The Compassion of Jesus

June 12, 2005

Matthew 9:36-38

"And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

You probably have heard this scripture many times before. But what comes to your mind when you pay attention to these words? (Text) The first thing I see is the compassion of Jesus. Jesus cares! The word compassion means to come alongside with caring.

I. THE COMPASSION OF JESUS– AND 'HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT . . .'

Jesus cares! Jesus feels the heartbeat of those who have need. The primary motivation of Jesus is LOVE!

My motivation - apart from God's grace - is usually something else. As I look at the kids in their baggy pants, and listen to the rap I think of the 'good old days' when swing and Benny Goodman was driving the old people crazy. When I hear of TV shows where people are eating bugs for money I am not moved with love so much as wonder when they'll bring back swallowing live gold fish. When I think about them changing the way we worship – I wonder why don't people see things RIGHT? The WAY I SEE THEM? The idea is: Jesus can love them – I'm not sure I can – so who is right? Jesus or me? In my fear or whatever?

Of course Jesus is right – but how can I begin to see life as Jesus sees it? How can I feel a way I don't feel? What can I DO about it?

II. THE COMMAND OF JESUS - AND WHAT I AM TO DO ABOUT IT

The command that comes out of Jesus mouth first is NOT "Go do something about it!" He doesn't even say, "YOU better love those people, too!" NO - Jesus first command is:

"Pray the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into the fields." This command resonates with the command Jesus gave just before his Ascension, when he said, "Don't leave town! Don't go start your work yet! Wait until you have prayed! Wait until the Holy Spirit has had a chance to do a job on your hearts!" Here Jesus says, in effect, 'Before you try to do something yourself and really mess up – PRAY! Tell God what is really on your mind when you look at the situation! Make God at home in your heart and then see what HE wants to do with you.

Which brings me to the Old Testament lesson for today – the story of Abraham's hospitality – how this old man made God welcome to his tent. (Genesis 18:1-15)

Abraham is an old man – 99 years old. He is very wealthy. Fulfilled –in a manner of speaking. Pretty much convinced he has seen his best days. Sarah is 89 years old.

Abraham makes God welcome, but he is totally unprepared for what God has to say. God says, "You're not done yet, old man! My promise is that you will be a blessing! Next year at this time you will have a son!

Sarah in the tent door hears – and laughs! It is ridiculous. Faith now would be audacious! Old people clip coupons... They put their feet up – they go fishing. But it is a dangerous, wonderful thing to make God welcome! To pray HIS way! To say, "Lord of the harvest – send forth workers into these places where I don't understand!

IF WE WILL PRAY – DO YOU THINK GOD WILL ANSWER A PRAYER THAT JESUS COMMANDED US TO PRAY?

III. THE COMMISSION OF JESUS - AND MY PLACE IN HIS PLANS

Most of us won't be like Charlie and Alice and Donna and the others that have gone to Ghana for hands-on work with needy people in foreign lands. That is good work, and rewarding. But there are lots of so-called LITTLE THINGS which we CAN do after we have prayed.

Big things sometimes swing on "little hinges of prayer."

Let me tell you, at the risk of sounding like bragging, which honestly I do not mean to do – of a little hinge or two of prayer – that enabled Jesus' love to reach a small portion of "the multitudes."

Second Church in Dorchester stands in Codman Square, built in 1808, with fellowship halls and a sanctuary that seats 1,000 and a gymnasium. For many years it was in decline. Tom Jones. Don Brickley. Ruth Richardson. Merritt Nielson. Driving around the church in prayer. Today – Haitian, West Indian, Cape Verdean as well as 'main church' will worship in that building.

Fifteen or twenty years ago Asians started moving into Quincy. For the most part these were upscale people, many from Hong Kong, who came with all their savings in a suitcase and bought homes for cash. The schools' honor rolls were flooded with Asian names. The churches wondered what in the world to do with these people.

Rev. Merritt Nielson, my associate for sixteen years in Wollaston, came up with the idea of getting a consultant, a Chinese man with church growth experience, to come and give us some advice on what to do.

Rev. Sam Chung came and walked with us in the streets of North Quincy. He met with a Bible study group that met in our church on Saturdays. He spoke to our congregation on Sunday morning.

That Sunday evening Helen and I met with Rev. and Mrs. Chung at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Donald Reed where they were staying for the weekend. We talked about the "multitudes" and the compassion of Jesus. Then around the table where we had eaten some pie and ice cream the six of us held hands and prayed. Sam Chung said, "Pastor, if you ask us, we will come here to pastor a Chinese church!" Quincy Chinese Church of the Nazarene was an idea that evening six or seven years ago now. They meet every Sunday now, with 140 as an average attendance, and with a vision to see four more churches on the South Shore.

The "vision" for these two projects never played out the way I thought they would. I have preached in both churches, but only as a visitor. I never pastored them. The "vision" developed FAR from what I thought.

Conclusion:

Seeing the multitude, Jesus had compassion! Jesus STILL has compassion on us! And if we will obey Jesus and PRAY about the harvest fields IN THIS COMMUNITY – in Ghana - in Iraq – in whatever area our hearts are stirred,

  1. (1) GOD WILL SEND LABORERS! But even more
  2. (2) GOD WILL CHANGE OUR HEARTS SO WE LOVE THE 'MULTITUDE", TOO!

Prayer: Lord, we DON'T see the world like YOU do. But we pray YOU will send workers into the places that concern us. And do it YOUR way; we say "YES!"

Amen.