The Confirmation and Care of Jesus by Dr. Rod Mattoon

About this sermon

As we continue the Friendliness of Jesus Series, we left off talking about the compassion of Jesus and the importance of developing compassion in our own lives. Here is a small portion of the message. Just like the Lord, we are to have compassion, but what does it mean to be a compassionate person? What is compassion? The word compassion comes from the Latin word com, meaning "with," and the word passio, meaning "to bear or suffer." Compassion means a person "suffers with" people who are burdened and hurting. They try to provide comfort or assistance to others. The compassionate person has a discerning eye and is alert to others who are hurting or needing help. The compassionate person slows down enough to notice needs and takes time to help others. He or she notices when others are sad, hurt, or not feeling well. He looks at the countenance of others. When a compassionate person sees the pain of others, he responds with sympathy or concern. He hurts for that person and feels their pain. He bears the burdens of others by getting involved in their struggles and helping them. Paul said, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). When the compassionate person bears the burdens of others, it creates within him or her a sense of duty, responsibility, and even urgency to solve the problem or meet a need. He or she will do something that will relieve the pain of other people who are hurting physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. He or she gets involved to help the person heal or help relieve the burden. He invests in the lives of others. This is what James was talking about in James 1:27 when he said, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." The word "visit" comes from the Greek word episkeptomai {ep-ee-skep'-tom-ahee} which means more than going by a house and saying "Hello." This word has the idea of getting involved in the lives of others, providing for them, and helping them out. It means to care for them. It is a word of giving and sacrifice. A little girl came home from a neighbor's house where her little friend had died. "Why did you go?" questioned her father. "To comfort her mother," said the child. "What could you do to comfort her?" "I climbed into her lap and cried with her." This little girl was smack dab right on target. She understood and put into practice the truth of James 1:27. She had compassion and got involved to help comfort that mother who had an emotional need. This is the way the Lord treats us. His love and compassion motivate Him to get involved. This message was preached on Sunday morning, April 30, 2023 at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Jesus Christ