Sand Mountain Sermonette 19
Matthew 9:36
A View of the World from a Corn Crib
“And seeing the multitudes, He (Jesus) felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36
When my mother was a little girl, her paternal grandfather, “Papa Floyd” had a house on the main road into to town that was frequented by an old hobo at the time known as Hoarse Slayton. Mom and her older sister, my Aunt Sue, would often go into Papa Floyd’s barn and climb into the corn crib to peek and see if Hoarse was in there because that is where he would stay when passing through town.
In our passage of Scripture, the word translated distressed is an original word that means, to skin or to trouble, and the word translated downcast means, to throw off or toss. My mom and aunt may not have fully realized it then, but they were witness to the ravages of the world as their little eyes peered through the slats of the corn crib. A world in which an old hobo who, whether by choice, accident, or by some other design was skinned down to his last penny and often thrown and tossed away by a society which often trades compassion for a critical eye and critical spirit.
Jesus is our example. He felt compassion on the Hoarse Slayton’s of the world because He knew they were ultimately lost spiritually and in need of His forgiveness and love as the Great Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. He cared and still cares about every soul. He did not worry if they were trying to beat the system or not. He just loved them. Should we not do the same? Who is God calling you to care for with the unconditional love of Christ, today?
Thankful for Our Compassionate Savior and Friend,
Pastor Louie