The Compassion of Jesus Christ Part 1
The Book of Mark
Mark 7:31- 8:10
I. Introduction
A. How do you define compassion?
1. The Merriam- Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines it this way: sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it
2. Vine’s expository dictionary of Greek and Hebrew words lists 5 Greek words translated compassion.
To have pity, a feeling of distress through the ills of others used to describe God’s compassion toward us Ro.9:15For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
a) To suffer with another – sympathy
(1) Heb.10:34for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
(2) Heb.4:15For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
b) To have mercy or show kindness by assisting someone Matt.18:23 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
c) To treat someone gently Heb.5:2. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.
d) The 5th which is used in our passage today means
(1) To be moved inwardly to do something for some one.
(2) In the Mideast culture the word referred to the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys and came to denote the seat of the emotions.
(3) Our culture uses the word heart.
(4) As in his heart went out to them.
B. Compassion is something you hear a lot about but how often do we exercise it?
1. A few years ago a presidential campaign was run with the slogan “compassionate conservatism”.
2. The word has been hijacked by those who want all of us to be politically correct.
3. Compassion or lack there of is defined by your approval of certain actions or classes of people.
a) If you oppose gay rights you are not compassionate.
b) If you are for closing our borders you are not compassionate.
c) If you don’t want a woman to have an abortion anytime she wants you are not compassionate.
4. By this way of thinking compassion is determined by what you agree with or disagree with not what you do.
C. Jesus defined compassion by his actions.
D. Last week we looked at the woman whose daughter had been demon possessed.
E. This week I want to look at two more incidents that took place while Jesus was in the land of the Gentiles that define what compassion means.
II. Compassion places others first. The healing of the deaf and dumb man.
A. A man once said that Jesus’ life “was like a river, which not only , when it reaches the sea bears mighty fleets on its bosom, but carries blessings all along its course through secluded pastures and quiet cornfields.
1. Such is the case here.
a) Jesus was moving again from west to the east.
b) He was going into the region of Decapolis where He had been at least once already.
c) This is the area where the demoniac was set free and many of the people who surrounded Jesus at this time may have been there as a result of his ministry.
2. He is still surrounded by multitudes of people seeking Him but he takes time to personally help one man.
B. Jesus was a busy man.
1. He could have just healed this man with a word.
2. However He stopped what He was doing and spent time with this man.
C. Lets look the man Jesus helped 7:32.
1. He had a physical problem
a) He was deaf.
(1) He probably hadn’t been in this condition all his life because he has some speech capability.
b) As a result he experienced the loss of many of the things we take for granted.
(1) He couldn’t enjoy the sounds of children playing.
(2) He couldn’t enjoy music.
(3) He couldn’t hear and appreciate any of the wonderful sounds in God’s creation.
(4) He couldn’t hear a warning about danger.
c) He also had a speech problem which may have been a consequence of his hearing loss.
d) As a result he could not communicate effectively the thoughts and feelings of his heart.
e) Imagine the frustration.
2. He had good friends – “they brought, they begged.
a) They cared enough about their friend to bring him to Jesus.
b) They did what he couldn’t.
D. The method of healing was different than any so far.
1. Jesus didn’t always deal with people in the same way.
a) The palsied man in chapter 2: “your sins are forgiven”
b) The man with the withered hand in ch.3: “stretch forth your hand”.
c) The woman with the issue of blood ch.5 touched His garment.
d) The centurion’s daughter ch.5 he took her hand and told her to rise.
e) The Syrophonecian’s daughter was healed without Him going to her.
2. He took him aside.
a) To get away from the crowd?
b) Mark doesn’t tell us the reason why.
c) Kenneth Wuest suggests that He wanted to avoid a large healing ministry so that he could focus on preaching to them.
3. He touched him.
a) Again Mark gives no explanation as to why Jesus chose this particular method.
b) Placed his fingers in his ears and spat on the ground.
(1) This could have been to draw the man’s attention to what was about to happen.
(2) He could not hear Jesus speak.
(3) Deaf people are very visually oriented because they cannot hear.
4. He looked up to heaven to let the man know where the source of the healing was. His faith must come from above.
5. He sighed/groaned.
a) Again we are not told the reason.
b) Some speculate that He was groaning because of the effects of sin in the world and the devastation it causes in people’s lives.
c) The same word is used in Ro.8:18-28
d) It was an expression of His compassion toward our plight.
e) He is well acquainted with our grief Is.53:3 … A man of sorrows acquainted with grief.
6. He commanded
a) “Be opened”
b) Aramaic term
c) It is in the imperative mood and passive voice meaning that the action was happening to him.
E. The result vs.35.
1. Immediately -.Isaiah 35:5–6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.
2. Complete healing
3. Commanded not to tell
4. Told anyway vs.24
III. Conclusion:
A. Because Jesus had compassion on this blind man he was healed of his affliction.
1. He took the time and did what was necessary to restore him.
2. As a result the man was made whole again.
B. As we prepare to join one another in participating in the Lord’s Supper I want us to focus on that today.
C. It isn’t because of what we have done or will do that gives us access to God.
D. It is solely because of Jesus’ willingness to give Himself for us.
E. He took the time to do what was necessary to heal us.
F. Is.53: Isaiah 53:5–6 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have one astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
