Throughout our Bible study together this week, we have been reminded of Scripture's call to have deep compassion for those who are lost and hurting today. After all, this world is filled with those who are hurting and lost in sin. So many today are hopeless, facing an eternity apart from God, and we have the message of hope that the lost world so desperately needs. Compassion is more than just feelings of care and concern for others. Compassion requires putting our feelings of care and concern for others into action by taking steps to help. When it comes to care and concern for the lost around us, compassion requires us to take steps and reach out to the lost and hurting world.
Jesus' life on earth is evidence of His compassion that led to action. You see, because of His love, He came to earth in order to rescue the world from sin. During His ministry on earth, He told a story that illustrates His great care and compassion for every single lost person in Luke 15. This story included a shepherd and one hundred of his sheep. Jesus said to a listening crowd as He taught in this passage of Scripture, "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?" (verse 4). The care and concern for that one lost sheep in this story is proven by the way that he searched for that sheep until he found it, never giving up on his search. Jesus continued His story, saying, "And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep" (verses 5-6). Not only did the shepherd search fervently until he found his sheep, but he also celebrated when that sheep returned home. The shepherd in this story represents Jesus, who left heaven and came to earth in order to rescue the world that was lost in sin. He stopped at nothing when it came to finding and saving the lost and takes great delight when the lost are found. Indeed, His compassion can be clearly seen through His rescuing and saving actions.
Jesus' story in Luke 15 is not only a reminder to us of Jesus' care for us; it is also a call to each one of us to follow Jesus' example. Like Jesus, we are called to put our compassion for the lost into action by searching out those who are lost and in need of His hope. That is why, in His last moments before He returned to Heaven, Jesus said to His disciples, "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Will you put your compassion into action and follow Jesus' example of searching out the lost, leaving no one behind?
How can you put your compassion for the lost into action today? Maybe you can bring coffee to a friend who is far from Christ and having a difficult time. Is there a need that you can help meet in the name of Jesus for someone who is far from Christ? Who can you encourage today who needs to hear that they are loved by God? Whatever it looks like for you, take steps today to begin putting your compassion into action.
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!
3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’
20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ ”
