Thought for the Week – 1st May 2016 – Dennis Pethers

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.  Mark 6:34

Over the past week I wonder if you have been asking Jesus to help you see people as he sees them.  It is very easy for us to just go through the daily routine, be among a whole variety of people but never really ‘see’ any of them.   They can just be a part of the background or scenery of our lives.

This verse in Mark is a great insight into how Jesus viewed the crowds of people that he was among – with compassion!

I was talking recently with a pastor friend of mine from Tennessee, we were talking about this scripture verse and I asked him what he thought the word compassion means as it is used here.  I found his definition interesting, he said:

‘Compassion means seeing their blindness and getting so close to them that they can see Jesus in us’.

As I thought about how I might say this I came up with: ‘getting alongside people and showing them the love of Jesus, just as they are’.

Among the crowds of people that are part of the scenery of your life through this week, who will you get close to and help to see Jesus?