Mark 6:34

and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

It is here we see the shepherd's compassionate heart. Point number two, the shepherd's compassionate heart. Now compassion is when you identify with human suffering and you are motivated to alleviate that suffering. And the word used in the Greek here means to feel it in your gut. And to illustrate that, let's look at verse 34 together where the illustration is built into the text for us. God's word says, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And what a sad description this is. that they were like sheep without a shepherd because without a shepherd, the sheep would die. They totally depend on a shepherd for food, water, safe travel, protection from predators, danger and death. And like sheep, the people of Israel were very vulnerable. Many were lame or physically debilitated in some way. Others were widowed. But they were all victimized and left spiritually destitute by their religious system. The teachers in Israel were supposed to provide for their people, but instead they took from them. Instead of feeding their flock, they starved them with religious legalism. Instead of leading with compassion, they led with pride. And instead of pointing to their Messiah, they rejected him. They rejected him. The people in Mark 6 were, in every sense, sheep without a shepherd. But does our Lord treat them as the religious leaders do? Does he look at them as if they were an inconvenience or an interruption? No, of course he doesn't. His attentive gaze is on them. He knows that they suffer physically and he knows that they suffer spiritually. He knows that they truly do not know God and thus they do not know their own Savior and Messiah. And yet his heart is full of compassion for them. And why is that? Well, first of all, Jesus is human. He is fully man. In his incarnation, Jesus identifies with human suffering as he himself is human. And the major theme of Mark's gospel is to present Jesus as the suffering servant. But Jesus is also God. In the Old Testament, Ezekiel 34 verses 11 and 12 say,

for thus says the Lord God, behold I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep.

And this speaks prophetically of God's promise to personally shepherd his people. And this is a beautiful parallel to what Christ is fulfilling here in Mark chapter six. And what a contrast this is to the leaders in Israel. What a contrast. Jesus has compassion because he is human, but he is also God, and so he is compassionate by virtue of his divine nature as Yahweh in the flesh. He is Yahweh in the flesh, the source and origin of compassion. B.B. Warfield in The Emotional Life of Christ affirms that Jesus' compassion is not mere human empathy, but rather it is the divine mercy of God in human form. He says

it reveals the character of God, a God who is not aloof, but who was moved by the misery of his people.

And so our second application point then is this. Consider the needs of the sheep. Consider the needs of the sheep. The shepherd knows his flock. He knows when one is limping. He knows when one is falling behind. He knows when one is wounded. Because his attentive gaze is on them, and he has compassion for them. So for all of us as believers, especially those of us in leadership and ministry, teaching, preaching, shepherding, let us have genuine compassion and concern for what burdens the flock, not what feels like an inconvenience to us. So with a watchful eye and a compassionate heart, consider the needs of the flock. And now we move on to our third and final point for tonight, the shepherd's compassionate care. If you look at verse 34 with me, verse 34 closes saying, and he began to teach them many things. Now Mark doesn't give us the exact words that Jesus spoke. However, what we do know is that throughout the gospels, Jesus taught on the kingdom of God, the doctrine of repentance. He taught about faith and how to live in right relationship with God. So what we know for certain is that Jesus was feeding their souls with truth that leads to eternal life. He was feeding their souls with truth that leads to eternal life. But not only that, in Luke 9, verse 11, Luke tells us that Jesus healed many of them who were sick that day. And then later that evening, he would physically feed them with fish and bread from heaven. And a stunning display of miraculous power. Jesus is a compassionate shepherd who tends to the needs of his flock. He is, in every sense, the good shepherd. Our Lord's compassion was stirred by the spiritual blindness of desperate people. And unlike mere pity, it moved him to teach them, showing that divine compassion seeks true restoration. And so our final application point for tonight is care for the sheep with truth and compassion. Care for the sheep with truth and compassion. Now regarding unbelievers who are lost and bound for judgment, they are sheep without a shepherd. They don't know him, They desperately need him. And thus, there is nothing more loving and compassionate than the truth of God's word, the gospel. That is the life, death, and resurrection of Christ for the salvation of hopeless sinners. Because spiritual, eternal life is what our Lord offers. And for the believers, point them likewise to Christ. Point them to Christ and the word of God. As Hebrews chapter four, verses 15 and 16 remind us,

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The compassion of Christ truly meets our deepest needs with truth and grace. When the wounded or weary sheep cries out, the shepherd is watching, he hears the sheep, and he responds with compassionate care. The compassion of Christ is not soft sentimentality. It is not superficial, nor is it reluctant. The compassion of Christ is the holy mercy of God that reaches down to lift up broken centers, to comfort them, and to reconcile them to himself. Please pray with me. Heavenly Father, you have spoken to us tonight through your word, and you have made clear to us who you are and through your son, Jesus Christ. And what a blessing it is to know you and your compassion. And we thank you that you have shown mercy to us, and that you have redeemed us in and through your son. Because we too were sheep without a shepherd, weary and wandering, lost in our sin. but you laid down your life as a sacrifice for our sin in Christ. You called us to yourself and you saved us. You truly are our shepherd. You are the good shepherd. We thank you that your attentive gaze is upon us and that you know each of us by name and that you know our sufferings, physical and spiritual. We thank you that you have compassion for your flock here at Jefferson Park. And Father, we ask that you would help us to see others as you see them, as your flock. That we would see people with real needs. And so we pray that you would help us to love them, to love them sacrificially, and to show compassion for them. We ask that you would strengthen us to lift one another up with encouragement when needed, to bear burdens, to share in suffering, and to mourn together. Help us to speak heavenly truth with grace and tenderness. And Father, as we close our service here tonight, we pray that anyone who is here who does not yet know you as their shepherd, that you would draw them to yourself, that they would come to you, that they would receive compassion, they would receive mercy, grace, and truth. We pray that they would believe and be saved and worship you. We lift our prayers, our service, and our worship to you in the name of your precious son. Amen.