Welcome and thank you so much for joining in!Our guide for the blog this week will be the scripture text that was the basis for today’s message at PoG!
Matthew 9:35-10:4” 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.” 10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
What captures your attention from this account?
If you were at Point of Grace this morning, what is still rolling around in your heart and mind from the message and what God has been doing in you today?
This account has struck me on multiple levels! What is really calling out to me as I write this is Jesus having intense compassion over the condition of the people and then “acting” on that compassion to help. He loves deeply and then acts on it! I think the apostle James says , “Be doers of the word and not hearers only!”
First, of all I am so thankful that Jesus has compassion on me – and I am so glad that He has acted on it by dying and rising for me! I am thankful that He is still acting out of that compassion even to this day sending His Spirit bringing love, joy, hope, peace, forgiveness etc. to me as gifts purely by His grace!
It is this amazing compassion of Christ that drives His every move! Our God has an amazing capacity to be “compassionate”! Digest that for a minute! Jesus has an amazing capacity for compassion!
Then He moves to action!
Some of the action motivated by His compassion was for Him only to do! He alone went to the cross and rose from the dead so we could have hope and life! But a great deal of what Jesus is moved with compassion to do involves us! We are His instruments of compassion – bringing His love, grace, power, healing, wholeness into the lives of others! That is overwhelming and exhilarating all at the same time! WOW! Maybe that is why Jesus first tells us to PRAY to the Lord of the harvest! He is in charge – we respond as He calls and directs!
What grabbed you from this text or the message today? I look forward to the conversation this week! delton