Compassion from the Gut

Intro

I want to invite you to open your Bibles and your apps to Matthew 9. We’ll be looking at verses 35-38 today, a beautiful passage on the compassion of our Lord and the mission of the church. Let’s give our careful attention to the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 9:35–38 ESV

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

We find in this passage a unique characteristic of our Lord Christ, one that all of his disciples must also have, and that is a deep, deep compassion from the gut. You’ll know more what I mean by that in just a minute. This morning we want to answer four questions about the compassion of Jesus from this text: 1) What is it? 2) Why Should We Show it? 3) Who will give it? 4) How do we get it? Let’s jump in.

What is it?

Can you recall a time in your life where you were compelled toward someone or something in a deep, perhaps even unexplainable or inescapable way? Maybe you’ve made a life decision about a job, or a house, or a move, and it was a choice that was motivated from somewhere deep inside of you, a choice where in that moment you knew it wasn’t really a choice because you were so compelled toward this action that it was impossible for you to do otherwise.

Maybe that’s how you felt, and have felt, about a spouse, or loved one. Maybe it’s how you’ve felt about a child. Maybe you can recall a time seeing someone in need and you felt so drawn to help that you were willing to go to the end of your own resources to aid them.

Maybe it was a sense of conviction about doing the right thing: standing up for a coworker or neighbor, or holding fast to your own beliefs despite painful consequences.

I trust and I hope that each of us can recall such a moment in our lives, although I’m sure we could admit such moments are rarer than we would like. As I thought about this question myself, a few moments and decisions came to mind, such as going into ministry, marrying Neva, the first time I held my sons, and so on.

Such moments were characterized by a magnetic force from deep down inside of me that drew me toward that person or action in a way that I could not resist.

This is the level of compassion which we see characterized in our Lord. But unlike our fleeting desires and convictions, the deep well of Christ’s compassion never runs dry.

In our passage we read that Jesus was going about Galilee teaching, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and performing great deeds of mercy and healing. These actions are characteristics of Jesus’ ministry. When he was not in prayer, training his boneheaded disciples, or arguing with religious leaders, you can bet that you would’ve found Jesus among the people. Teaching, healing, and showing mercy.

Such a life of external deeds was motivated by what is internal to the person of Christ. Matthew says that when Jesus looked upon the crowds, he had compassion for them.

In his wonderful essay The Emotional Life of our Lord, 20th Century theologian BB Warfield said that it is this emotion, that of compassion, which we find most frequently attributed to Jesus. The great London preacher C.H Spurgeon one said in agreement,

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. LX The Compassion of Jesus (No. 3,438)

If you would sum up the whole character of Christ in reference to ourselves, it might be gathered into this one sentence, “He was moved with compassion.”

This word that is used to describe Christ’s compassion is an interesting one. You recall that the biblical authors often use physical parts of our bodies to describe emotional or psychological realities. And so the heart, it is often said, is the center of our loves, our affections, and our desires.

Of course this is not uncommon practice in our own language today, as we often use expressions like “broken hearted” to describe great sadness or disappointment.

Well the word that’s used here for compassion is similar. As a noun, it means our bowels, our most inner parts. Or as we might say in modern speech, our gut. And so we read of Judas in Acts 1 that when he fell headlong and died, his bowels came out. But this word was also commonly used to describe deep emotions of mercy, compassion, pity, and sympathy. Like the heart, it is said that such a level of compassion compels us from the deepest part of our being. And so when Paul said in Philippians 1:8, “I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ”, he was quite literally saying, “I yearn for you all with the gut of Christ.”

However, what makes the usage of this attribution of compassion to Christ unique is that we see this word being used as a verb, not a noun. This is no small detail. As far as we can tell, such use of the word is unique to the gospel writers, with no evidence of it being used by other contemporary Greek writers, and perhaps only one use of it in the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

What this tells us is that when the Gospel writers were trying to describe Jesus to us in their own account of him, they searched their own language and found no words adequate to describe the depth of Christ’s compassion for his people. And so they either made it up, or they found a word so rare, they knew they could use it to uniquely describe their Lord.

What a sight it must have been to watch Jesus in action, to be so moved by the depth of his compassion for others. To see him agitated by great need, his face crushed with sorrow, his eyes gushing forth with heavy tears, his own body wrapping around sufferers as they collapsed with grief upon him, his own gut ready to burst forth with great love on the crowds which he gazed upon.

Jesus Christ was moved with compassion.

Now we might be tempted to get this idea in our head that behind this Jesus stands a God who is angry, brooding, unpleasant, and displeased with us. This is not uncommon I find among many Christians today. Christ may be full of love and grace, but behind him stands the Father who stands ready to execute wrath and punishment against me.

Let us be rid of all such notions this morning. There is no God in heaven who is unlike Jesus Christ. And I’m going to prove it to you.

Turn to Luke 15, this wonderful parable of two brothers, commonly called the parable of the prodigal Son. Look at verse 20. It says when the younger brother came to himself, he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and he what? He FELT COMPASSION. SAME VERB.

And who is this father in the parable intended to give us a picture of? God the Father! God the Father is moved from his innermost being, his infinite presence and majesty and splendor, with compassion. And so in his compassion he came to us by sending his one and only beloved Son into the world not to condemn it but to save it in Him.

Beloved, Jesus Christ was not only moved with compassion, Jesus Christ IS Compassion. He is the compassion of God. He is the image of the invisible God, making compassion from the gut tangible, so that you and I and the entire world might know the infinite depth of the great compassion of God.

That is the measure of compassion from the gut.

Why should we show it?

Well, we could answer this question simply and say, “Because Christ did.” We are told in places like ROmans 13 and Galatians 3 that we have and must “put on Christ.” We are told in Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3 that we are to put on the new self, which is being renewed after the image (meaning Christ) of our Creator. That’s the simple answer.

A better answer might look at why Christ showed such compassion toward others, so that is what we will endeavor to do, even briefly.

We read here that Christ had compassion on the crowds because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The image is that of sheep wounded and torn about, such that they now lie prostrate and helpless. Sheep with no shepherd are those who are in great danger but are without the resources to escape from that danger.

Let us survey also the other passages where it is said Christ is moved from his gut with compassion.

In Mark 1:41, Jesus meets a man with leprosy who comes to him and begs him saying, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched the man - an unthinkable act - and said to him, “I will. Be clean.”

In Luke 7, Jesus meets a widow whose son has died. Having compassion on her, he dried her tears and said, “Weep no more.” Then he raised her son from the dead.

In Luke 10, we read of the parable of the good Samaritan, of whom it is said had great compassion on the beaten man lying in the street. The Samaritan is not only a picture of Christ’s compassion for us, but it is an explicit model of the compassion from the gut we are to have for others. For Christ ends this famous parable with these words, “Go and do likewise.”

In Mark 8 and Matthew 15 Jesus is said to have compassion on the crowds because they have been with him three days and have not eaten. And so what did he do? He fed them.

Again in Matthew 14 and 20, he meets those who are sick and blind, and he has compassion on them and heals them.

Why is Jesus moved with compassion for us? Because he sees us in our great need and misery, and out of his great love for us, is resolved from his inner being not to leave us there. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, dried the eyes of the grieving, and restored the spiritually destitute. All out of the depth of his compassion for us.

So what about us? What about you? What about me? Do we have compassion from our guts?

Maybe a better starting point for some of us is to simply ask the question, “Do I even like people?” Do you like seeing groups of people? Or are you more inclined to look out there and say, “What a lot you are! I bet you all put the capital ‘T’ in Total Depravity!”

You know, I’ve commonly thought of myself as an introvert. In recent years that’s been changing, as even indicated on some of the recent personality and strength tests I’ve taken. But I’ve often thought of myself as an introvert, in the sense that I like to recharge my batteries when I’m alone - while I’m reading a book, or exercising, or something like that. And I’ve often used my sense of being an introvert as a reason not to spend time with people.

But it was recently brought to my attention that there is an important difference between being introverted and being misanthropic. The former is a personality type, the latter is the sin of someone who just plain doesn’t like people. And if I’m being honest, many of the times where I used introversion as a reason to avoid people, it was because in my heart, I simply didn’t like them.

So what about you? Do you like people? Can you earnestly say you desire to have and show compassion from the gut?

Who will give it?

The third question we want to answer from this text this morning is, “Who will give this compassion from the gut?” The real question I'm getting at here is, “What is the connection between the compassion of Christ and the mission of the church?” The answer is…everything! Everything.

Christ has said the crowd are those who are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. It’s clear that he is accusing the religious leaders of his day of failing in their responsibility to shepherd the people. Jesus is making a not-so-subtle reference to Ezekiel 34, where God rebuked the religious leaders and said:

English Standard Version Chapter 34

The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; 6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

And so, upon making this accusation, Jesus gives another metaphor to his disciples to describe the problem. He said,

English Standard Version Chapter 9

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

While Jesus does not spell it out for them, but he was speaking of people who are ripe for inclusion in the kingdom of God. They had great need: physically, spiritually, emotionally. They were ready to be brought in. But a crop needs workers to bring the grain to the barn. Without laborers the crop cannot be reaped.

The problem is not just that those who were supposed to shepherd have failed, but those who could shepherd are too few.

What Jesus was trying to get across to his disciples is that they would be the ones to care for the sheep. His followers must be those who care for the harassed and helpless, the downtrodden and ashamed.

And while this may be a more direct application for those whom we call pastors and elders today, it’s clear from a full reading of Scripture that all followers of Christ are to be those who are sent out into the harvest. After all, Jesus commissioned all believers in Matthew 28 to go out into the whole world.

So who will give this Christlike compassion from the gut? You! Me. Us. We must.

And what is the connection between this compassion of Christ and the mission of the church? Everything! We can quite simply conclude from this short text that if Jesus had no compassion for the crowds, there would be no harvest. If Jesus had no compassion on us, he would not have been moved to do anything about our plight! If there was no compassion, he would not send shepherds to tend his sheep! If there was no compassion, there would be no laborers for the harvest.

Therefore, all those who claim the name of Christ are those who have been sent into the harvest bearing the compassion of Christ. Compassion from the gut.

We must be careful when drawing application from the early church not to romanticize them. They weren’t perfect, nor are we. But if you study early church history, one thing seems clear: this was a message and a charge that they understood. Despite every trial and persecution that came their way, they were known for showing deep compassion for everyone in their city.

You must understand the context into which the Christ came and the Church was born. Christianity did not prosper because it simply made sense to everyone. Christianity prospered because it challenged the status quo. Whatever you might think about the Christian faith, you must be willing to acknowledge that it has turned the history of the world upside down. This is the case that is argued if you read Tom Holland’s Dominion, or Rodney Stark’s The Triumph of Christianity. Here’s what they’ll show you.

In the pagan world, especially among the philosophers, mercy and compassion were regarded as character defects. They believed that mercy was opposed to justice because it involved provided unearned relief. Classical philosophers taught that mercy is not governed by reason, and therefore the impulse must be curbed.

It was into this world that the gospel of Jesus Christ went forward. Christianity, in opposition to the pagan religions and philosophies of its day, taught that mercy was a primary virtue. Christianity taught that a merciful God requires his people to be merciful. Because God has loved us, we must love one another.

But what was most revolutionary was that this principle for mercy and compassion must extend beyond other Christians and be shown to all those who are in need. The tender compassion of these early Christians was so radical that some historians have described their work as a “miniature welfare state in an empire which for the most part lacked social services.”

Here is how Tertullian, a second century African theologian, described the compassion of these early Christians:

There is no buying or selling of any sort of things of God. Though we have our treasure chest, it is not made up of purchase money, as of a religion that has its price. On the monthly day, if he likes, each puts in a small donation; but only if it be his pleasure, and only if he is able; for there is no compulsion; all is voluntary. These gifts are, as it were, piety’s deposit fund. For they are not taken thence and spent on feasts, and drinking bouts, and eating houses, but to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls of destitute means and parents, and of old persons confined now to the house; such, too, as have suffered shipwreck; and if there happen to be any in the mines, or banished to the islands, or shut up in prisons, for nothing but their fidelity to the cause of God’s Church, they become the nurslings of their confession.

You see the early Christians understood that even in a context where they were the persecuted minority, it was their mission and their charge to display Christlike compassion from the gut. That was what they were known for. So much so, that in the 4th century the Roman emperor Julian launched a campaign to try and create pagan charities that would rival the charity of the church. He complained in one letter that the explosive growth of the church was caused by their “moral character, even if pretended” and by “their benevolence toward strangers.”

Is this what the church in the US is known for today? Is this what we are known for? I fear that it is not. I believe that much of the shrinking collapse and decay we see in our churches, the lack of conversions, the closure of churches, all has very little to do with our culture out there and has much to do with having lost our way in here. The renowned Anglican pastor John Stott once said,

We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather we should ask, “What has happened to salt and light?

What has happened? Have we lost our way? Because if I’m being honest, and I hope you will too, I don’t often feel this level of compassion from my gut. I am more often consumed with my own success and finances and plans to even be bothered by anyone else. I too often am tempted to turn my back on those whom I disagree with, rather than opening my heart toward them.

How do we get it?

This is why we need to answer our final question: How do we get it? How do we get this compassion from the gut?

Look at verse 38: The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few, therefore

Matthew 9:38 ESV

therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

In a world like ours we might expect a more vigorous action to be expected of us. But Jesus says the most effective thing to do is to pray. No matter how skilled we might think ourselves, no matter how able, no matter how great we might think our zeal is, we cannot do the work of the harvest. Only the Lord of the harvest can. Therefore we pray to the one who is able to send out laborers into his harvest.

Here are four ways I think this text is impressing upon our church to pray:

First, pray for your pastors, elders, deacons. Pray for other church leaders you know. Pray for our denomination. Pray for our planters, our chaplains, our missionaries. Pray that we might be those who are known for a deep compassion from the gut. Compassion for lost souls, those in great distress, those who have been deeply wounded by the sins of others and the evil of this world. Compassion for our families. Pray that we might be able to equip others for the work of compassionate ministry. Pray that we might help create cultures in our churches where members know we do not exist for ourselves, but for the sake of others.

Second, pray that the Lord of the Harvest will raise up more laborers.

Stay with me on a couple illustrations, ok? A couple weeks ago I shared with you all that Neva and I have begun the process of church planting. It has been a whirlwind the last 6 weeks, as I’ve been having as many as 4 or 5 calls a week with other pastors, churches, or presbyteries sharing their need with me and trying to convince me to come. Many of these leaders have told me the same message, and that is, that 3 things are required for any church plant to start. First, you need a location. Second, you need funding. Third, you need a planter. And what they’ve all said is, the first two are easy. There are plenty of places, and plenty of people and churches willing to give money, but there are too few planters. Finding a planter is always the hardest part.

Now speaking to our national director for planting in our denomination, he told me that he is currently tracking over 40 places with a need for a planter. So let’s work with that number. Right now, in the PCA, there is a need for 40 church planters. Across our denomination, we have a total of over 400,000 members. Am I to believe that nowhere among this 400,000 can we find 40 who will come forward to meet the need? Please pray, that the Lord might raise up an abundance of laborers to meet the need.

But let’s take this a step further. I’m just making some educated guesses now. We have a need for at minimum 40 church planters in the PCA. I’d wager there is a need for a couple hundred pastors in our churches, and maybe another 60 for missionary work, chaplaincys and so on. Just a guess. Since we’re a smaller denomination, I’d guess that if you compiled all of the vacancies and need across churches and denominations in the United States, you’re probably talking 5 to 10,000. That’s a big number.

There are over 200 million Christians in the United States alone.

Am I to believe that among this immense multitude we cannot find 10,000 souls who will step forward?

Pray, therefore, that the Lord of the harvest will raise up His laborers. The need is great, and the laborers are too few.

3. Pray that the Lord will send you into the harvest. Pray the prayer of Isaiah, “Here I am. Send me.” Maybe it will be in one of these formal, official roles we have in our churches. But you don’t need to be an ordained pastor or appointed missionary to be sent into the harvest. All you need is faith and Christlike compassion from the gut.

Who knows how the Lord might use you? Maybe it will be a deeper sacrifice and partnership with one of our ministries or mission works, like Emanuel House. Maybe it will be a Bible study in your neighborhood or work place. Maybe it will be petitioning your company to start a regular charity work in the community, where you can display the compassion of Christ to your coworkers. I don’t know how the Lord will answer that prayer. But he does. And so pray, that he might send you into the harvest.

4. Pray for a deeper sense and assurance of the compassion of Christ for you. This is the prayer I want you to pray now as we prepare to come to His table together.

My friends, Jesus Christ is the compassion of God. There is no place where we can experience that compassion more tangibly then at his table. For, knowing the great need his disciples would have in his absence, their fear, their worry, their lack of assurance, their need for strength - he gave them this meal.

As we come to the table now, pray that Christ might give you a deeper knowledge of his great compassion for you.

And if you’re here this morning, or if you’re listening in, and you do not know Christ, I want you to know that I’m really glad you’ve joined us. But at this special meal, I would ask you please not to partake of eating the bread or drinking the cup. I do not say this to be exclusive, but only because apart from faith this meal really means nothing. Instead, I simply hope that hearing of the deep compassion of Christ has stirred something in you. Perhaps it just to know more about Jesus and what Christians believe. Please, send me an email and I’d love to talk to you about that. Maybe you want to know the compassion of Christ for yourself. Pray then, and ask to receive it.

Let us pray together now as we prepare to come to the table.