Matt. 14:13-21
Facebook live: Our compassionate Lord is Jesus!
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.
Our gospel begins:
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. (Matt. 14:13a)
The news that the disciples brought to Jesus 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)
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 – we see through the compassionate eyes of faith given to us by our loving savior Jesus – by the power of the Holy Spirit
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.
[Stories of listening:
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.
Our gospel begins:
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. (Matt. 14:13a)
The news that the disciples brought to Jesus 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)
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 – we see through the compassionate eyes of faith given to us by our loving savior Jesus – by the power of the Holy Spirit
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.
[Stories of listening:
For me as a manager listening to employees when business and life was going wrong.
Or how Ben my boss listened to me as he put his hand on my shoulder saying, “It will get better.”
Or, how I as a pastor need to hear with compassionate ears the people that the Lord has gives to my care.]
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.
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 to others.
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 and give to sinners so that they are healed of their sin, fed by our precious Lord’s word, and satisfied of their wants and needs.
Jesus has compassion.
23 for 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 you and me 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.
Finally, I leave you with a few of the wonderful words from what would have been our Sermon Hymn today.
Now Thank We All Our God
Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, In whom His world rejoices;
Who from our mothers' arms Has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love And still is ours today.
Oh, may this bounteous God Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us
And keep us in His grace And guide us when perplexed
And free us from all ills In this world and the next!
All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns With them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God, Whom earth and heav'n adore;
For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore.
In the name of the Father and on the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
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