"To Know the Love of the Christ"-Continue with "He Was Moved With Pity"

Was Jesus upset that his privacy was disturbed?  Not at all! His heart was touched by the sight of this crowd, numbering in the thousands, who awaited him.  Mark wrote:  "He saw a great crowd, but he was moved with pity for them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd.  And he started to teach them many things."  Jesus saw these people as individuals having spiritual needs.  They were like sheep straying helplessly, having no shepherd to guide or protect them.  Jesus knew that the common people were neglected by the coldhearted religious leaders, who were suppose to be caring shepherds.  (John 7:47-49) His heart went out to the people, so he began teaching them "about the kingdom of God."  (Luke 9:11) Notice that Jesus was moved with pity  for the people even before  seeing their reaction to what he would teach.  In other words, tender compassionate was, not the result of his teaching the crowd, but rather the motive for his doing so.


Moved to relieve suffering. People with various ailments sensed that Jesus had compassion, so they were drawn to him.  This was especially evident when Jesus, with crowds following him, was approached by a man "full of leprosy."  (Luke 5:12) In Bible times, lepers were quarantined so as to protect others from contamination.   (Numbers 5:1-4)  In time, however, rabbinic leaders fostered a heartless view of leprosy and imposed their own oppressive rules.   Notice, though, how Jesus responded  to the leper:  "There also came to him a leper, entreating him even on bended knee, saying to him:  'If you just want to, you can make me clean.' At that he was moved with pity and stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him:  'I want to.  Be made clean." And immediately the leprosy vanished from him."  (Mark 1:40-42)  Jesus knew that it was unlawful for the leper to even be there. Yet, instead of turning him away Jesus was so deeply moved that he did something unthinkable.  Jesus touched him!


Next time: "To Know the Love of the Christ" - Continue with "He Was Moved With Pity"


From the book: Draw Close to Jehovah