Compassion
Mary Anoints Jesus’ Feet
Six days before the Passover, Jesus returned to Bethany, the city of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, where he had raised Lazarus from the dead (v. 1). He attended a dinner in the home of Simon the Leper (Mark 14:1_11) (v. 2). Martha, Lazarus, and Mary were there. Martha served, Lazarus sat …
A Right Attitude in Service
Jesus told a parable in which a landowner, during the period of grape harvest, had need of extra laborers, so he kept going out and hiring additional workers throughout the day (vv. 1-7). Early in the morning he hired workers who insisted on a contract and agreed to work for a penny a day …
The Rich Man and Lazarus
This is a parable of a rich man who feasted in luxury and a poor man (Lazarus) who was a beggar that was covered with ulcerated sores; and so helpless that he could not even ward off the street dogs which pestered him (vv. 19-22). (This Lazarus should not be confused with t …
Jesus Feeds 4000 With 7 Baskets Leftover
Jesus and His disciples again move back to the east side of the Sea of Galilee and are surrounded by a large crowd with nothing to eat (vv. 1-5). As usual the Lord saw a need and He wanted to supply the need. From the wording here it would seem that the disciples had soon forgotten …
Jesus Ministers to Gentiles
Jesus went into Tyre and Sidon (present day Lebanon), Gentile country (v. 21). Jesus wanted His disciples to have a compassion for Gentiles as well as Jews. The gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). A …
The secret of heart to heart ministry
There are three prevailing myths concerning the ministry:
A Compassion For Those Who Are Lost
Jeremiah responded to the news of the Babylonian invasion by crying out in anguish. His heart pounded and he could not keep silent as he thought of the approaching battle and the disaster it would bring Judah (vv. 19-21). He concluded that the people of Judah were fools and had n …
Consideration of the Past
The prophet asked two questions which were answered (vv. 1-3). (1) Who is this (v. 1)? He will come from Edom, the wicked nation southeast of Israel. Edom was a constant enemy of Israel despite its common ancestry in Isaac (Gen. 25:23). (2) Why are your garments red (v. 2)? They …
IllustrationFranz’s Results of Compassion Tests
Harvard University’s Carol Franz used personality tests to determine compassion and sympathy. The subjects: 75 of an original 379 children who were 5 when the study began. Findings:Dads who spent time alone with his kids reared the most compassionate adults.Moms who were most acc …
IllustrationWilliam Booth asked the secret of his success
The story is told of General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, and the day Queen Victoria of England asked to meet with him. Because she had heard so many favorable things …