This morning as I got into the church office and began to get my day in order, I checked the phone for messages. There was a message from several days ago from a woman desperately asking for help. She did not give specifics but simply asked for a call back. As I considered my response to this call I am ashamed to say that I considered just dismissing it. I mean, when you work for a church, you have no shortage of people calling on you requesting a handout. It’s easy to get callous towards these constant pleas for help in situations that are mostly the fruits of people’s own poor choices.
Before doing anything about responding to this call, I opened my Bible. My regular reading has been taking me through the gospel of Matthew. This particular morning’s reading started in chapter fifteen, verse thirty-two where it reads: Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” Just to give you the context, Jesus had been spending some time along the Sea of Galilee. Word had gotten out of his presence there and crowds were streaming to him bringing their friends and loved ones needing to be healed.
The word that seemed to leap off of the page at me as I read was “compassion.” Not only did Jesus confess to possess it, he exemplified its meaning. He was doing things like teaching them God’s word and taking care of their need for physical healing, things that we would classify as spiritual needs. But then he took it to another level. Jesus showed concern for something as basic as putting food in their stomach. Jesus could easily have blamed their hunger on their own irresponsibility, and he would have been justified in doing so. I mean, who takes off from home on a three day road trip without considering where their meals are going to come from? The reason why they were in need simply wasn’t an issue to Jesus. He chose to be moved with compassion for them rather than withholding ministry to a need that was of their own doing.
I am deeply convicted by his example in this situation. How many times have I passed by a need and judged it according to what my eyes told me? How many times have I been devoid of compassion and failed to minister as Jesus would? I am happy to tell you that I did call this woman back and was able to pray with her as well as direct her toward the assistance that she needed. I am also hopeful that this is more than a little story to you from a day in the life of Pastor Tom. Hopefully you are encouraged to give place to compassion and will find yourself in ministry opportunities as I did that you would easily have passed right on by.
- Tom Maus
