The Compassionate King of Glory | Matthew 14:13-21

Scripture

• Matthew 14:13–21

About this sermon

Introduction: There is something sad that we often meet with in the company of people who profess to be Christians. It is a head full of knowledge but a heart that lacks compassion. A mind full of answers for people, and a tongue swift to give those answers, but a heart that doesn’t connect with the plight of those people. I’m not just talking about preaching. I’m talking about the people we meet with every day. God’s people should be a compassionate people. As we will be reminded tonight, our King was, and is, compassionate. LET US BE CLEAR AT THE OUTSET: The compassion of which we speak is HOLY COMPASSION. True compassion does not disagree with God’s Word or compromise with sin. It does not treat things hateful to God as if those things are not hateful. It does not pretend to love the sinner when in truth it is loving itself. It is the love of self and the fear of rejection that explains why it doesn’t truly confront and instruct the sinner. It congratulates itself on pity, mercy, love, when in truth it has calculated the cost of identifying itself clearly with the cause of truth, and it isn’t willing to pay the price. THERE IS MUCH THAT GOES UNDER THE BANNER OF LOVE THAT IS, IN FACT, COWARDICE. But having noted that compassion is often counterfeited, we say again that it is sad to see a people who claim to be Christ’s followers yet lack the compassion of their King. WHAT MAKES THIS ESPECIALLY SAD, IS THAT GOD’S ARE EXPLAINED BY MERCY. GOD’S PEOPLE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE KNOWN THE MERCY OF GOD, AND WHO MEET WITH GOD’S COMPASSION CONSTANTLY. If anyone should be merciful it is those who have received mercy. ESV Luke 7:36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." 40 And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." 41 "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven-- for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48 And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." TAKE NOTE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR TEXT: After Jesus receives news of the death of John, (or perhaps after he hears of Herod’s response to His ministry — if verse 13 refers back to verses 1-2) He goes away. He retreats in a boat to a wilderness area. He takes Himself to a place uninhabited. He did the same after John had been arrested. ESV Matthew 4:12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And from this setting I want us to see three characteristics of the compassion of our King. And from that examination I want us to apply that standard to our own lives. • COMPASSION EXISTS IN AN UNSELFISH LIFE (vs.13-14) On display in the life of our Savior is a compassion for people. He clearly goes to a desolate place for a reason. Never forget that our Lord’s humanity is real. He knows sadness. He weeps outside the tomb of Lazarus. He mourns the destruction of Jerusalem. If you and I know a longing for some time alone when we are sad, you can be sure that our Lord knew the same. If verse 13 looks back to verse 12, then perhaps this points to the mourning of Christ. He knows sobriety. It is also right to recognize that this marked a new phase in the earthly ministry of Jesus. The way preparer is now gone. The voice of one crying in the wilderness will no longer be heard. The resistance to Jesus is growing and becoming more pronounced. So, perhaps this was also a time when the desire for withdrawal had to do with reflection concerning His course to the cross. No matter all that would have explained His withdrawal, He wasn’t allowed time alone.

Topics

• Love & Compassion
• Worship