"Are We The Answer To Our Prayer?"

Matthew 9:35-10:8

“Are We the Answer to This Prayer?”

Last weekend a Hixson man admitted to shooting and killing his 15-year-old son.

According to records, the teen was shot multiple times as well as the family dog.

According to a report released last week Tennessee just broke its all-time record for drug-overdose deaths, and the suicide rate is breaking records as well.

Recently, a Colorado man murdered his family—his pregnant wife and two daughters.

Another man got into an 18-wheel truck and intentionally drove over several police cruisers before being arrested.

These kinds of stories aren’t unusual.

They are happening every day.

And it makes me want to do something about it.

How about you?

When I meet a child who doesn’t seem to fit in, or is neglected, malnourished, or abused…

…I want to do something about it.

When I am on my way to church, Sunday mornings, and I see folks headed off to a lake pulling a boat or jogging or kids riding bikes instead of heading to Sunday school…

…it makes me want to do something about it…

When I look into the faces of people who are on drugs, living on the streets—I hurt, I ache…

…I want to do something about it.

…how about you?

I mean, we have this Great News.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

And He has the ability to transform lives—to give lives meaning--to turn sad, lost people into folks with passion, love and a skip in their step.

I know it because I have experienced it and I’ve seen it happen time and time again in the lives of others.

And I am part of a Church that knows the Shepherd.

I am part of a church that, if folks become involved in it…

…their lives will begin to be transformed as well.

I have seen this happen hundreds upon hundreds of times in the churches I have served.

And I see it happening here.

So, I want to bring people in.

I want to build the Kingdom for the sake of God and neighbor—for the sake this lost and hurting world—for the sake of LOVE.

But what do I do?

How do I go about it?

In our Gospel Lesson for this morning, we get a beautiful description—a beautiful glimpse of what motivates Jesus to do what Jesus does.

Jesus has been moving from town to town teaching and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom and healing the sick and diseased.

And we are told that when Jesus “saw the crowds,” when Jesus looked at the faces of the people He came across “He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

The description of “harassed and helpless” paints a picture of a predator and its prey, where the prey is continually mangled by the predator until it gives up and just lies down and takes it.

Does this sound like our world to you?

Jesus sees folk who are without a shepherd—without a knowledge of God in this world.

They are wandering around aimlessly, not knowing where they are headed or where they might go to be healed.

And so they try this; they try that; they find this doesn’t work—they move on to another lie; they fall into yet another trap.

They are powerless to change their own lives, and there is no one who will step in to show them the way.

Do you know people like that?

Do you see people like that in your daily life?

Who is it?

Is it the person working the cash register at Burger King, McDonalds or Walmart?

Is it the man or woman sitting with their head in their hands near a busy highway exit ramp?

Is it the father or mother who works 80 or 90 hours a week at a high paying job, but spends no time with his or her children?

Is it the youngster who is struggling in school and about to drop out?

Is it the drug addicted?

Is it the alcoholic?

Is it the cranky neighbor?

Is it a family member?

Who are the “harassed and helpless” in our community?

Jesus sees a mass of humanity in great need.

And what is His response?

His response is “compassion.”

This is what motivates Jesus to do what He does—compassion.

Compassion is “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for the plight of another, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”

This is what Jesus experiences when He sees our world.

This is what our God is like.

Compassion is the opposite of indifference.

When we are helping someone in need we are said to be “showing them compassion.”

Compassion is not a spectator sport.

It requires action.

But in the face of so much need, it is easy to shut down or be confused about where to begin as we try to take care of peoples’ problems.