Introduction:
What do you tend to notice as you travel around town? What kinds of things naturally catch your eye? Based on our gender, our likes/dislikes, our personalities, our natural inclinations, we all tend to notice particular things.
We’ve all had the experience of buying a new car (at least new to us) and all of a sudden, we see the same car everywhere! Before we bought it, we thought they were unique, but afterwards, we see it constantly. It’s not necessarily that everyone bought the same car we did overnight; it’s just that our perception is more attentive now. We weren’t looking for that kind of car, so we didn’t see it very often. You might have had this same experience with a shirt or blouse you bought.
Context: I’ve been looking through the records of Jesus’ life to find out what he noticed as he traveled around. For the sake of time, I want to center on the situations and people that stirred his heart of love. The Gospel writers used the word “compassion” to describe these events in Jesus’ life.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” [Then he thanked God for their sack lunch and they fed] about five thousand men, besides women and children (Matthew 14:13-21).
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” [So Jesus thanked God for another sack lunch and they distributed food to] about four thousand, besides women and children (Matthew 15:29-38; cf. Mark 8:1-10).
As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him (Matthew 20:29-34).
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured (Mark 1:40-42).
Jesus noticed sick and hungry people but that’s not all.
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” [Later] He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness (Matthew 9:35-10:1).
When Jesus … saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things (Mark 6:34).
Jesus noticed confused people who wanted to have a real connection with God but had no idea how to find it.
Text: The very religious people of Jesus’ day could not understand his preoccupation with ordinary, hurting people.
[So] Jesus told them [three stories]: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. `Your brother has come,’ he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“`My son,’ the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Thesis: Did you notice how the father felt and acted toward his sons?
“While [the young run away] was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.”
God is like that father. He desires those who are far from Him to come into a relationship with Him, and He allows us to have a part in this plan. There’s NOTHING like the joy that comes to us when we are used by God to influence friends, family members, coworkers, towards opening up their heart to a relationship with God.
Can you imagine how excited heaven would get if dozens of parties were held there for those new believers? So, how do we go forward?
Key Question:
How do we intentionally find the person God wants to reach through us?
1. Pray
Everything rises and falls on prayer. Pray and begin to ask God to show you who He wants to influence through you between now and Easter. Pray the “God, who?” prayer every day.
2. Seek
There are certain people who are more open to spiritual conversations than others are. Jesus said, “I have come to seek and to save those who are sick, not those who think they are already well” (paraphrase of Mark 2:17 and Luke 19:10).
Rick Richardson writes: My friend Sam works at Einstein Brothers Bagels, where I write my books. Sam has a Muslim dad and a kind-of-Baptist mom. Recently, as I was going through the line, Sam waved me over. “I’ve lost my wallet again. I don’t know where it is!”
“Sam, I will pray for you,” I assured him.
“I guess it can’t hurt,” he replied (I get that response a lot).
Ten minutes later, he came over and told me he had found it. “All right!” I rejoiced. “Hey, you can ask me to pray for you any time.” He laughed.
The next week as I went through the line, Sam let me know his ulcer was acting up. “Sam, is there anything I can get you?” I asked. He sent me over to the nearby Cub Foods to pick up some medicine. When I came back, I told him I would pray, too. This time he welcomed my prayers a little more enthusiastically.
Ten minutes later, he approached me and said he felt much better and hadn’t needed to take the medicine. That was very unusual for him. “Man, I wish I had prayed for you before I went and bought that medicine!” I exclaimed. He laughed again.
These days, he doesn’t wait for me to ask. When I see Sam, he often asks me to pray for him without any suggestion from me at all.
Rick Richardson, Reimagining Evangelism (IVP, 2006), p. 20-21
Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, identifies two types of people who tend to be more receptive to the message of Jesus: Those in transition and those under tension.
Examples of people in transition: new parents, recent graduates, new homeowners, persons with new jobs, recently retired workers
Examples of people under tension: sick persons and their loved ones, unemployed, workers at struggling company, empty nesters
Do you know anyone like that? Is the Spirit leading you to reach out to them?
3. Persevere
If after a few days of seeking, you don’t have a clear sense of direction about a particular person God wants you to reach out to, don’t get discouraged or give up! Maybe it’s someone you’re going to meet for the first time later this week. Just continue to pray the “God, who?” prayer. And God will reveal to you someone He wants you to reach.
CONCLUSION:
Jesus intentionally looked for people who would be receptive to His message. He found Zacchaeus in a tree. He found Matthew collecting taxes. He found Peter, James and John working on their fishing boats.
In the same way, God will guide us to people whose lives are just waiting to be changed by the great news that Easter has for those who are outside a relationship with Christ.
REPENTANCE POINT: How should we change?
As I looked through the records of Jesus’ life to find out what he noticed as he traveled around, I began to want his heart of love. I’m praying to experience his compassion as I go around our community. I want to see people with Jesus’ eyes of love and I will not stop until I do.
NEXT STEPS: What are the first steps in this REPENTANCE POINT {paradigm shift or change in our thinking}?
Let’s pray now. Ask God to help you identify at least one person that you will invite to celebrate Easter here with us.
RESPONDING TO GOD: What can we do right now?
Mark this cross to indicate your commitment to pray, to seek, to persevere and to invite the person Jesus helps you notice.
