Lessons From Matthew 10: Compassion

Moved by Compassion

In one of our earlier lessons, we saw that though the crowds were amazed at the miracles of Jesus, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law opposed Jesus and even accused Him of driving out demons because He was one of them.

And yet we see that their false testimonies did not stop Jesus from continuing to be about His Father’s business.

We pick up now in Matthew 9:35 where we see that in spite of their opposition, Jesus continued to move through all the towns and villages, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. He was spreading the message and hope of the good news that the promised Messiah was here, and that He could be found in the person of Jesus Christ.

His healing miracles were a sign that His teaching was true. Jesus not only had power and authority as He spoke, but He had the power and authority to do that which He said He could.

And when Jesus saw the crowds (thousands of people), He was moved with compassion.

To be moved by compassion means to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. You feel what they feel, see as they see, and have an understanding of where they are coming from. It means that their condition not only touches your mind but also your heart. It moves us to do something about it.

Christ’s love compels the Christian to have compassion on others.

There are at least four different reasons why Christians should be compelled to be involved in Christ’s work here on earth:

*Christians should be concerned by the lost condition of the world. As Christians, we should grieve not only our own sins but the sins of others in this world.

*Christians are to be compelled to live and breathe the Great Commission. We will look at this in greater detail in Matthew 28 where Jesus called all Christians to, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

*Third, people are to witness the love of God working in us. And they do this as we become God’s hands and feet serving them as if serving the Lord Himself.

And last but certainly not least, the privilege and responsibility we have if we call ourselves Christians to advance the kingdom of heaven here on earth by sharing the hope that we have in Christ Jesus and His message of salvation available to all who believe.

Jesus said that these people were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Interestingly enough, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees were supposed to be the ones to lead the people in the ways of God and yet they had failed to do so.

Sheep are not real smart. They are prone to wander off, they get lost easily, and they are often unaware of impending danger. Therefore, they are often led straight to the slaughterhouse by the cunning wiles and schemes of others.

In verses 37-38, Jesus told His disciples to look and see, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus said the solution to the problem is prayer. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God called upon His people when He said,

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Jesus was aware of the volume of work to be done, the great harvest to be reaped. But the problem was that there were few workers. Therefore, Jesus told them to pray and ask God to send out workers into His field of service. And as they prayed, God prepared their hearts to be the answer to the prayer.

Often, when we pray for something or someone, God answers our prayers by using us.

In Matthew 10:1 Jesus called these 12 men to Himself and gave them the authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Jesus didn’t draft them, or force them, or ask them to volunteer. He chose them to serve in a special way.

Christ calls us much in the same way today, He doesn’t twist our arm and makes us do something we don’t want to. He allows us to choose to follow Him willingly or to remain behind. Oh, but what we often forfeit when we decline the call.

Another observation is that these men were ordinary men. Some of them were uneducated, they had average jobs, nothing spectacular, and they were not perfect by any means. They were all sinners saved by the grace of God, willing to surrender themselves to God and to follow Him in the cause of Christ in the world. If God used disciples such as these, He can use you too!

God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary works for His kingdom.

When Christ calls you to follow Him, how do you respond?

Do you say, “I am not able; I am not worthy”? No, you’re not, and neither am I. But we must remember that these disciples trusted Jesus and obeyed Him and we must too!

Are you willing to be used by God for His glory and His honor and His goodness? Will you answer His call for workers to help others?

Maybe this is the first time you have heard about Jesus. Are you willing to answer His call to be His disciple and go into the world with the good news of Jesus Christ?

Terri Hamman

Faith & Fitness Coach