We have here a very precious picture and example in the Saviour. If we could feel 10% of the emotion and energy that is exhibited here it might revolutionize us all. Lets put ourselves in the sandals of the disciples for a few moments. Try see what they witnessed in Jesus as He stood one day on one hills of Galilee overlooking yet another village of the Jews. But it is important, first, to see the background, before we get to the foreground.
Those disciples had been trekking all over Galilee doing “the religious thing.” They were moving from synagogue to hill side, to another synagogue, listening to their Pastor. They were probably even participating in those religious services. They weren’t taking up offerings, but they were distributing bread and fishes. Maybe they were leading the singing and trying their best to sing in duets and quartets. They helped keep the crowds in order as needy people thronged the Saviour for healing. Would any of them lead in prayer in the very presence of the prayer-hearing God? Did they advertise upcoming meetings and knock on a few doors? Maybe they attended banquets, raked up pine needles, and fixed whatever was broken. Of course I’m speaking just a little facetiously. But you can be sure that they were behaving as good fundamental Baptists were supposed to behave. They probably owned copies of “Strong’s Concordance” and the other “Strong’s – theology.” They had hard copies of “Gill’s Commentary” and perhaps “Matthew Henry,” or at least digital versions of each. They probably all had copies of either Hiscox or Pendelton’s “Church Manual.” They might even have read Hyles’ two volume set on “Sunday School and Church Organization.” Their doctrines were right; their ducks were all in a row, and they were looking for the Millennium. They said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And let’s not forget that they had sacrificed much to be servants of the Lord. Their nets were bleaching and getting brittle in the sun. Their kids didn’t get to see them as often as they did before Jesus came along. And they didn’t get out to Dairy Queen very often now that they were tithing and giving to missions. Despite some petty problems, these disciples were a good bunch of Baptists. Or maybe they were a good bunch of typical Baptists because they had petty problems. But of course, again I am speaking just a little facetiously.
Then one day, Jesus, made them stop and look more deeply at their religious service. A great many things had been superficial and somewhat remote; dutiful – gutless and heartless. The Saviour wanted to lift them to a higher level of service.
Think about what is was that the Lord Jesus made them see.
“When (Christ Jesus) saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
By the way, I hope that you don’t think that Jesus was suddenly struck with this new insight. Don’t picture the Lord Jesus as blind as the disciples, until something pricked His attention. Someone might say that was a possibly within the scope of the humiliation of Jesus’ incarnation. I am not sure, but probably Jesus, the boy, learned things as would any maturing child. But somehow, I can’t imagine the full-fledged Messiah being struck all of a sudden with the enormous need of salvation in the throng. This was merely something brought to the attention of the disciples at this time. And again, what was it that Jesus saw and revealed to the disciples?
First, as the disciples followed Jesus’ eye and heart, together they saw “the multitudes.” We are talking here about the enormous mass of humanity which milled about them. But they weren’t just a nameless undulating heap of atoms, like waves on the sea. It was not the “multitude” that struck them, but the “multitudes.” The Saviour didn’t have compassion on the “multitude” but on the “multitudes.” Beloved, there are over 7 billion people upon this planet – that is more than 7,073 millions of people. Millions upon millions, and multitudes upon multitudes. If you possessed a dime for every one of those people, the weight would crush this floor into basement. I don’t know if you could squeeze into our auditorium a dollar for every person on this planet. Everyone of those 7 billion people is a soul. has a face, a name, and a personal eternity. And the vast majority – despite their religions and educations – are lost and dying without Christ. During every minute of our day and night, thousands of those people are passing into eternity. Old people, teenagers, babies, unborn, athletes, scholars, beggars and bums. With every beat your heart, there are hundreds of other hearts beating for very last time. Jesus looked on the multitudes and encouraged the disciples to look on them too. And together they looked, or should have looked, with compassion.
What was it about the condition of those multitudes which moved Jesus to compassion? Was it the fact that their bodies were riddled with disease that moved Him? Many of these multitudes were coming to Christ because of sickness. But that wasn’t what so stirred His heart. Was the sad thing about these people that they were homeless or hungry? Was their problem bad government which made them slaves to taxes or inflation? Was it that their parents were alcoholics or perverts? Sure these things are dilemmas and difficulties, but these will eventually all end and be forgotten. Jesus wants us to look beyond their faces, whether smiling, or grimy, or leprous. Beyond the suffering of this present moment is a non-ending eternity – and for almost all of them – without Christ.
Jesus saw that they “fainted.” The Greek word is “ekluo” and is found six times in God’s Word. It means “to relax, to the point of collapsing.” On one occasion, Jesus used the word just before He fed part of that great multitude. He said to His disciples, “Feed them lest they faint from starvation.” And, “Feed them or they will faint on the way back to their distant homes.” “They are so far, so far from home.” That is precisely how the word should be understood in this case. This multitude may, or may not, be physically plump and healthy, but their souls are dying of malnutrition. And they have gone into a far country, wasting lives in riotous living. They are far from God and dead in their sins. At any point, any or all of these multitudes will fall to the ground and pass into eternity. And this is, of course, probably not considered by the multitude itself. Someone has to consider it for them.
Secondly, Jesus saw that they were “scattered” abroad. This is the Greek word which speaks of a violent flinging down of something. This is the word used to describe Judas casting down the thirty pieces of silver. Those coins were thrown on the floor and went rolling and bouncing all over the room. Why is humanity scattered? Because they have been whipped and pummeled by Satan and their own personal sins. They have been bullied, pushed and drawn away of their own lusts. In other words, they are “lost.” These people are just a bunch of sheep, with no spiritual sensibility whatsoever. They were originally meant to be loved, to be shepherded, to be tended, and to be fellowshipped.
But they are as bad off as Jesus describes them, because they are “shepherdless.” This is the cause of their problem. But why? Because sin has driven them into the wilderness – away from the truth. Jesus is paraphrasing Ezekiel 34 in this passage, which graphically describes Israel. There have arisen men who claimed to be pastors of the flock, But their real interest is more in the fleece than the flock. The Pharisees made a good case in point; they didn’t really care about the people. But this phenomenon didn’t come to an end in year 70 AD. Their 21st century counterparts are thick as hair on a dog’s tail.
We can blame the wretchedness of the shepherds, and we probably should. We can attack the wicked leaders and pastors of Israel or of America today. But the fact remains that the sheep need help. We can get so concerned about wicked pastors that we forget about the dying sheep.
The disciples witnessed the exposing of Jesus’ compassion.
“Compassion” is a word which means “to have bowels that yearn for something or someone.” It is to feel the same emotions as someone else; It is to empathize with them. If you stop and think about it, there is a very special twist to the use of this word in Jesus’ case. To have “compassion” is to in some ways identify with someone. And the Lord Jesus has identified with us in a very, very special way. But in this case, of course, the people themselves don’t even know their own problem.
As I read verse 36 it seems to me that something is missing in these simple words. Jesus was “moved” with compassion. Does this mean that He said, “Disciples, I have a feeling, a feeling…… Yes, there it is… I have compassion on these multitudes.” What did the disciples see when Matthew wrote down, “Jesus was moved with compassion”? Perhaps they saw His eyes swell with tears. Perhaps they saw the skin on his face get blotchy. And the skin around his lips got just a little white, as well. This was no Shakespearian actor putting on a scene for the disciples. Our Saviour ached over the needs of these scattered and scattering sheep. And by implication that is what He wants coming out of our hearts as well.
We notice that Jesus could have been angry at all these rebels. They deserved the wrath of the Almighty. He could have expressed the fact that they really wanted – and enjoyed – being shepherdless. Some people might have been curious about them, or had any number of other emotions. But what they needed was genuine, propelling, gospel launching spiritual concern.
I’ve been in the ministry long enough to hear and see all kinds reasons to reach out the lost. I’ve been in “Sword Conferences,” and missionary meetings, and taken evangelism classes. I have attended churches where evangelism was more important than truth. I have heard all the arguments for door-to-door work, and bus ministries, and various kinds of evangelistic efforts. I know some who look on the multitudes as they do prizes to be won at a carnival. I have heard pastors telling other pastors that if there was a church problem, to go out and win a dozen new people to Christ, because they would be sure to take the preacher’s side in any dispute. Some people think of sheep like they do elk on western slopes, to be hunted, shot and dragged home. Others see dollar signs, because they should be taught to tithe and support the ministry. Others see the lost as potential statistics, like notches on their gun handle.
The Lord Jesus ached for their souls, because they were ETERNAL souls, and so should all His disciples.
Then what did our Saviour do after the tears were stanched and some minutes passed?
Since we are talking about what could be done “humanly speaking,” the first thing He did was to enlist the disciples into the work of evangelism. Jesus told his disciples to look on the needs of those multitudes. “John, Peter, try to look at these people as I see them. Sure they are dirty, filthy mouthed, obnoxious and troublesome. But the are also over-ripe grain, soon to be rotting in hell. Look at that possible plentiful harvest.” Where there is no compassion there will be no genuine spiritual effort. And conversely where there is compassion there will be exertion. He said, “Look, the grain is rotting on the stalk.” There is no one to harvest, no one to reap, and to labor for rotting souls. That was 2,000 years ago, and things have not changed one tittle or iota. In fact, since that day, billions of grains have already fallen into Hell to rot for eternity.
Then Jesus asked those disciples to pray, because only in the Lord there is help. Is there a parallel between genuine prayer – fellowship with God – and concern for the lost? I don’t suppose that there is any possible way to prove my theory. But I wouldn’t be surprised that those whose prayer closets are dusty, are also finding out that the leather on shoes lasting long than those of the evangelists. Saints with sore prayer bones, are compensated by God with beautiful feet. Christian, here are some things about which to pray: Pray for the salvation of the lost generally. Pray for specific lost people whom you know and for others who have been mentioned to you. Pray that the Lord would raise up a new generation of pastors, evangelists and missionaries. Then pray that Lord would burden your own heart specifically to seek their salvation. Pray for the grace of God. Pray for the gifts of the spirit which might enable you to minister the Word to them. Then pray for the compassion of the Son in your own heart. Jesus might have said to disciples, “Pray gentlemen, pray.”
Then He sent the disciples out into the harvest fields. And the Saviour still is sending out His disciples. They don’t always or consistently go, but they are sent.
Why don’t they go? Sure there are lots of excuses offered. But one of the primary reasons, is that they don’t possess the same kind of heart as Christ. They have no compassion. Jehovah spoke to Isaiah in a situation similar to this one and said, “Who shall I send, who will go for us?” And Isaiah, moved by the emotion of the hour, said, “Here am I, send me.”
We also need to say “Yes” to the Lord. We need to move to an higher level than mere faithful disciples, learning about the Lord Jesus.