Compassion For The Helpless

Matthew 8; Matthew 9; Matthew 10
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Compassion For The Helpless

Scripture

Matthew 9

35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Observation

The first sermon that I ever preached was on this passage. I believe in 1973. Pastor Ervin Benz helped me work on the message. I remember that the key word for me from this passage then and still now is the word compassion. The people around us are confused and helpless. They are like sheep without a shepherd. Some of the most special people that God has brought into my life are those that have been marginalized by most of the people around them. They may have messed their lives up on drugs, or immoral living, or maybe they are a little slow mentally. Maybe they don't smell too good or dress very well. God wants us to have compassion on them. He wants to love them through us. Do people know that we really care about them? Are they being transformed into all that God wants them to become because of our compassion for them.

Application

So many people had compassion for me and cried out to God to save me. I understand that the surgeon told Kathy that I had less than a 5% chance of making it from surgery up to ICU. I think he was trying to prepare her for my leaving this world. He definitely did not think that I would survive. Later when I was awake he called me “the miracle man”. Then every doctor and nurse said the same thing. A lot of people had compassion for me and prayed to our God for me to make it through. I am home. I still have a long way to go. It has been a huge spiritual lesson for on both prayer and on compassion.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for this experience. I don't care to repeat it. You are teaching me so much because of what I am going through. I am so grateful for all the people that had so much compassion for me. I was truly helpless, but You surrounded me with an army of people that were determined to save me. Give me the same kind of heart for those around me.

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