“My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.” (Psalm 38:10)
We find in the reading of this Psalm David lamenting the harshness of life … whether it be in the recognition of his sins and sorrow over them … or the opposition of those who wanted him dead … that produced a weakness of strength and could include both the physical as well as spiritual. In either case, he had lost sight of what was important and found his spiritual awareness waning.
There are those moments in our lives, regardless of their length and duration that can weigh us down, wear us to the point of no rest or peace … and no apparent way of escape from their darkening clouds. Maybe you’ve been there once or twice … and if so, you know exactly what David, Job, and other biblical characters experienced. The light of hope and peace was fading in their hearts and lives.
But the Lord is aware of our plight, and He has provided measures to enable us to step from the darkness into the light!
With these thoughts in mind, we turn to the New Testament where we find numerous instances where Jesus Christ demonstrated the true meaning of having compassion for others … whether it was from personal sin or physical disability that some had even experienced the entirety of their lives. He encountered so many during His short ministry on earth … sick, diseased, persecuted, poor, lonely, shamed and truly disheartened and in despair.
Matthew 9:36 exemplifies the truest meaning of compassion … compassion for those in whom “the light was fading in their eyes.”
“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
From Matthew’s account we find a visual of Jesus standing on some elevated site looking down, over and through the crowds of people making their way to hear Him speak, and perhaps find healing. Keep in mind that Jesus, “Immanuel” in the flesh, could see as no other could see … looking into the depths of their hearts and seeing what was troubling and afflicting them.
As He looked closely at their pain, suffering, hurt, and sorrow Matthew says, “… He was moved with compassion …” And as He looked into their hearts, He described their condition as that of being “sheep with no shepherd.” What He saw was not just weariness of the flesh, but of the soul … hunger but for more than physical food, victims of their own bad choices or because of others mistreatment.
These people were genuinely in need … of attention, love, encouragement, hope, forgiveness … and the acquisition of a more meaningful purpose to life and living. All of us need to feel that someone cares, notices, and is mindful of us.
- How many spouses and children are there in this world who would be thrilled to hear their loved ones just say, “I love you?”
- How many are there within our own congregations that just need to receive a note, even an email, a card, or a phone call that expresses love and concern for them?
- And how many are there in nursing facilities, the hospitals … and yes even in our own homes … who would just like to receive a smile … a simple expression of acknowledgement and recognition?
Just how am I affected by Christ’s constant life of goodness, infinite mercy to others and a genuine concern for their souls? How do I go about becoming more like Him every day? Am I dispelling the fading of life, hope and peace in the eyes of mankind.
Let us all strive to be “imitators of Christ.”
Do Your Part! Help Those You See! Brighten Up Their Day!
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
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