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READ: Mark 8:1-3
CHALLENGE: Have Compassion on the World
SIGNS OF COMPASSION
My job with any passage is not to say what I want to say. It’s to see what’s here and be challenged by it. We’re getting to observe Jesus Christ. That, in and of itself is amazing. To be able to get a feel for his heart is ultra-incredible. This is Jesus Christ and He cares about other people.
- COMPASSION IS PART OF SPIRITUAL REVIVAL
Mark 8:1-3 – 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.”
I’m absolutely amazed at the spiritual hunger of the people. There must have been such need. To listen for three days. Christ’s ministry of teaching was so powerful and so helpful. It’s interesting that they were seeking the spiritual before the physical and this is the exact way that Jesus spells it out in Matthew 6:33 – Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you as well.
They prioritize the spiritual but their physical needs will be met as well. The psalmist said that as the deer is thirsty for water, he was thirsty for God. There was a hunger. Is there a spiritual hunger in the land? People are seeking God. Bible sales are up. Young people are returning to the Scripture. You see pics of baptisms on major campuses. There is a hunger for the word of God.
- Revival Meets Spiritual Needs
It’s not difficult to see how Jesus preached to thousands of people and how the renown was spreading all across the land. People heard and saw what God was doing. Word was spreading. People congregated and he taught them. Lives were changing.
You think of how when Jesus sent them out two by two and the work was so powerful that Jesus saw Satan falling from power due to their work. The spiritual energy of this place. The excitement around Jesus. It’s interesting. I’ve always thought that church should never be boring because God’s not. The things of God are very interesting and powerful.
I remember hearing stories of George Whitfield and the Great Awakening in the mid 1700s. George Whitfield was one of the most famous preachers of the 18th Century. He preached many of those sermons outdoors, often to vast audiences of more than 20,000 people. “Field-preaching is my plan. In this, I am carried as on eagles’ wings” is how he once put it.
So In our own American history, we know of an evangelist who preached in fields, without PA, to 20,000 people at a time.
Beginning in 1740, Whitefield preached nearly every day for months to large crowds as large as eighty thousand people as he travelled throughout the colonies, especially New England. His journey on horseback from New York City to Charleston, South Carolina, was at that time the longest in North America ever documented.
When he came back to England a group of 20-30,000 met him. He ministered to enormous crowds of people giving the gospel and people were flocking to it in extraordinary numbers.
But his life wasn’t just about that. He established an orphanage in Savannah, Georgia. He believed in two things, Evangelism and loving your neighbor. So, when you think about that evangelical effort inspired by the gospel. The gospel always includes compassion. Because if God is doing a work, then people are being loved.
- Revival Includes People Are Under Strain
It’s a crowd of people. They had nothing to eat. They had been there three days in a row. I assume that they started with food but did not plan on being there for that long. A three-day conference with Jesus happens unexpectedly.
These people didn’t have food. Had come from a long way and he feared they would pass out on the return trip. Why? When you come from a long way, you have a long way to go back! Man is that life. We encounter people at church who have come a long way and yet have a long way to go. And here we meet them and minister to them. People who come to church have come a long way. And they have a long way to go. Do we have compassion on their strains? We could lecture about many things but sometimes you just need to touch that felt need of hope, family, loneliness, need of community, etc. Love them in other words.
Do we expect them to have it all together? Or are we cool to realize that don’t have all that they need. Not spiritually and not physically. They fell short of what they needed and God is going to provide.
Again, such is the story of life. We fall short and God makes provision. We don’t have all that we need. Don’t worry because God takes care of the birds of the air. And there are times where it’s our heart that meets the need. And like Whitfield was concerned about orphans. Our love for God extends to those hurting around us.
Sympathy is part of Christianity. We’re supposed to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. I’m not the most compassionate person. I was more in the suck it up buttercup mentality. I don’t need to have these issues. I do feel sorry and my heart is moved.
Biblical example of someone getting compassion for the Lord. How he was moved in his heart to help someone else.
I would anticipate that God doing a work will include generosity to the hurting. It cannot be any other way.
Let’s seek to learn what we can about compassion.
- COMPASSION IS FUELED BY A LOVE FOR OTHERS
V2 – “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.
Jesus said, “I have compassion for these people”. It means to have pity, to feel sympathy. It’s when you’re moved by the hurts of other people. Compassion is an emotion, right? It’s something that you feel from the depths of your being. Compassion is born out of love for others.
You’re not going to make a difference if you don’t care about people. This is such a great reminder for all of us. Pastors, church leaders, small group leaders, and servants of all kinds. You really need to care about those you’re serving. They need to matter to you.
- Love Sees the Need
Jesus notices an issue. The people have nothing to eat. So, he calls his disciples to collectively figure it out. One of the reasons that he can see the need is because he’s there. How beautiful that he’s out there where people are. To be with people is so powerful. How can you get the bread of life out there if you’re not there.
These people had put some effort into finding Jesus. These people are trying. I always want to have a heart for people who are making a move toward Jesus Christ. Grace for the repentant and mercy for those truly seeking. These people aren’t just looking for a physical handout – they’ve come for spiritual needs. Let’s be open to people truly seeking God,
- Love Walks in Their Shoes
Here’s one thing to consider, Christ was hungry too. If they were without food, so was he.
Hebrews 4:14-16 – Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
He walked the trenches like we did! Talk about walking in our shoes – he was also without food just like them. That’s probably why he was sensitive to it – he was right there with him. To me, to effectively minister, don’t you have to be right there with the people?
When you’re leading, you have to do what you expect them to do. I’ve always felt that way. If you work 8 hours before a Wednesday night Adventure Club, I should do it too.
I love the road clean up because you get to be shoulder to shoulder with people. There’s nothing like it.
- Love Sacrifices
Someone had to give up their food for the betterment of all the other people who were there. You give what you have. You can never give what you don’t have. No greater love has anyone than this, that he lay down his life for the sheep. Jesus died for us.
Love gives up something for the betterment of other people. Part of the sacrifice was to help bear the burdens of life. Isn’t it the same with us?
Even giving up time is part of the sacrifice. You give up time to help people and that’s a beautiful thing. What kind of people ought we to be.
You look at service – we see a need and we want to help. What is the church without that kind of sentiment.
- COMPASSION TAKES RESPONSIBILITY
V3 – If I send them home hungry, they’ll pass out along the road.
Isn’t this a sense that this is my responsibility? I would say that the first line of concern should be those seeking. Those who are here with us.
Why is that his responsibility? Shouldn’t they be taking care of themselves? He says that they will collapse along the way because they came a long way. And these people have put forth some effort. They came to seek Jesus.
Seeing a need means that you don’t ignore it. You can recognize that there are problems. I appreciate the needs. The spiritual leader can see that there’s a hurt. He doesn’t pretend that there are no issues.
Vv4-5 – 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.
Jesus wants to do something about it. What’s the answer to the plight.
But here’s the key. You see someone hurting and you say, “You need to do this”. Perhaps you might be tempted say, “You need to get it together”. You need to tell them to do something they already know. We are human advice dispensers. Is compassion found in pointing out something that they need to do? Go and heal yourself. Like those at the foot of the cross – come down and save yourself. That’s not what compassion is.
When you have compassion you’re not looking at what they need to do, you’re looking at what you can do. Me telling you that you need to work out more IS incredible advice. Of course it is! But a person of compassion is doing something to meet needs. In fact, compassion is driven by the needs of other people.
James 2:14-17 – What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Telling someone to be warm and well fed is a great wish but it’s not an action. Because it’s not an action, it falls wildly short. Don’t say it – help.
1 John 3:16-18 – This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Matthew 25 is so profound in this regard. As much as you’ve done it for the least of these.
I constantly have to remind myself. If it’s within your power to help, help. I love the sign in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”. All that you can take with you is that which you’ve given away. That’s so profound. This is lay up treasures in heaven stuff.
If a baby is crying – you don’t say – hey go get some food. They can’t. And some plights people are in, there is nothing that they can do. They’ve come a long way and they have a long way to go
Someone first coming to Christ is not going to understand everything the same way you do. Have some patience and minister and befriend and care about them.
What if someone here wants to do something to help others? Compassion International is a great organization. Our missionary Kouami Midekor is a great one to give to as well. Mya is doing a great work as well.
Here is the local area? We are packing lunches via Food4Kidz and the Vine Food Pantry. Also we have a clothing drop off box.
It’s just generosity. What they came was not techinically all that impressive but.
- COMPASSIONATE PEOPLE ARE THANKFUL
V6 – 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 distribute to the people, and they did so.
Thankful. He gave thanks before he distributes the bread. How thankful are we for what we have. And you’re giving something and you’re giving thanks for that for which you give out. That’s a beautiful thing.
Are we thankful for the opportunity. Thankful for what God gave. Thankful for what we can share with other people. It’s all beautiful, that’s for sure. Part of the story has to include the fact that there is blessing in this sacrifice and obedience.
God spreads out what you give. What might seem to be no big deal for you is a huge big deal for them. They gave up a little God multiplies it. It goes farther than you can ever imagine.
Share the verses from Mark 8: 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 were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
They collected seven baskets of left overs. They finished with more than they started and that’s an amazing thing about the blessings of God. You give and end up with more. Can you imagine the joy and wonder of the giving and serving and knowing that you did something great?
How compassionate are we?