“When [Jesus] saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36
Do these adjectives, “troubled” and “downcast”, describe you? Lately, I think, in one way or another, we have all felt at least a little troubled and downcast. Here in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus shows us one of His strongest traits: His compassion., especially for the troubled and downcast.
The compassion of Jesus here in this account moved Him to do something about the hurt that was so prevalent: He sent His 12 disciples with power and authority. He sent them carrying His Word, His life-changing message of salvation through faith, faith in Him as the Son of God and Savior of the world. This message is unlike anything the world can provide and, in a way, we can say that it is exclusively inclusive.
We’re told that, in one sense, Christianity is the most exclusive religion in the world in that there is only one single way to be saved. Jesus Himself says in John chapter 14, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Salvation is found in no one else, only in Jesus! It isn’t found in giving enough money, doing enough good, trying hard enough; it’s found only in Jesus. It’s only through God-given faith that knows He is the Son of God, that knows through His perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross our sins have been forgiven, that we get to enter through that narrow gate that leads to eternal life in Heaven.
But, in another sense, we can also say that Christianity is the most inclusive religion in the world, because, while there is only one way to Heaven, that way is open for all. It’s not dependent on anything we are or anything we do; it only depends on Jesus. God’s Word, the Bible, clearly teaches that all are perfectly equal; we each deserve exactly the same treatment. Because of sin, we are all equally deserving of damnation in Hell, and that hard-to-stomach truth is not dependent on the color of your skin or in what country your ancestors were born. But, just as we are all equal in deserving damnation, we are also all equal in how valuable we are in the eyes of our God. When you look at someone who is different from you, remember that God loves them in exactly the same way He loves you, a love so deep that it moved Him to send His one and only Son to suffer in Hell in their place so that narrow path to eternal life could be open to them as well, just as it has been opened to you.
This is the powerful message that changes hearts, and we are blessed to be able to share it! Pray that the Lord would send out workers into His harvest field, pray for the workers already there, and continue to look for opportunities to talk about your compassionate, loving Savior with your friends and neighbors. During difficult times that cause us to be troubled and downcast, our Savior brings us the joy of our salvation and reminds us that while we are in this world we will have trouble, but we can take heart because He has overcome the world and, through our God-given faith, has made His victory ours!