Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Henry Drummond
Seeking the Lost
One of the most kind acts Jesus ever did was not to heal the sick, make the blind to see or the lame to walk but to seek those who were lost or separated from God by their sins (Isaiah 59:2). That was once our estate, but Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Will that be one of your kind acts? The same act as Jesus did? Try to enter Jesus’ state of mind, like “when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). Is that you? Do you seek those who are lost? Do you see them as sheep without a shepherd headed for the cliff?
Healing the Sick
The word “compassion” is a compound word meaning “com” (with) “passion” (deep, heartfelt desire). This was a large part of Jesus’ ministry, as “when Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matt. 14:14). Even when He saw the large crowds around Him, He said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way” (Matt. 15:32). Jesus was motivated by His great care and concern for people, and this was one of the primary reasons that He healed the sick.
Forgiving the Sinners
The other end of the spectrum of Jesus coming to seek the lost was that He might save them and have their sins forgiven so that they might receive eternal life in Him. Jesus established the New Covenant in saying on the Lord’s Supper or Passover Meal, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). The very reason that Jesus came into this world was “to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:77), and that’s what He desires for us to tell others so that they, too, can be cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) and have the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).
Conclusion
So my question to you, which Henry Drummond asked, is, have you ever noticed how much of Christ’s life was spent in doing kind things? Have you noticed this in other Christians, and, more importantly, is this noticeable in you?
