What If We Did This Instead of Getting Mad?
What If We Did This Instead of Getting Mad?
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” – Mark 6:34
How should we respond when people reject God or reject His ways?
As Jesus went around Israel preaching about the Kingdom of God, He was traveling among the people who had been given His Word. They should have recognized Him. In this passage from Mark, Jesus was tired and trying to have some down-time, but a crowd showed up.
Lost People
These people were like sheep without a shepherd. They did not know the Messiah. When Jesus saw them, how did he respond?
This was in Israel, His chosen people. Was He angry at His chosen people who didn’t recognize their Messiah?
No.
He had compassion on them and began to teach them.
That’s how Jesus is. He has compassion on the lost. How grateful we are that He does that, seeing that we all were once lost.
We can do the same.
We don’t need to get mad at people who don’t believe in Jesus. We can have compassion on them. We can teach them. Even when we are mistreated by them, we can forgive them and share God’s Word with them so that they might come to know the Good Shepherd.
We were all lost at one point. Jesus came to us and had compassion on us. Let’s go to others and show them that same compassion.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for having compassion on me when I was lost and for speaking faith into my heart through your Word. Help me to have compassion on those who do not know you. Rather than getting mad, help me to show them love and tell them about you.
Amen
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
