The Gift of His Compassion
Sermon Notes
Introduction:
Have you been in a situation in life where nothing you have or have achieved can save you from the challenges you face? Have you been in a dire situation where your money, education, property, fame, job, or relational network cannot save you from the situation? That your only hope is dependent on the compassion of someone or that of God. Compassion is the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another's suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. The Greek word for compassion is "which comes from the innermost being or intestines." Mercy is the fruit of compassion expressed to those suffering or needing help they cannot provide for themselves. You cannot show mercy without compassion. The action or outward working of compassion is always mercy, and the two are inextricably tied together. The bible tells us that Jesus is often moved by compassion, always doing good to all who came to him.
Doing life is complicated and continues to be stressful and unpredictable. We experience difficult situations of hurts, pains, failures, brokenness, isolation, rebellion, and abandonment. The gift of Jesus' compassion produces mercy that no one else can give us in our times of trouble. Our comfort comes from the gift of Christ's compassion expressed in mercy to us. According to Dane Ortlund, "If compassion clothed itself in a human body and went walking around this earth, what would it look like? We don't have to wonder," We can see it all in the life of Jesus Christ and how he had mercy on you and me. For his compassion grows warm and tender in light of our sins—compassion is the profound expression of God's love and mercy on us, and we can see it in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. Our comfort comes from the gift of Christ's compassion expressed in mercy to us.
Big Idea: There’s comfort for your life in the compassion of Christ.
Although we know that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus as God's indescribable gift to the world, it is also a season for giving and receiving gifts. Today, we unwrap the gift of Christ's compassion for our lives with lessons from Matthew 20:29-34, about the two blind men who experienced the comfort of Christ's compassion.
The Cry for Mercy
“Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (v.30)
a. Getting to the end of Jesus' ministry, he started preparing the disciples for the kind of suffering and death he was about to experience. The disciples had other ideas; they were busy arguing about who will sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his Kingdom. Jesus taught them to first seek to serve. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20: 27-28). After this discourse, he left Jericho and was followed by a large crowd.
b. The two blind men had been on the roadside for years; they probably have been begging for alms, as we have seen in other passages of scripture. They have experienced the goodness of men through the gifts they received. They have received the compassion of men expressed in mercy. However, in this case, the compassion of men was limited and kept bringing them back to the roadside day after day for more.
c. When they heard that Jesus and the crowd were passing by, they knew this was a unique opportunity they could not miss. They could not see, but they could hear and, sure enough, acted on what they heard. It is Jesus, Son of David. We cannot blow this opportunity.
The two blind men cried to Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. They appealed to Jesus's Messianic roots, though blind and sidelined in society, still descendants of David. They did not allow their physical condition (whatever caused it) to deter them from crying to the Master for mercy. David prayed: "Have mercy on me, O God according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions" Psalm 51:1.
d. Here, we see that their first request was not for healing and recovery of their sight. The blind men could have asked for healing, money, fame, popularity, etc. But no! They asked for mercy. They appealed to the most profound emotional grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Compassion of Jesus. Mercy is the expression of compassion, and they knew that with Christ's compassion, anything and everything is possible.
e. There is comfort in the compassion of Christ, but we need to ask for it. Sometimes, we conclude that God knows our predicament, so we do not need to ask for anything. Sometimes, it is sheer pride, "Me, ask for mercy, no way" I can handle it myself. I am tough, smart, and highly networked. I have what it takes to manage my own affairs, forgetting that our righteousness is like filthy rags, our effort and wisdom will fail us, and the mercy of the people we look up to can go so far. He is a loving and compassionate Savior, and we need to humble ourselves ask for his mercy like the two blind men did, whatever our situation may be.
f. Maybe you are a skeptic and saying I don't know about all this "asking for mercy stuff." I don't think that will work. Well, there is nothing to lose. You can definitely do it if you have ever asked for mercy after a traffic stop. Only this time, ask Jesus not because you have broken the law but for help in whatever situation you face. Will you call on him for mercy?
The Rebuke of the Crowd
“The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (v.31)
a. There will always be a reason not to cry out to Jesus, and sometimes the pressure may come from the people around us. In the case of these two blind men, the people in the crowd knew them as the two guys who sat by the roadside, who depended on the mercy and generous gift of others. They were not supposed to bother Jesus. In fact, they did not deserve to follow Jesus. So, they rebuked them and told them to be quiet.
b. In this today's world and "cancel culture," we are scared of what others think of us. We live our lives to make others happy, even if it means shutting up and not asking for help. We have a crowd around us that forces us to fit in, saying that following Jesus is not cool; crying out for help is undignified. So, we live our Christian life in secret and do not want other people to know what we believe. Sometimes the crowd is immediate family, extended family, friends, colleagues at work, and acquaintances. Sometimes, the crowd is the voices we hear in our heads telling us we are unworthy. Jesus will not listen to us, and that he is too busy to consider our needs.
c. The greater the rebuke, the louder our cry should be: they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us. The blind men refused to take no for an answer. They refused to allow the crowd to stop them from crying out. They were tenacious in their resolve to get the attention of the Master. Sometimes we give up too quickly and let go when it comes to asking for help from God because we are in a hurry to get solutions. Even if other sources are slower than that of Jesus, we still do not press in and persevere in our search. Are you searching for Jesus and his compassion today? I want to encourage you to keep talking to him, keep asking your questions, and keep crying to him no matter the situation. Jesus is compassionate, and he will answer you.
The Response of Jesus
Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (vv. 32-34)
a. Jesus heard the cry of the two blind men and called them to come. Jesus always hears our cries for mercy. The crowd may deter us, society may try to block us, but Jesus will always hear even our faintest cry. All you have to do to call on him, and he will hear your cry. What do you want me to do for you? He asked the blind men. What will you say if Jesus should appear before you today and ask, "What do you want me to do for you?"
b. For the two blind men, they wanted their sight, and Jesus had compassion on them, touched their eyes. Immediately, they received their sight and followed him. It is the compassion of Jesus that brought about the healing and not the faith of the two blind men. The compassion of Jesus brought comfort to these two blind men. All they did was cry to Jesus, and all we need is to call on him, cry to him, and he will do the rest.
c. Ortlund noted that in Scripture are but many boxes of treasure, "the casket of variety of mercies. If your heart be hard, his mercies are tender. If your heart be dead, he has mercy to liven it. If you be sick, he has mercy to heal you. If you be sinful, he has mercies to sanctify and cleanse you". As large and as various as are our wants, so large and various are his mercies. So, we may come boldly to find grace and mercy to help in our time."
d. Although there are lessons to glean from the tenacity of the two blind men, the story was not really about them. Jesus has just taught his disciples the importance of serving instead of being served. In this healing account, Jesus practically, demonstrated the power of serving others with the compassion that comes from God. The compassion that stops for the neglected in society. The compassion that listens, serves, comforts, heals, and soothes our pain.
e. The compassion and mercy of God bring us comfort, but he also wants us to extend the comfort that we receive to others. "God is infinitely compassionate and infinitely ready to forgive us, so it ought to be ascribed exclusively to our unbelief if we do not obtain his pardon" (Ortlund). Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we receive from God. (2 Cor. 1:3-4). By extending the comfort, we have received, others can enjoy the compassion of Jesus Christ in their lives.
f. As we head into this Christmas break, will you ask the Lord for mercy in whatever situation you face? Will you determine in your heart that nothing will stop you from reaching out to Jesus Christ? Will you look up to Jesus because he hears your cry, and he's calling you right now to come to him? He wants you to experience his comfort amidst the chaos, fear, and pain. His compassion is available to you today. Maybe you do not have a relationship with him but need his compassion. You don't need to go far. Invite him into your life today, and his mercy will forgive every sin and fill you with joy and comfort for your situation.