Living Compassion
Mark 8:1-9
August 11, 2013
Evening Service
Introduction
A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there."
An objective person walked by and said, "It’s logical that someone would fall down there."
A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into pits."
A mathematician calculated how deep the pit was.
A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.
An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
A self-pitying person said, "You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit."
A fire-and-brimstone preacher said, "You deserve your pit."
A Christian Scientist observed, "The pit is just in your mind."
A psychologist noted, "Your mother and father are to blame for your being in that pit."
A self-esteem therapist said, "Believe in yourself and you can get out of that pit."
An optimist said, "Things could be worse."
A pessimist claimed, "Things will get worse."
"Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit."
If you were asked to come up with just a few words to describe the character of Jesus, What would they be? One of the key words that would describe Jesus must be compassionate. Jesus was continually showing a living compassion for people around Him. Here are just a few examples:
* Jesus revealed who He was to the woman at the well
* Jesus saved the woman caught in adultery
* Jesus befriended Zacheaus
* Jesus went out to the helpless and the harassed
* Jesus healed those who were sick
* Jesus extended forgiveness to those who sought it
* Jesus showed compassion on those who were lost spiritually
The lifestyle of Jesus was one of compassion. Compassion wasn’t something that Jesus did when people were watching. It was a part of who he was and a part of the mission He came to complete. Jesus lived out His compassion in practical ways that made a difference in the lives of people. Jesus showed His compassion to people who needed it and when they needed it the most.
One of the great examples of the compassion of Jesus is the feeding of the multitude.
1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." 4 His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" 5 "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied. 6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, Mark 8:1-9
The Compassion of Jesus
The word compassion used here to describe Jesus is a compound word with two roots. The first is a word that described having sympathy for someone and the second was a word to describe the gut. The implication is that compassion is a deep seated sympathy for others that moves us to action. The fact that Mark records here is that Jesus felt something for these people from the very core of His being.
The implication is simple: whatever our need, whatever our hurt, whatever our struggle – we have a Savior who feels for us. No matter what we face in our lives, Jesus is moved in His heart to feel our pain and sympathize with our problems. The reality is that Jesus is not only aware of the needs that we have but he is also concerned about them. More than mere concern, Jesus cares about the difficulties we face in life.
Compassion prompts action
Whenever we see the word compassion associated with Jesus it is always followed by action. The reality is that compassion without action is worthless because nothing happens and nothing changes. The work of Jesus moves people into the care of God Himself.
* Compassion on the people like sheep without a shepherd
* Compassion and healed the sick
* Compassion and opened the eyes of the blind
* Compassion and He fed those who were hungry
Compassion demands us to take action. Jesus saw the great crowd and had compassion on them. He began to teach them about the Truth of God, He shared with them good news and he gave them a sense of hope. Jesus reached out to people to meet both their physical and spiritual need. There were two types of hunger in the crowds that day: physical and spiritual. Then Jesus saw their need for food and fed them. Jesus not only feels compassion, He acts on it.
Compassion was inclusive
Jesus did not pick and choose who would get His compassion. He reached out to all who needed Him. He reached out to those who were in critical need and He reached out to those who were critical of Him. Jesus saw the need of the crowd was urgent and critical. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way…
Jesus would not allow their needs to go unmet and He would not allow them to walk away without caring for them. The same is true of our lives today. Jesus cares about our needs and He wants to give us the strength we need to continue on. The religious leaders often came to fight with Jesus but He did not give in to their behavior. I believe that Jesus actually felt sorry for those leaders who would not embrace the good news. It is amazingly sad when people who claim to be Christian act in a manner that is unchristlike. We have to have compassion on these people because they are not acting in the manner of Jesus.
Compassion is rooted in personal experience
Jesus had experienced the reality of hunger during His life. During His forty days of fasting, Jesus understood hunger. Going forty days without food allowed Him to experience what it meant to be without needed food. The experience gave Him an added compassion for these people.
Jesus knew what hunger was and His compassion was rooted in His own human experience. He understood hunger, He understood temptation and he understood the depth of human need. We have a Savior that is familiar with our need and has compassion for us in the midst of them.
The Action of Jesus
The actions of Jesus are abundantly clear in this passage
* He took
* He blessed
* He broke
* He gave
The process that happens with the bread is the same process that Jesus wants to work in our lives.
Jesus was given the bread
The disciples gave Jesus all of the bread that they had. The total was seven loaves. Jesus took what they had and then used it for His glory. Jesus wants to use us for His glory but we have to give Him our lives. Jesus cannot use us until we fully surrender our lives for His use. We have to give Him all that we have and all that we are. The only way for us to the kind of person that God made us to become is to submit ourselves to the authority of Christ.
Jesus blessed the bread
The moment that Jesus blessed the bread that day, He set it apart for the use of God. The blessing of Christ is far more than just physical or spiritual. It is about being used for his glory. The foundation of holiness is the understanding that we are set apart for the work of Christ. Consecration means that something or someone is set apart for the service of God.
There is no way that we can be used to the fullest, if we do not allow Jesus to set us apart for His work and His plans. The issue is one that begins in surrender and then flows through a willingness to be used. The power of God moves in our lives when we allow ourselves to be used by Him.
Jesus broke the bread
Before Jesus could give the bread to the crowds, He first had to break it.
Percentage of adults along the journey to Holiness (2011)
Stop 1: Unaware of sin 1%
Stop 2: Indifferent to sin 16%
Stop 3: Worried about sin 39%
Stop 4: Forgiven for sin 9%
Stop 5: Forgiven and Active 24%
Stop 6: Holy discontent 6%
Stop 7: Broken by God 3%
Stop 8: Surrender and Submission 1%
Stop 9: Profound love for God 0.5%
Stop 10: Profound love for others 0.5%
Christ is often glorified through our brokenness. What aspects of your life need to be broken before God can use you more fully? What has to change before god can do more in your life?
Jesus gave the bread
The final step in the process is the giving of the bread to others. Jesus gave away the bread and it began to multiply. The moment that you give your life away in the service of Christ, the impact is multiplied. When we blessed and broken, we then are a benefit to others. It is not until we go through the process of the bread that we can make a larger impact in the world around us for the Kingdom of Christ. We have the opportunity to be the examples of Christ’s compassion. We get to be the extension of a living compassion.
Mighty to Save – Laura Story
Everyone needs compassion Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior The hope of nations
Savior He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever, Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
