Reading: Matthew 9:35-38

Lesson: Purpose Driven Pit Stops

As Jesus travels through villages, teaching in Synagogues, preaching the gospel of truth, He made “pit stops”, to heal every sickness and disease as He encountered them. Really – it was just another ordinary day for the Son of God. Along their path, Jesus and His disciples came across a multitude of stragglers. Jesus was moved with compassion for them. This doesn’t mean that He merely felt sympathetic toward them; He was physically moved into action out of the overflow of His Mercy. This too, was not out of the ordinary for our Saviour – but something made this group more notable.

Something about this group, made Him stop in His tracks.

Why? They were weary and scattered. He equated them to sheep without a shepherd. They were the lost, the dirty, the homeless, the friendless, and the fatherless.
Their weariness didn’t just stem from their circumstance – it was deeply rooted on the inside. They were the outcasts and throwaways. Those who seemingly didn’t “belong”. The black sheep.

As Jesus surveyed the depth of this, He says, “the harvest is truly plentiful, but the labourers are few”. Meaning, there are so many lost and hurting souls, but no one is willing to reach out and touch them. Nobody is willing to get their hands dirty to help someone in need – someone who didn’t matter to anyone else.

Everyone seemed to have enough love, grace, and compassion, for those within their own flocks, but not one seemed to be willing to go outside of the sheep in the valleys, to love the outcasts in the trenches.

Application: Scattering Seeds of Hope

Each of us encounter scattered sheep every day, in some form another; the outcasts and throwaways. Those who seemingly don’t belong. Some are more obvious than others; a homeless man pushing a shopping cart containing all of his earthly possessions, a prostitute with a vacant stare on a street corner, or a displaced child being passed from house to house, but never truly finding a home.

Some however, are less obvious – the angry, bitter co-worker that seems to need a hug, or a swift kick in the pants. The rude waitress at the diner, or the obnoxious trouble maker at school who is desperate for attention.

We all encounter someone unlovable, everyday – more importantly, they encounter you.

The question is, do you extend your hand of mercy, and smile genuinely from a heart of love; or do you look the other way, as if not noticing them somehow means they don’t exist? Do you hold the door for the little old man with his walker – or were you in such a hurry with your important day, that you didn’t even notice he was there? Too busy to notice anyone other than yourself…

Perhaps all that habitually unpleasant co-worker needs, is a loving smile and a warm handshake, to give him his first sense of acceptance. Maybe all that kid in school needs is for you to step outside of your comfort zone and invite her to eat lunch at your table – because for the first time, she’ll feel like someone cared; someone acknowledged her existence.

We can change the world, one act of compassion at a time.

It’s not what you gather, it’s what you scatter, that represents the life you live.

Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and extend a hand of hope to those who don’t really seem to belong anywhere? The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. The throwaways are many, but the compassionate are scarce. A simple act of kindness, may cost you nothing – but to the recipient, it may be priceless.

Start a new trend – Compassion is in fashion.

~ Vanessa ~

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