THE COMPASSION OF JESUS

CHRIST THE ROCK CONGREGATION

SUNDAY APRIL 20^TH 2024

Sermon by Pastor Marc Simeon

THE COMPASSION OF JESUS TOWARD OTHERS

READING: MARK 8:1—9

Mr 8:1 ¶ In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,

 2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

 3 “And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

 4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”

 6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them ; and they set them before the multitude.

 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.

 8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.

 9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away,

INTRODUCTION

• Today we will ponder upon one of the great miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.
• We will see how Jesus’ power was limitless.
• We will see how out of 7 loafs of bread and a few fishes, Jesus was able to feed the multitude of about four thousand.
• Many see the display of the power of Jesus as the striking point of this narrative.
• Yet, it was the deep compassion of Jesus for others that propelled the miracle.
• While Jesus was despised by the religious rulers and the aristocrats of his time, He was nevertheless very revered among the poor and the deprived.
• A personal encounter with Jesus meant everything for them.
• Some got their healing
• Some got their demons casted out.
• Some regained their zest for life.
• Some got their generational curses casted out of them.
• Some got their faith in God restored.
• Some got an equal treat with others for the first time.
• Some got to witness some great miracles.
• Some came to hear the greatest preacher of all times.
• Some came to get a word of prophecy from Jesus.
• A personal encounter was like the chance of a lifetime.
• The crowd in Mark 8 was a little more desperate, because they came from afar.
• They came unprepared for the delay.
• Determined to meet one on one with Jesus, some did not mind spending three days in the effort.
• Going back empty handed was not an option; so, some have hanged in there for three days without food.
• In all of these services, you have to make an official end for people would keep coming.
• After the benediction, those who lived nearby just retrieved their way back home.
• Jesus cared about the unfortunate ones.
• Jesus healed them, casted demons out of them, taught them, yet He still felt indebted to their wellbeing.
• How are they going to make all the way home with an empty stomach?
• What if they faint on the way back home?
• What can we do about that?
• It was a poignant and teachable moment for the disciples of Jesus that accompanied Him and also for the rest of us who would follow their path as Jesus’ disciples.

THE BUSINESS MEETING BETWEEN JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES

Mr 8:1 ¶ In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,

 2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

 3 “And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

• It is amazing how humble Jesus was to take counsel with the disciples.
• Jesus wasn’t always passing out orders to the disciples, but he treated them with respect.
• We have a critical situation here, what can we do about it?
• We have a responsibility toward these people who came to be in our company although they cannot make any claim of it.
• Jesus was teaching the disciples that they had a responsibility toward the parishioners that extends beyond the final prayer and benediction.
• How are they going to make it home?
• They have not eaten, and most didn’t have monetary means to buy the food.
• Some of them have come from afar.
• They may faint on the way home.
• Although they will no longer be under our jurisdiction, yet we still have a responsibility toward them.
• What if they faint in the way for lack of food, God will not be pleased.
• What are we going to do about it” 

THE REPLY OF THE DISCIPLES

4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

• In other words, “Master, we have a logistic issue here.”
• “We have budget issue here.”
• “We have a common sense issue here.”
• “We have impossibility here.”
• The human element will always surface to show that there’s nothing that can be done.
• “I wish I could”

 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”

• The deep compassion of Jesus calls for divine interventions.
• If it’s humanly impossible, then, let’s seek the intervention of the Creator of the universe on it.
• The deep compassion for others will generate the faith necessary to assist them.
• Jesus was always compassionate toward those who came to see him.
• He felt that they were like sheep without a shepherd.
• Your compassion for others will strengthen you to take the extra mile that seemed impossible.
• Most people who have done much for humanity lacked the means necessary at first
• Their deep concerns for others led them to a realm of wonders that they cannot explain.
• They all tapped in the infinite resources of God reserved for people who  are liked minded, who are compassionate, who put the need of others before their own.

THE MULTIPLICATION

6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them ; and they set them before the multitude.

 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.

 8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.

• God is always nearby to partner with us in selfless cases like these.
• What the disciples needed was the compassion and the faith.
• Someone had to have a little bit of bread and some fishes.
• God owns the first 3D printer.
• Out of the first simple you just had to say how many copies you needed.
• Jesus might have said, ”We need 4500 copies.”
• The God part was so easy for Him.
• God called the universe to existence by His command.
• When our hearts are steered in God’s direction and the motive of our actions is pure and selfless, there no telling how much glory God can display to validate our efforts.  

 9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away,

• Now, the service can be over.
• Now we can dismiss them.
• Now, we can disengage ourselves from them.
• Now, we can give the final benediction.
• Now, we are freed to engage to another project.
• Now, we can go to another city.

CONCLUSION

• It will always easy to do the religious stuffs like preaching, evangelizing and baptizing.
• Our work is not complete until we touch the people integrally with everything that’s going on with them.
• What does it profit to call yourself a Christian if you are not Christ like?

Jas 2:14-16

14 ¶ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

• This world is in need of God in every aspect.
• They need to be rescued from the eternal damnation of their souls, yet they also need the temporary assistance to make it to the next day.
• Be ready to serve God and others with words and actions.
• AMEN!