Title: The Heart of Christ
heart of christ
2007-04-15
“When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them, for they were troubled and lost, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
I. Background of the text
There were three things that Jesus did while He was on the earth before He was crucified, and these are called the threefold ministry of Jesus. The first was to preach the gospel of the kingdom, the second to teach the secrets of the kingdom, and the third to serve the sick by healing them.
II. Motives for sending apostles
Then, what was the heart of Jesus, who earnestly asked his disciples like this, gave them power and sent them out into the world? The Bible says: “When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them, for they were troubled and lost, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
A. A feeling of embarrassment
When Jesus saw the suffering and wandering people, it was like the plight of sheep without a shepherd. Sheep were originally created to not be able to survive without human care. For the sheep is synonymous with a docile but foolish beast that has no physical strength to protect itself or to avoid danger. Therefore, no matter how large the number of sheep, if there is no shepherd to keep them, their plight is bound to be miserable. In the eyes of Jesus Christ, so was the people of Israel. God has appointed his servants to lead the covenant people. Prophets, priests, and scribes were such people. But they truly loved the sheep and did not serve them according to God's heart for them. That was the reason why Jesus felt heartbroken when he saw the crowd.
“When he saw the crowds, he was troubled” The word translated “seeing” here is ‘ivdw.n’ in Greek. This word refers to looking directly behind an object rather than just looking at it with the physical eyes. Jesus looked at the plight of the sheep who were wandering in sickness, poverty, spiritual ignorance and darkness. This is the record of how Jesus felt at that time. “Have mercy on you” This is the Greek word for “evsplagcni, sqh”. Literally translated, it means “to be moved to the bowels.” The Palestinians believed that the soul was in the intestines. Therefore, if we translate this word to fit our cultural context, it becomes “my heart is broken.” When Jesus Christ looked at the people, he felt this great pain in his heart. Looking at the people of Israel living as if nothing happened on the outside, Jesus looked directly at the condition of their souls. Jesus Christ could not help but weep his heart with pain as if it were piercing his heart.
Jesus Christ did not ask why they became like sheep without a shepherd, or why they were tormented and tormented, and who was to blame. Whatever the reason, he had pity on those who were abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. The Israelites longed for a true leader who would care for their souls. Think of John the Baptist, who cried in the wilderness with the word of God after a long time. Thousands of people flocked to listen to his honest sermons and get their souls refreshed. They who had been abandoned like sheep without a shepherd heard the voice of the prophet crying in the wilderness and gathered like a cloud.
Here the people were following Jesus. It was for this reason that Jesus had the status of a lowly servant and served while going through the path of suffering in this world. This heart of the Lord is being reproduced in us now. Jesus Christ shares this heart with all who know and love His cross. So, with the love of Christ, the goal of your life is to conform to the Lord's, and to dedicate yourself to the people you would love and serve if you were here and now.
Truly, the greatest blessing of the church is that all the saints have this kind of heart. In the heart of a corrupt believer there is love of the world and self-love, and in the heart of a holy believer who loves God, there is a tearful love for those whom God loves. There is God in the heart of loving these poor souls, and in the longing for a holy God, there is love for the suffering souls.
The words of truth that are constantly poured out on us, the work of the Holy Spirit that inspires our hearts, and the service of our beloved members who serve us in our weakness, all of these are for us to embrace this love and live as light in this dark world. . It is to wash away the tears of many people in this world and to serve those who are suffering. Now, what kind of heart do we have?
B. Like a sheep without a shepherd
What was the reason that Jesus looked at him and his heart was broken as if it were broken? What was the cause of God, who was so bold and courageous, to become the weakest and to weep in his heart and embrace his heart? In Matthew 9:35 and below, it is written as “suffering (evskulme, noi)” and “being free (evrrimme, noi)” about the condition of the soul to be served. It is the perfect passive participle form of the Greek verb "sku,llw", which means to torment, torment, to afflict, to afflict, to annoy. Also, “evrrimme, noi” is a verb “to throw, throw away”.