Scripture References: Matthew 9:35-38; James 3:16
Intro: It’s a privilege to gather around God's Word. Today, we look at Matthew 9, a passage showing us the heart of Jesus – the one who perfectly reveals God. Before Jesus gives His followers direction, He shows us what He feels and sees, giving us insight into the motivation behind His mission.
Key Points:
- Jesus Saw and Felt: As Jesus encountered crowds, He "had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (v. 36). This wasn't distant pity, but a deep, gut-level response compelling Him towards people.
- He Sees the Hurting: Jesus sees those feeling battered, bruised, hopeless, overlooked, or alone today. He knows your situation, He feels compassion in His core, and as the Good Shepherd, He moves towards you with care.
- He Sees the Harasser: Jesus also sees those doing the hurting – perhaps those who should be shepherds but are instead causing harm. His compassion extends even there, offering grace and a path to change, not condemnation.
- Check Your Compassion: We will inevitably interact with many people – difficult, different, annoying. What fills our guts when we see them? Is it Jesus-like compassion, or is it criticism, correction, envy (James 3:16), or cynicism ("people never change")?
- The Harvest Perspective: Jesus saw the harassed and helpless not as burdens, but as a "plentiful harvest" (v. 37), ripe and ready. He saw immense potential and value.
- The God-Given Strategy: Jesus's direction wasn't a complex plan, but a call to prayer: "Ask the Lord of the harvest... to send out workers into his harvest field" (v. 38). This requires dependence on God and His heart motivating the workers.
Conclusion: To live fruitful lives that reflect Jesus and participate effectively in His mission, we need His heart. Our plans and resolutions fail without His compassion driving us. We can't do what Jesus did without first having the guts He had. The starting point is seeking His heart through prayer.
Call to Action:
- Reflect honestly: Where is your compassion level? What arises in you when you encounter others?
- Pray right now: Ask God for a greater measure of His compassion.
- Repent: If criticism, envy, or cynicism has taken root, confess it and receive prayer for freedom in Jesus' name.
- Pray for Workers: Intentionally pray, as Jesus directed, for the Lord to send compassionate workers (starting with yourself) into the harvest fields around you.
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