Do We Have Compassion?
Matthew 9:35-38
Matthew 9:35-38
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Do We Have True Compassion Within Our Hearts?
One of the sad realities of living in a fallen world is that we are bombarded every day with sights of depravity and lawlessness. We see people committing heinous acts against their fellow image-bearers. We see the addicts. We see the homeless. If we are not witnessing it in person, we see it on the news. We see it on our social media feeds. We read about it. We gossip about it.
But what did Jesus do when He encountered the crowds? When tax collectors and sinners surrounded Him? When shameful men and women drew near? When He could smell the filth of their unwashed and unclean lives? Did he cast judgement and condemn them?
He Had Compassion
He had compassion. Compassion is not something we can produce within our own souls—it is something we must cultivate. Do we see people for who they truly are? Do we recognize that they are made in the image of God? Do we believe that every human being is created to reflect His glory, and that sin and the devil work tirelessly to destroy that image? When we understand the worth and value of something, its brokenness should break our hearts.
He Prayed for Laborers
Jesus knew that not only would it take prayer to bring in the harvest, but it would also take prayer to send people out to do the work. He did not tell us to pray, "Lord, save them." While that is a good prayer, He specifically told us to pray, "Lord, send them someone." And when we pray this prayer, we come to realize that He has already sent someone—you. If you are a disciple of Jesus, you are sent.
This month, as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ, we remember what He did to redeem us. Let us then pray fervently that during this time in the Church calendar, we will be sent out—and that more people will be sent out—to labor for the kingdom.