Title: Our Compassionate Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Theme: JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!
Matthew 14:13-21 English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.15Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."17They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." 18And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Dear friends in Christ,
The passengers were sitting quietly in the subway car, when a man entered with children who were extremely noisy and active. To the passenger’s surprise, the man (who was obviously the father) sat down and closed his eyes, ignoring the loud and rambunctious children. He sat as though he were oblivious to them! The subway car was ringing with chaotic noise. The children's behavior was way out of line, and everyone was getting agitated - except the father.
Finally, a passenger leaned over and spoke to the man about his children. The father opened his eyes and seemed to finally grasp the situation.
"Oh, you're right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don't know what to think, and I guess they don't know how to handle it either."
Many times we too become agitated before we show compassion.
Thankfully:
JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. (Matt. 14:13a)
The news that His disciples brought to Jesus in the verses preceding this text was the news that John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod. Hard news for anyone to hear especially if the news involves someone we know or are close to that has lost their life.
Jesus needed to get away to grieve. So He gets into a boat and goes across the lake to a place that is quite to be by Himself – to a place that is desolate.
But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. (Matt. 14:13b)
When you think of desolate you might think of a place devoid of inhabitants and deserted. A place that is joyless and sorrowful - as if separated from a loved one. A place showing signs of abandonment, dilapidated, devoid of warmth, comfort or hope. But what does Jesus find?
14When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, (Matt. 14:14a)
He went to get away; to be by Himself; to collect His thoughts; to pray and here he finds not a desolate place at all, but one filled with a very large crowd of followers. I believe that even this crowd would have given Jesus a pass had he became agitated. But what does Jesus do?
…and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matt. 14:14b)
JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!
We too fail to see and reflect God’s compassion in our daily lives. Many times agitation - seen through the eyes of sin - become the first reaction we have before – by the power of the Holy Spirit – we see through the compassionate eyes of faith given to us by our loving savior Jesus.
Compassion would show for a Christian the wonderful evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. To think of someone else and their needs first and foremost is a Christ-like virtue.
Ill.
There is a story of great compassion in the face of tragedy from this past week’s news.
What started as a family camping trip turned into a tragic tale of loss and heroism for one of mixed martial arts’ own.
Dr. Alex Constantinides (Con-stan-tin-i-des) has been a ringside physician and active in the mixed martial arts community, primarily in Colorado, for several years.
He, his wife, and their three adopted daughters were on a camping trip recently in Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. They were evacuated from their campsite when heavy rains poured down in the area.
As they drove away, their van plunged into a nine-foot-deep chasm in the road and into a rising creek. Alex’s wife, Laurel, and their daughters, Hannah, 8, Zoey, 5, and Lucia, 2, did not survive.
Somehow, Dr. Alex Constantinides escaped the raging waters.
Making his way back up the creek, he came across Saratoga, Wyo., Mayor John Zeiger, whose truck fell into the same chasm in the road, landing in the creek.
Constantinides, just shortly after losing his own family, pulled Zeiger out of the truck to safety, likely saving his life.
The Colorado MMA community has rallied around Constantinides, who remains in Wyoming with family.
“I am surrounded by family and friends, Constantinides said. I am safe. Your prayers are felt and appreciated. Please continue to pray for my four angles that they find peace in God’s presence.”
In spite of the tragedy of losing his family in this sad and unexpected accident, Dr. Alex Constantinides was able to show compassion and help save another from a similar fate. He thought of another, in a time of need, just as Jesus did in our text today.
JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!
Jesus’ showed compassion to the crowd of people gathered at this place and His compassion extended to their physical need as well. These five thousand men, women and children hungered and were fed in a miraculous way by Jesus, but the miracle was probably not even something they were aware of. God’s great blessing filled their hunger and showed the disciples the compassion and power with which Jesus was sending them out with. Each had a basketful of leftovers to testify to what Jesus has done and will continue to do through them.
God would be with them as they went forth. His miraculous work would be worked through them.
Jesus would speak as they spoke. All that Jesus is and does would be with them as they walked in His place with His word, bringing freedom to those in need of the saving knowledge of Christ in a fallen world. The compassion that Jesus has would be the compassion they share with sinners so that they are healed of their sin, fed by our precious Lord’s word and satisfied of all their wants and needs.
Jesus has compassion. 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23)
His compassion is extended to all sinners who are lost and in need of salvation.
Jesus has compassion. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)
His compassion comes to us through the free gift of the gospel for the salvation of all who believe.
Jesus has compassion. 8 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)
His compassion comes to us even though we are sinners. He took our sin upon Himself at the cross and by grace through faith in His finished work we are free of sin and covered by his righteousness.
Jesus has compassion. 9Because, by the power of the Holy Spirit in you, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Rom. 10:9-10)
His compassion allows us by the power of the Holy Spirit to confess the truth of this good news for ourselves and to share this with others.
Jesus has compassion … on you! 13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom. 10:13)
He heals your sin and covers you with His righteousness so that you are by faith, free of your bondage to sin, fed by his holy word, as well as His very Body and Blood in the Lord’s Supper given and shed for you and for all who are satisfied and found in Him.
This, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gives you simply out of His Grace, mercy and love for you and with gratitude you are able to be compassionate and show compassion to others.
JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!
Finally, I leave you with a few of the wonderful words from our Sermon Hymn today.
God Loved the World So That He Gave
God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
God would not have the sinner die,
His Son with saving grace is nigh,
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.
Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To Thee, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED IN HIM!
May the Love of God the Father who made us, the Compassion of Christ our Lord who redeemed us and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit who sustains us be and abide with us now and forever more.
Amen
And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in and through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior now and forever.
Amen
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