.  Look for ways that you can demonstrate Jesus’ compassion to others.  When tragedy strikes someone’s life think about some specific tangible ways you can show them compassion.  Could you bring them some food?  Could you help them around the house or out in the yard?  Could you give them a ride or just listen when they need someone to talk to?  Let your “heart go out” to them.  Show them the compassion your Savior shows to you— and then pray.  Pray that the Lord will use your acts of compassion to open the door for you to address their greatest needs, their spiritual needs.

The second reason as to why Jesus had so much compassion for these people is found in the words, “When he saw the crowds he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd..”  As the Good Shepherd Jesus knew that the religious leaders of His Chosen People— the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the

Teachers of the Law— were not giving God’s “sheep” the guidance and the direction, the spiritual food and water they needed to nourish their soul.  Instead of keeping them focused on what the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, had revealed to them and promised to do for them, they demanded that God’s people follow the rules and regulations of not only God’s Law but the hundreds of rules and regulations which they had added to God’s Law.  The result was that God’s “sheep,” God’s people, were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  They were “harassed” by their sin and guilt because they were not being assured of the forgiveness that God proclaims in His holy revealed Word.  They were spiritually “helpless” because they were not being led to the focus on the Messiah that the Lord their God promised to send into this world.

That’s why Jesus’ “heart went out to them.”  That’s why Jesus had so much compassion for them.  What did this compassion lead Jesus to do?  Matthew already told us that Jesus’ compassion led Him to go through “All the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”  Jesus’ compassion was demonstrated through His actions!

Jesus’ compassion was also demonstrated in His instructions to His disciples.  In verse thirty-seven Matthew tells us, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”  And when Jesus sent out His twelve apostles into the “harvest field” He said to them, “As you go, preach this message:  ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.”  Note very carefully how Jesus wants His disciples to demonstrate compassion for others— in both their words and their actions.

Jesus wants us to do the same, my friends.  Since we know that there are people today who are spiritually “harassed” and “helpless” we need to let His compassion (Pointing to the cross) be demonstrated in our words and our actions.  If for one reason or another we are not able to go out into the “harvest field” and do this, we can always do two things.  First, we can always pray— pray to the Lord of the harvest and ask Him to lead young people to study for the preaching and teaching ministry.  Then we can use the financial resources that God Himself has placed into our care to support our worker training schools and to support our Synod’s mission efforts both here at home and all across the world.  There is no shortage of ways to make sure that as members of His holy ministry (Pointing to the cross) we reveal that His ministry, our ministry, does indeed demonstrate compassion.

Before we close today let’s take a moment to connect the dots between our text for today and the fact that today is Father’s Day.  All too often fathers are known for being tough, strict disciplinarians— and we need to be!  Our heavenly Father has given to us the responsibility to, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Provers 22:6).  Our children and our grandchildren face even more physical and spiritual dangers than we did when we were their age.  The boundaries that we set for them when they are young are part of building a good foundation for the rest of their lives.

At the same time, however, as Christian fathers we should never underestimate the power of a hug.  We should never underestimate the importance of telling our children and our grandchildren how much we love them.  When our children  and our grandchildren know the tremendous amount of compassion that we have for them, when they can see that compassion in our actions, when they can hear that compassion in our words— then they will learn what it means to have His compassion (Pointing to the cross) flow through us to them.

The compassion that Christ has for us, the compassion that we depend upon each and every day, will lead us to be very conscious about how we fill the role that our heavenly Father has given to us as earthly fathers.  We can give our children the best home, the best education, the best economic grounding and the best career advice available.  We can strive to be the “perfect” dad according to all the exacting standards laid down by all the modern day experts— and still not give them what they truly need!  What our children and our grandchildren need more than anything else is a close personal relationship with their compassionate Savior.  (Pointing to the cross)  Showing them the importance of worship, Bible study and prayer, letting them witness our dedication to Christ as we let Him set the priorities of our own personal lives— this is the legacy that we want to leave behind, the example that we want our children and our grandchildren to follow.

Organizations such as Compassion Without Borders and Common Ground reveal to us that the world in which we live understands the importance of compassion.  The words and the actions of our dear Lord and Savior reveal to us that compassion is even more important to Him.  May God grant that as members of His holy ministry others will be able to see and to hear how important compassion is to us.

To God be the glory!

Amen