Eternity Daily Bible Study No. 155 - Miracles of Compassion Received this from a friend? Why not join Eternity Daily Bible Study by sending a blank email to: eternitydbs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com The thirty-one studies on the Kingdom of Heaven have just been compiled into an ebook that can be downloaded (for free) from: http://www.aibi.ph/kingdom/ Compassion is one of the main stated reasons why Jesus performed miracles as the following (by no means complete) selection of verses show: (Matthew 14:14 NKJV) And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. (Matthew 15:32-38 NKJV) Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." {33} Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?" {34} Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish." {35} So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. {36} And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. {37} So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. {38} Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 20:34 NKJV) So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. (Mark 1:41-42 NKJV) Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." {42} As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. (Mark 5:18-19 NKJV) And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. {19} However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." Why did Jesus heal, cleanse, deliver and provide for these people? Was it because they were better than others, had more faith than others or knew more bible verses than others? Or simply because He saw their need and heard their appeal to Him for help and acted out of compassion? The latter! There were many blind, many lepers, many hungry, many demon-possessed in Israel but those that were healed, and those that saw miracles, were those that presented their needs to Jesus Christ. Do we see ourselves as people needing the compassion of God to act in mercy on our behalf? Or are we proud, independent and self-sufficient like the "miracle-free" Pharisees and Sadducees ? Do we let God's power invade us and transform us - or do we want to own it and control and use it on others - but not on ourselves? The main reason for Jesus doing miracles is when human need that was persistently and powerfully presented to Him with a cry for mercy. Sometimes (often?) Jesus seems almost harsh and tests the reality of their request with abrupt answers and small obstacles such as His rebuke of the Syrophoenican woman or His testing of the faith of the father of the epileptic boy. Or he would simply ask "What do you want?' when it was perfectly obvious what the need was. He wanted people to present their needs to Him, clearly, unequivocally. It is the clear need that receives the definite response. The poor saw miracles, the Gentiles saw miracles, the lame beggars had miracles happen to them, and the insane and demon-possessed and disabled received help from God while the rich and privileged were sent away empty-handed. The power of God was exercised on the behalf of humble, needy supplicants. Miracles go to the un-deserving, because we are all un-deserving! We are all sinners in need of grace. And miracles are acts of grace - not of works. Miracles are acts of salvation in the sense of salvation from leprosy or salvation from insanity or salvation from blindness, and like all acts of salvation they are by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8,9) The church that knows it needs revival and cries out to God for more of Him is far more likely to see revival. It is the leper who takes his need for cleansing to Jesus as a need, as requiring compassion, that is healed. And on another note, my wife and I married later in life and Minda says that it was when she knew she really NEEDED a husband and prayed for one that I came along. Do you NEED a miracle or do you just want one or even worse do you think you deserve one for being a good boy or girl? Miracles happen because Jesus has compassion on those who humbly present their needs to Him, persistently, clearly, definitely and in faith. Your miracle-filled life will flow from your humble supplication before the throne of God. Take time in fervent prayer bringing your felt, real needs before Jesus. The needs of your own life, your ministry, your family, your nation. Then ask for God to have compassion on you according to His Word. Blessings in Him, John Edmiston Asian Internet Bible Institute http://www.aibi.ph/ Free Online Bible And Ministry Training Try our free ebooks on prayer: http://www.aibi.ph/ebooks/ Visit the Eternity home page at: http://www.aibi.ph/eternity/ This devotional may be freely forwarded to others and used for non-profit ministry purposes as long as the following copyright notice is included. © Copyright John Edmiston 2003