“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34).
This simple and oft-quoted verse captured my attention because of the connection, easily overlooked, I think, between Jesus’ assessment of the crowds situation as “sheep without a shepherd” and his being moved with compassion for them, on the one hand, and his beginning to “teach them many things,” on the other.
What I take away from this is that when confronted with a frazzled and shepherd-less flock, Jesus doesn’t resort to leadership tactics or visionary dreaming or group analysis. He turns to teaching. And precisely because they were in such a hapless state, he was compelled to teach them, not just some, but many things. Teaching is, then, I conclude, the means by which the shepherd / pastor cares for his flock.The word of God is thus the shepherd’s rod and staff, his tools for correction and protection and guidance.
It is also worth noting that the people of God are left shepherd-less and uncared for when her pastors fail to teach “many things,” as Jesus did, many things, no doubt, about the kingdom of God. Further, it is worth noting that compassion for people ought to overflow in teaching, as it did in the life of Jesus, whose compassion was unsullied by other motives and understanding of the needs of people perfectly accurate.
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Warren Wiersbe wrote that Jesus demonstrated “that compassion does not measure; it ministers. As Bernard of Clairvaux wrote ‘Justice seeks out only the merits of the case, but pity only regards the need’. It was compassion, not justice, that motivated the Great Physician who came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32)”.
So I think you’re right, Pastor Todd. Any preacher of Gospel is missing the motivation and thrust of the Gospel if compassion is lacking. Good reminder for all Christians.
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