JESUS WEPT
Jesus was moved with compassion in John 11:35 after Lazarus died, all because He was deeply concerned for souls. People are perishing all around us, yet why should we care? Could we be living in the day of abounding iniquity and cold hearts?
“And because iniquity shall abound,
the love of many shall wax cold.” (Mat. 24:12)
Our motives can either reward us or defame us, and though we may mean well in what we say or do, it makes no difference to the outcome. We know from James’ epistle that “faith without works is dead”, but have we considered the idea that works without faith is just as dead? We should certainly express our faith through our works, and I believe also that we should be able to express our works through our faith.
Maybe
this is the long way around to carry a point of truth but we think that these
basic relationships must exist if we are to effectively glorify our Lord. Our
faith is our motivation as we are doing God’s work with true loving
compassion. The love of God cannot be
transmitted through us if we are not working with the love He has given us. We
are His hands, His voice and the giver of His gifts as we minister to the ones
He sends us to. If we are not manifesting Jesus’ love, we are not doing His
work.
When
Jesus ministered, He expressed His personal, loving concerns for those whom He
met along the way and for the multitudes who followed Him. Remember this
account? “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved
with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad,
as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 AV) He had compassion for all, regardless of who they were.
There was the blind, “So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched
their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
(Matthew 20:34 AV); there was the woman whose son had died, “And when
the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he
said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. (Luke 7:13-14 AV); then there was
the leper, “And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down
to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put
forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.”
(Mark 1:40-41 AV). The list goes on to include parables about those with
compassion such as the father of the prodigal son and the “good Samaritan”.
Jesus’ whole ministry had to do not just with what we would call being
considerate or helpful, but with heart felt compassion, even to tears as in the
case of Lazarus’ death.
If
we are to do the work of Jesus it must be a work of compassion. If it is just a
work of obedience to Him with little concern for the circumstances of others
then we are not faithful to our calling as Christians. How often do we visit
with someone whose loved one is in critical condition and try to cheer them up,
believing that if we can get them to smile we have done our best. Compassion
requires of us what it required of Jesus, to address the very root of the
distress that has beset the grieving ones and deal with the situation in
fervent prayer, seeking deliverance for the oppressed.
Jesus
expects no less of us than the fruit from what He has provided us for doing His
work. He said, ”Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the
works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:12 AV) Here is where love translates
into compassion. Where compassion is, there is Jesus, and where Jesus is, there
is compassion. Jesus loved people so deeply that He was willing to die so that
all could find Salvation in Him. If we have Christ dwelling in us we also have
His compassion within us. But are we allowing Christ to have His perfect way in
our walk with Him? Too often Christians begin well but in time begin to fall
away into fleshiness. We need spiritual revival, not forgetting that without
compassion for the lost and those in bondage there can be no revival, but
fruitlessness for which our grafted branch will be removed and burned according
to the Lord’s word.
If
you are one whose love has grown cold, take heed of your condition, confess
your failings to the Lord who will forgive you. Then do those first works of
love and self sacrifice as you once did so that you may have peace and so that
the sick will be healed, the blind see and the poor have the Gospel preached to
them, all through the compassion that God gave you from the beginning for you
to be the heart and hands of our Lord, Jesus, doing the greater works as he
said.
WTL
Ministry 2-14-2003 www.wtlministry.org Help Us Link: www.wtlministry.org/invitationtohelp.htm