A Wonderful Gift - Matthew 20:34

Matthew 20:34           Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed Him. (NIV)

            I love reading about the healing miracles of Jesus. What usually affects me is not what He does, but why He does it. In this passage, (Matthew 20:29-34) two blind men cry out to Jesus for mercy and healing. He hears their request and He restores their sight. Why? Because He had compassion on them.

            Compassion is a wonderful gift that Jesus has given to His followers and church. Compassion means that we align ourselves with those who are suffering and seek ways to relieve their pain, illness, or circumstances. The major role of the Church is to be a compassionate reconciler and healer to the world. Compassion is a major hallmark of our Christian faith – if we ever lose that, we will no longer be the Church in God’s world.

            Jesus could have walked by the two blind men and carried on with His mission. Instead, He listened to their plea for help and as He did, His heart melted with compassion. At that moment in time, He had the power to remedy their blindness, so He stopped what He was doing and healed them of all that was harming and debilitating them. They were powerless to do anything but cry out; He was powerful enough to help and cure them.  As Christians, we are called to do the same – to be heart-led followers of Christ and not heartless folks in our community.

Point to ponder

What is compassion and how do I show it to others?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we call You ‘Lord,’ because we seek to serve You. We are meant to emulate Your ways and share Your compassion to the world. Help us to empower the powerless and to support the weak. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest church bulletin drawings for Epiphany 6A. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Ep6A.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org.