Week 4: February 28-March 5
Walk Slowly through the Crowd
Matthew 9:36 When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
I once heard a friend, Matt Williams, teach the concept of “walking slowly through the crowd.” He quoted Matthew 9, and he challenged us to think as Jesus did about people – not only in special situations, but when around crowds of peoples in daily life. Here is an excerpt from Matt’s book:
As we go about our daily responsibilities, be conscious of the needs of those around us. See the needs, sense the needs, survey the needs by asking questions. “When Jesus saw the multitudes He was moved with compassion.”
[1]
Matt calls this “walking slowly through the crowd.” Do we go through our day lost in our endless list of things to do? Are the people around us essentially invisible – or worse, obstacles? Do we say to ourselves, “I couldn’t possibly make eye contact with someone, what if they want to talk? What if I will be late for my very important _________________?” What is our thought process when we are running errands or just living daily life? If we are earnestly praying that God will make an opportunity for the gospel, we need to “walk slowly through the crowd.” We need to sense needs and be ready to stop and talk to others at the grocery store or in line at a fast food restaurant.
The first step is slowing down to interact with people, but the next step is being a “needs sensor”! Can you tell when someone else is in need? Or are you so focused on your own needs that you can’t sense needs in others? We need to look at people like Jesus looked at people. He had compassion. The Greek term is literally “moved in his BOWELS!” Yep, that’s right, back then they thought the feelings of love and pity were located in the lower intestines! You and I can relate! They mean that feeling in the “pit of your stomach” when you are intensely and emotionally moved.
Christ is not only emotionally touched by physical needs. Scripture tells us the root of His deep compassion: these people are lost, like sheep with no shepherd. They are doomed to an eternity separated from God, enduring punishment in hell. Jesus isn’t calling us to only sense physical and earthly needs, but to sense the ultimate need of every human: salvation! Human souls are utterly and hopelessly lost without Jesus.
Discuss these questions as a family: How can we slow down? Are we good “needs sensors”? Do we really understand that many people we’re around every day are on their way to hell? Pray tonight and ask God to give you spiritual vision. Ask Him to give you spiritual sight to not just see bodies and humans moving around, but souls that are lost and dying. Ask God to move us deeply with this understanding.
[1] Collier, Ken, and Matt Williams. Biblical Leadership: Becoming a Different Kind of Leader. Greenville, SC.: Ambassador International, 2004.
Pray Together
- Pray that God will help you slow down and see needs in others.
- Pray that God will create an opportunity for a Gospel conversation this week!
- Pray that God will develop in us a culture of prayer and dependence on Him to do the work that we endeavor to do.
Further Reading
- Read Matthew 8-9 and see how often Jesus cared for the needs of others. Take note of how these interactions went. (Many times Jesus was literally pulled from one situation to the next!)
- Search the internet for passages in the gospels that talk about compassion.