The Compassionate Life - Part 3

Hey all, deep apologies for the tardiness of this post.  I meant to get this out last week and to be honest, I thought I had...just realized when I was going to post the new one that I never finished this one.

SO...please note this is the last part of that teaching on The Compassionate Life.

BECOMING LIKE JESUS IN COMPASSIONATE RELATIONSHIPS:

IN THE PARABLE WE BEGAN WITH, THE POINT JESUS MAKES IS PRETTY SIMPLE: 

Luke 10:

36  Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
37  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

THE TREND IN A LOT OF OUR SOCIETY TODAY IS FOR PEOPLE TO SAY, “I BELIEVE IN GOD, BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE A PART OF THE CHURCH…”

WHY?

I THINK A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE INSTITUTIONAL NATURE… THAT IS ABOUT MONEY, MATERIAL POSSESSIONS (LIKE THE BUILDING) AND PROGRAMS TO KEEP PEOPLE BUSY.

FRANKLY, IF THAT IS WHAT CHURCH IS, I CAN  UNDERSTAND STAYING AWAY ALSO.  I DON’T WANT THAT EITHER.  I WANT TO INTRODUCE A NEW PHRASE THAT EMBRACES THE IDEA OF COMPASSION IN THE CONTEXT OF CHURCH – 

COMPASSIONATE FELLOWSHIP.

COMPASSIONATE FELLOWSHIP IS RECOGNIZING THAT THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE I CAN HAVE IN SHARING THE GOSPEL IS BY REACHING OUT WITH PEOPLE TO PEOPLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE “WITH THEM” IN THEIR LIFE SITUATIONS.

THINK ABOUT HOW THE CHURCH HAS DONE THIS IN THE PAST:

·        

      IN THE MIDDLE AGES, SICK PEOPLE WERE OFTEN PUT OUTSIDE SO THAT THEY MIGHT DIE.  PEOPLE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF DISEASE, CLEANLINESS, GERMS…   CHRISTIANS, PRIMARILY MONASTICS, BROUGHT SICK PEOPLE INTO PLACES WHERE THEY COULD BE CARED FOR – HOSPITALS.  THE WORD HOSPITAL CAME FROM THE LATIN WORD, “HOSPES”, - WE GET WORDS LIKE “HOSPICE”, “HOSTEL”, “HOSPITABLE”… IT ALWAYS MEANS TO WELCOME A GUEST, TO CARE FOR THE STRANGER.

·        IN THE 19TH CENTURY, WILLIAM WILBERFORCE WAS A CHRISTIAN AND A MEMBER OF ENGLAND’S PARLIAMENT.  HE WAS ANGERED AND CONCERNED AT THE VARIOUS FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIES WHO USED CHILDREN AS LABORERS AND FOUGHT FOR REFORM THAT LED TO UNIVERSAL CHILD LABOR LAWS.

·        WILBERFORCE, AND VARIOUS AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, LOOKED AT THE SLAVE TRADE AND SAW SOMETHING THAT DENIGRATED THE IDEA OF ALL HUMANS BEING EQUAL AND THEY WORKED TO BRING ABOUT THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.

·        

      WILLIAM AND CATHERINE BOOTH SAW THE IMPOVERISHED POOR IN THE SLUMS OF THE CITY AND CREATED THE SALVATION ARMY.

·        

      LESSER KNOWN WAS A GROUP OF CHRISTIANS THAT BECAME KNOWN AS THE “OXFORD GROUP”.  THEY FORMED TOGETHER TO ADDRESS WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING IN A WORLD FILLED WITH MATERIALISM, SELFISHNESS AND WAR AND THEY SOUGHT TO BRING CHRIST AS THE ANSWER TO THOSE THINGS…FROM THE OXFORD GROUP CAME ALCHOHOLIC ANONYMOUS.

WHEN I WAS PASTORING IN MADISON I WORKED AT TIMES WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED “THE RIVER FOOD PANTRY” WHICH PROVIDED A HOT MEAL TWICE A WEEK, ALONG WITH CLOTHING AND GROCERIES TO PEOPLE WHO WERE POOR.

IN THE SMALL TOWN WE SERVE IN NOW I'VE SEEN PEOPLE REACH OUT TO PEOPLE IN NEED TO PROVIDE HELP IN ALL SORTS OF WAYS. HISTORY IS FULL OF TIMES THAT CHRISTIANS REACHED OUT IN THE NAME OF CHRIST TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE.

COMPASSIONATE FELLOWSHIP IS A GOOD WAY TO DESCRIBE A LIFE THAT KEEPS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SERVE CHRIST BY HELPING OTHERS.

NOW,

WHAT’S THE KEY THING TO REALIZE ABOUT DEVELOPING A COMPASSIONATE FELLOWSHIP?

IN LUKE 7, THERE’S A FASCINATING STORY ABOUT AN INTERRUPTION AT A DINNER PARTY.

Luke 7:36-47 (ESV)
36  One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
37  And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,

PRESUMABLY THIS PHARISEE WANTED TO BRING JESUS IN, PERHAPS SHOW HIM HOW GENEROUS HE WAS, AND INTRODUCE JESUS TO HIS FRIENDS?

BUT THE PARTY IS CRASHED BY THIS WOMAN…SHE IS DESCRIBED AS A SINNER… WHICH MEANS IN THAT SMALL TOWN SHE HAD A REPUTATION FOR SOMETHING SHE WAS, OR DID.

THIS WOMAN THEN BEGINS TO DO SOMETHING…

38  and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

LUKE’S STORY IS FULL OF IMAGERY…CAN YOU PICTURE HER?  WEEPING?

KNEELING DOWN AND CRYING TO THE POINT THAT SHE CAN PUT HER TEARS ON JESUS’ FEET AND WIPE THEM, AND THEN ANOINT HIS FEET WITH OINTMENT….

THE THING IS, IT WAS DISGRACEFUL FOR A WOMAN TO LET HER HAIR DOWN IN PUBLIC LIKE THAT.  AND SO THE PHARISEE IS OUTRAGED AT THE SIGHT OF IT ALL.

39  Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
40  And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

THE PHARISEE IS NAMED – SIMON.  I WANT YOU TO NOTE THAT…

UP UNTIL NOW IN THE STORY IT WAS JUST “A PHARISEE”…BUT NOW HE HAS A NAME.

HIS RESPONSE TO JESUS IS INDIGNATION…A SORT OF JUDGMENTAL, “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” RESPONSE TO JESUS.

TO THIS JESUS TELLS A STORY OF SOME MONEY THAT WAS OWED BY TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE:

41  “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42  When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43  Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

IT IS RHETORICAL AND THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUS…BUT THE POINT JESUS MAKES IS SO IMPORTANT TO SEE:

44  Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?

I THINK THE WORDS ARE SO IMPORTANT.  JESUS TURNS TO FACE THE WOMAN, AND HE ASKS, “DO YOU SEE THIS WOMAN…”

THE PROBLEM WITH MOST COMPASSIONATE PLEAS THAT WANT US TO SEND MONEY  IS THAT WE DON’T KNOW THE PEOPLE…IT IS ALL IMPERSONAL, AND WE CAN’T SEE PEOPLE…ONLY NEEDS.

YOU’LL NEVER DEVELOP A CHRIST-LIKE LOVE AND COMPASSION FROM STATISTICS! IT’LL ONLY HAPPEN BECAUSE WE SEE PEOPLE.

SIMON SAW AN OBJECT…SOMEONE WHO WAS AN INTRUDER,

·        SOMEONE WHO CAME  INTO HIS PERFECTLY PLANNED SETTING AND DISRUPTED IT…

·        SOMEONE WHOSE REPUTATION MEANT HE DIDN’T WANT TO ASSOCIATE WITH HER.

·        SOMEONE WHO WAS DISGRACEFUL AND DESERVED TO BE JUDGED AND THROWN OUT…

BUT, WHAT HE DIDN’T DO, WAS “SEE HER”

JESUS SAW HER…AND HE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS, WHAT SHE HAD DONE, AND WHAT HER LIFE WAS LIKE.

·        HE HAD SEEN HER WALK IN…

·        HE SAW HER BEGIN TO CRY, AND THEN WEEP, AND THEN FALL DOWN, AND THEN UNTIE HER HAIR AND BEGIN TO WIPE HIS FEET.

·        HE KNEW THEY WERE THE ACTIONS OF A WOMAN IN SORROW… REPENTANT.

I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.   46  You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
47  Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

COMPASSION IS SO ESSENTIAL BECAUSE IT CAUSES US TO “SEE”… TO “SEE WHAT GOD SEES”.  OTHERWISE, WE LIVE WITHOUT A VISION FOR PEOPLE AROUND US…AND FAIL TO UNDERSTAND HOW GOD WANTS TO INVOLVE US AND USE US IN HIS KINGDOM.

THE COMPASSIONATE LIFE HELPS US SEE GOD'S PURPOSES IN HIS KINGDOM AND ALLOWS US TO STEP OUT OF A SELF-ORIENTING LIFESTYLE AND KEEP US FOCUSED ON GROWTH IN SERVING.

COMPASSION IS ONLY ONE PART OF THESE 6 DISCIPLINES OF THE SPIRIT.

OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS I TOOK ONE PER COMMUNION SUNDAY.   IF YOU WOULD LIKE NOTES ON ANY OF THE PREVIOUS FIVE LET ME KNOW.

HERE'S THE LIST AGAIN:

EMBRACING NEW LIFE IN RENEWING OUR FAITH:

• PRAYER FILLED LIFE
• WORSHIP FOCUSED LIFE
• THE WORD CENTERED LIFE
• THE SPIRIT EMPOWERED LIFE
• THE VIRTUOUS LIFE OF CHARACTER
• THE COMPASSIONATE LIFE

THE FIRST THREE ARE MORE INWARD… PRAYER, WORD, WORSHIP,

AND I THINK THE LAST THREE ARE MORE OUTWARD… SPIRIT-EMPOWERED, CHARACTER, COMPASSION.  WE NEED TO DO THEM TOGETHER TO KEEP GROWTH, RENEWAL OF OUR FAITH ALIVE.