When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd.
11 sermons cite this verse
… We read here in Matthew 9, but when he, Jesus, saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep, having no shepherd. Something crucial about our Lord that we can never forget is that the one who others so easily pass by and don't notice, Jesus does this. He stoops down and comes to them. He notices them. in verse 2 the disciples observe that the blind man has caught Jesus's attention and so they ask him a pretty obnoxious loaded question they say who sinned Jesus to cause this man's blindness did he sin did his parents sin that's a dangerous way of thinking by the way which is why Jesus sets them straight I hear verse 3 his correction of them almost as like he's saying neither him nor his parents you dopes you know like but I doubt he said it with that tone that's just you know me but he does go on to correct them he tells them this man's blindness had a purpose. …
… He doesn't hassle you, he heals you. Matthew chapter nine, verse 36, it says this. When Jesus saw the crowds, his heart was filled with compassion for them because they were hurting and they didn't know where to get help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. How you look at people determines a lot and tells us a lot about what's in your heart. When I look at a crowd, I often find, I think of irritation. I think of loss of privacy. I think of a lot of things. But the Bible says when Jesus looked at the crowd, he was moved with compassion. Because they were hurting, they were helpless, they were like sheep without a shepherd. And that's the way God looks at your problems. And he looks at your hurts. He's compassionate. Now what does that mean? Well, there's an difference between empathy, sympathy, and compassion. Sympathy means, I'm sorry you hurt. You can send a sympathy card. I'm sorry you hurt. A little bit deeper commitment is empathy. …
I'd like you to have a seat so uh this weekend i i have a sister one of my older sisters is currently actually in the middle of this the weekend she's currently running a 200 mile trail race right now um which is just so cool i just like so difficult so hard um and just i think about this whenever i've been i've been she's been training for it for a really long time and so uh this whole season she's been training for it. I've been bragging on her and everyone, they hear it. They're like, wow, that's crazy. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, it's fine. But I think it's so cool. I just, I, so difficult. I look at that and I think, man, I could never, and that's what everyone says. The 200 mile trailways, she's running the whole thing. I could never. And I think about this, whenever we come upon something that seems so daunting, so intimidating, someone says, I'm going to run a marathon or, or I'm doing ultra or I'm going to climb, you know, some kind of mountain. We say, I could never do that. Or maybe something like intellectual, that sense of I'm going to learn to do. I'm learning a new language or I'm writing a book. I could never do that. Maybe it's even something that you see. You hear about someone doing something heroic. You know, in the moment, they ran into a burning building or something heroic like over time, they're caring for their …
… he had what on them? He had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. When he saw the crowds and the needs, compassion welled up in him. That means in order to have that compassion, a Christ-like compassion well up in you, you have to see the crowds. But we've chosen to ignore the crowds. Compassion does not select. Compassion does not choose who we're going to show compassion to and who we're not going to show compassion to. Compassion does not say those who it's easiest to show compassion to, I'm going to give them compassion. Those who are closest to me, those who are right in front of me. That's not biblical compassion. Biblical compassion says we are not going to be selective in the way we express the love and demonstrate the grace of Christ. We're not going to separate it between, well, needs here or needs there. So you're thinking, well, Dave, you talk about going to all nations all the time. …
… How often do we read words like this about Jesus? When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion. You know, when I see crowds, I tend to have aggravation. But when Jesus saw crowds, he had compassion on them. And as our hearts become more and more like the heart of Christ, we will find ourselves seeing crowds and feeling a heaviness, a healthy, godly heaviness. That throng of people at the TSA line, each one of them is a child of God. That long line of people at HEB who are keeping you from checking out, each one of them could use a prayer or a blessing. those throngs of populated nations like Korea and like India, like China, their languages are different than ours. Their culture is different than ours. But friend, their concerns are the same. excuse me I'm so sorry it's been dogging me all week I made it through two services without that happening you must be really special I'm so sorry We cannot ignore the people. …
… but to feel the weight of that hurt? Same thing, Matthew 9, verse 35-38. When Jesus saw the crowds, He had what on them? He had compassion on them. He didn't just see the need. He felt the gravity of their need. and then to reach down and touch that need. In an age and a day where we can put our iPod in our ears, we can go throughout the busyness of our life day in and day out doing all the things that we find ourselves engrossed in doing and watch Fox News and look on the Internet and see all the needs around us, but never lift a finger to meaningfully engage the needs of those around us. And not just, don't miss the temptation, not just in the world as a whole, but in the church. undoubtedly in this room a variety of physical struggles represented this morning some of you are going through some physical pain emotional struggles different families in this room who are walking through some things whether it's in a marriage or with children that things aren't just working out the way they were supposed to maybe maybe on the verge of divorce maybe feeling the effects of a divorce maybe there's financial struggles uncertainty about the future there Maybe there's spiritual struggles undoubtedly in this room. …
… good news of the kingdom of God, and curing every disease and every sickness. And this is the line I love. Matthew chapter 9, verse 36. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. He had compassion on people who were separated from the synagogue, who were not involved in the faith community. He had compassion on them and he longed for them to come back to God. So, you know, those people that Jesus hung out with, they were non-religious and nominally religious people. And almost all the gospel stories are focused on, how he cared for the sinners and the tax collectors and the broken and all of these people, he was constantly seeking and trying to help them see the love of God. In Luke 15, 10, a verse that we've asked many of our members to memorize, we find that Jesus on his way to be crucified is eating with Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector. And the religious people are upset that he's eating with somebody like Zacchaeus. And Jesus comes up to them, he says, you don't get it, do you? And then he says, it's the son of man, which is what he called himself, the son of man came to seek and to save those who are lost. …
… and he had compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. That's part of what it means to be a United Methodist or a British Methodist. Part of what it means to be a Methodist is to have compassion for people and to look around at the world and say, what does Jesus need us to do now? And that's captured in our buildings here in the City Road Chapel, in the Methodist Central Hall in the New Room in Bristol. But it's also captured resurrection. I just want to say to you, it's captured in our fellowship hall, which is called the Foundry and named after this building that was Methodism's first home in London. Our Foundry is a place where recovery groups meet, where children come to grow in faith, where people come for support groups for those who lost a loved one or those dealing with mental health issues. I mean, all of this, it's part of what we do at our Resurrection Overland Park location, where we have a food pantry that provides groceries to the people in our community. …
… hearkens our attention today. Matthew chapter 9 verse 36 Matthew 9 verse 36. what you found it once you say i got it amen matthew 9 verse 36 let's read together with uplifted voices when he saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd let's read it again with a little bit more fervent conviction and enthusiasm. Come on, everybody. When he saw the crowds. He had compassion on him because he was harassed and helped us by sheep of the Lord. Bless the Lord. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Matthew 9 verse 36. When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless. they were to him like sheep without a shepherd I want to preach today using as a subject I feel you look at the person beside you look them dead in the eyes tell them I feel you Amen. This morning I regurgitate a story. …
… And this is the linchpin. Matthew 9, verse 35 to 38. 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. When he saw, he saw vision. Idoin is the Greek word there, seeing. He saw not just with physical eyes, but with spiritual eyes. 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. Here we see the vision of Jesus. First thing is this. You are needed. The need is urgent. He looked out and he saw the crowd. He saw the people. and he saw they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. What do those words mean? Harassed means, the Greek word there, skula means confused, exhausted by life, weary. …
… makes us. He's the one who leads us. Now put this verse in Bible in Matthew chapter 9 and verse 36. The Bible says, but when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion because they fainted and were scattered abroad like sheep having no shepherd. When Jesus saw the people of his day, he saw them scattered, running, frantic here and there, failing, complaining, full of stress. The Bible says he was moved with compassion. You know what that word moved means in Matthew 9 verse 36? It's a very powerful word. It literally means he was convulsed. Convulsed. I mean it has the idea of just hurting right in here. He was moved with compassion. Do you know what the word compassion means? Come meaning with and passion, meaning to feel or to suffer. Jesus was convulsed as He felt with those sheep. He saw them as sheep having no shepherd. That's what caused Him to leave Heaven and come and die for us. As you think of the shepherd, my dear friend, think of compassion. And then as you think of the shepherd, think also of care. Let me give you one of the most beautiful verses in all of the Bible, Isaiah 40, verse 11. …