FaithBite: The 4 C’s of Jesus' Compassion

FaithBite: The 4 C’s of Jesus' Compassion

Compassion without action is pointless. We look at the four C’s—the compassionate heart of Jesus is shown in feeding the 4,000 crowd. 

Chapter Markers
- 0:00 Jesus’ Compassion Introduced
- 1:40 The Four C’s Framework
- 3:25 Consideration For The Multitude
- 5:20 Caring For Real Needs
- 7:10 Concern For Their Journey
- 9:10 Collaboration With Disciples
- 11:20 Feeding The Four Thousand
- 13:20 Testing Faith And Learning

Transcript

Jesus’ Compassion Introduced

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Jesus Christ is real. He's real to me, and I believe he can also be real to you. We see an account of the compassion of Jesus for people. He sympathizes with us. He feels for us. He sees us. He listens to us. He cares about us. That is the Jesus that we are serving, that we are worshiping. That is the Jesus that saved me. And I believe this same Jesus can also save you. One of the attributes of Jesus is compassion. If you read the gospel, we see instances of Jesus Christ being moved with compassion to help people. He was moved with compassion to heal the sick. He was moved with compassion to cast out demons from those who were possessed. He was moved with compassion to forgive sins of people. So compassion is a key attribute of Jesus, and we need it in our lives for him to constantly express compassion towards us. Compassion when we have problems, compassion when we are in need, compassion when we have anxiety, compassion when there's so much cares of this world that we have to carry, compassion when we feel overwhelmed, compassion when we are so burdensome. We need the compassionate spirit of Jesus Christ. Now we're gonna look at the four C's how Jesus expressed compassion for the multitude, and I believe we can relate to this as well in our time. It's relevant. So the first C is consideration. Jesus expressed consideration for the multitude. Look what it says in Mark chapter 8, verse 2 to see the compassion of Jesus expressed in consideration for the multitude. It says because they have now continued with me three days. The multitude of these people left their homes, left their responsibilities, I believe left their children, their spouse, their family members, their friends, just to spend time with Jesus, just to focus on Jesus. Consideration in a sense that Jesus sees their commitment, Jesus sees their devotion, Jesus sees their time being spent with Him. Jesus sees their sacrifice, Jesus sees their investment, Jesus sees their intention, that is being considerate of other people. You're not only thinking about yourself, you are thinking about others, and Jesus is not a selfish God, is not a selfish man. So that's how Jesus was compassionate. He expressed that being considerate of the multitude because they have spent three days with him. Let's look at the second C of the compassion of Jesus being expressed in caring for the multitude. Look what it says in that same Mark chapter 8, verse 2. Not only the people have been with Jesus for three days, it says they have nothing to eat. It shows the compassion of Jesus being expressed in caring for the needs of the people, and the people were hungry. How can we relate this in our day-to-day? Jesus cares about your needs. The Bible states, cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you. And we see an instance of Jesus expressing care for the multitude, and that is as a result of his compassionate heart. Third C of the compassion of Jesus, and that is, he expressed concern about the multitude. Let's see how Jesus expressed concern about the multitude. You can find that in Mark chapter 8, verse 3. Look what it says. And if I send them away to their own houses, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come from afar. This is an expression of concern for the multitude. Wow, what a compassionate man it is. He was concerned about the distance in which the multitude have traveled to be with Jesus for three days without food. And he was saying that I cannot just let him go empty-handed. I cannot just let him go with empty stomach. I have to do something, or else these people they're gonna go back hungry and they're gonna faint on their way. And some of them have come from a long distance. This is a compassionate heart speaking. He's expressing his concern for the multitude so that they will not faint because they are tired, they are physically exhausted, fatigue is taking a toll on the multitude, and Jesus being so sensitive, being so caring, being so considerate, now is expressing concern for the well-being of the people. You see, when you are a compassionate man or woman, you seek the well-being and the welfare of people. When you see a need, you want to meet that need. When you see a problem, you want to solve that problem. And that is exactly what we see here the compassion of Jesus expressed in being considerate for the multitude, expressed in caring for the multitude, and now expressed in being concerned about the multitude on their way back. This is an example of compassion of someone who is full of compassion. Not only that, you can have compassion with no action. We don't want compassion with no action because most of us we can express compassion with no action, but that is not the case of Jesus. We see compassion with action, and we see that in Jesus, including his disciples, to find a solution for the multitude. That concludes our last C of the compassion of Jesus. And the last C is Jesus expressed collaboration from his disciple to find solution for the multitude. Now, let's examine this account. How Jesus expressed collaboration from his disciples to find solution for the multitude. Because you can have compassion, which is good, but you also need to act on your compassion. Compassion without action is in action. Compassion without action is useless. Compassion without action is vain. Jesus is a man of action. Okay, is a man of action. Now let's see how Jesus is trying to take action after he has expressed his compassion through consideration, care, and concern. And now we see it illustrated in collaboration with his disciples to find solution for the multitude. I'm gonna read from Mark chapter 8, from verse 6 to 10. Now let's see how compassion is being demonstrated in action. I read, so he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples, to set before them, and they set before the multitude. So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. Now those who had eaten were about four thousand, and he sent them away, immediately got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanuha. I don't know how to pronounce that word, excuse my mispronunciation. From this few passages that we have read. We see Jesus as a leader being a team player. We see Jesus as a leader teaching his disciples how to find a solution of a problem. We see also Jesus testing his disciples to see if they can believe that he has what it takes to do the impossibilities. When he addressed his compassion to his disciples in verse 4, the disciples answered him, saying, How can one satisfy this people with bread here in that wilderness? How can one? But there's that one in their midst, and that one is who? Jesus, who is the omnipotent God, all powerful, who is gracious, good, and kind, our divine providence. Okay, so he is that one. So he was trying to test their faith to see if they can identify or answer their own question. How can one satisfy these people with seven loaves and few small fish? How is that possible to satisfy the multitude? Who can do that? Who is that one man? And that one man is in their midst, and that one man is trying to see if they know who it is. Okay, so he's trying to teach his disciples to make them possible, possible. He's trying to teach his disciples to know that they can also do greater works, they can also perform miracles, and he was also trying to test their faith to see if they believe that he has what it takes to provide solution, to feed the 4,000, because he had already fed the 5,000, and he can also do likewise. Hopefully, the disciples can learn from Jesus feeding the 5,000, and now he can also feed 4,000. He was trying to test their faith in him, and it was also trying to test their own faith if they have what it takes to find solution of feeding the multitude in the wilderness three days without food. And this is also a testimony for his disciples moving forward. When Jesus is no longer going to be present with them, they can have this as a testimony that they themselves have what it takes that they can also do greater works, because greater is he that is in them, who is capable to satisfy the multitude. In whatever wilderness experience that you are in, I am here to tell you that Jesus is capable to satisfy, he is the all-sufficient God, he is more than enough. Not only Jesus was able to feed 4,000 people with seven bread and few fish. The Bible states there were leftovers, seven large baskets of leftover fragments. So Jesus can bless you to the point where that blessing can overflow, and you can use that blessing to be a blessing. That's what I've learned. When God blesses you, you are also meant to be a blessing. So you are blessed to be a blessing, you're not just blessed just for your own sake. Three things happen at the end. We see Jesus' compassion in action. The multitude were fed and they were satisfied. And guess what happened? They were left over. And now Jesus sent them away. What can we learn as ministers? Don't forget that we as human beings, our composition is three parts. We are spirit, soul, and body. Jesus is capable to take care of your physical need and your spiritual need. I believe the people, the multitude, follow Jesus to hear Jesus' teaching and preaching and to be healed and to be delivered and to be forgiven. That is Jesus taking care of their spiritual life. And Jesus, being God, being human being, realized that these people are also physical and they are physically hungry, and that calls for him to take care of their physical needs. We see he took care of their spiritual needs. And now Jesus took care of their physical needs by feeding the multitude when they were hungry. The compassion of Jesus calls for his goodness and greatness to intervene on your behalf. God bless you.