Untitled Sermon

Compassion (God’s Response)

The New International Version Chapter 9

The Workers Are Few

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Compassion. Quality of showing kindness or favor, of being gracious, or of having pity or mercy. In the Bible, God is described as being like a compassionate father to those who revere him (). Jesus Christ exemplified God’s compassion in his preaching and healing (; ), in his concern for the lostness of humanity (), and finally in his sacrifice on the cross (). The church is to demonstrate compassion as one facet of the love Jesus commanded (; ; ; ). In scriptural usage compassion is always both a feeling and the appropriate action based on that feeling.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Compassion,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 504.