We’ve Lost the Compassion
A Church Masterfully Distracted from Her Mission
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10, New International Version).
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:35-38, New International Version).
Most would agree that our world in 2022 is very different than we expected. There is more upheaval, brokenness, conflict (including all-out war), political nastiness, blatant hatred, and tabloid news dialog than ever before. Christians have rallied behind their respective political heroes. Christians have become very vocal about changes in the social fabric of our nation. Christians have become more suspicious, more reactive, and more defensive. Christians are consumed with worry about all kinds of things. And there does seem to be something new to worry about in every day’s news cycle. The more the enemy of our souls can keep us focused on such things, the more work he can do for his purposes right under our very noses. American Christians are, by and large, masterfully distracted from their mission.
For some time, I’ve noticed that many (if not most) American Christians are missing something: Compassion. On the cusp of Jesus calling for laborers to partner with him in God’s harvest, we read about his heart reaction to the people he came to save.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
I do not see much compassion among American Christians today. And yet that appears to be the starting point of the Savior as he calls people to join him on his mission. Something’s amiss
I have always been concerned about the condition of the world around me. I am not blind to what is happening, nor am I immune from a visceral reaction to it. But I daily (sometimes several times a day) remind myself that my Savior’s heart was not moved by the sinfulness of the people around him — he was moved by their lostness. Look at how much of Jesus’ teaching ministry centered on the lostness of humanity (see Luke 15:3-32 for example). Sin is real and it’s bad. I struggle to determine if it’s getting worse or just more public – but it’s undeniable. That said, the thing that drew Jesus’ attention was how lost those souls were around him. And that must be our focus as well.
If we focus on sin and sinful activities, our attention and efforts will be on addressing the various sins we see around us. Friends, there’s too much to address and that’s actually not our job. It is Jesus alone that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Human efforts always seem to degrade into controlling sin because we can’t eradicate it. And so, we turn to political, sociological, and legislative approaches that really never get to the root of the problem.
May I suggest a different approach? Stop allowing yourself to be distracted by all the sin you see. Yes, it’s bad. Yes, it does seem to be getting worse. But choose to trust that God can handle it and you (and I) can then turn our attention to the utter lostness of those within our own, personal reach. That’s where we can each make a kingdom difference through our witness and our loving presence. Our God has raised up different people for different spheres of influence. He has his servants among the homeless. He has his servants in the public schools. He has his servants in corporate America. He has his servants in Hollywood. He has his servants in Washington DC and every State House across the country. Let God work through his servants in those places – and lets you and I work where he has us. The impact is greatest when everyone stays in their own lane.
In my particular ministry venue, there are all kinds of sinful things happening every day. I can be disgusted by them; or I can choose to look beyond the sinful activity on the surface and see the lost soul(s) behind it all. That’s where my heart breaks and real compassion takes over. There have been days where I literally weep when I learn the stories behind the sin. The enemy of our souls is pure evil, and he has so many precious people in his grasp. He has deceived them into placing their identity (and their self-worth and happiness) in anything but Jesus. Make no mistake as to why so many people today find their identity and worth in their jobs, their families, their ethnicity, their problems, their oppression, or their sexual orientation. And the sad thing is that none of these can ever satisfy the deepest yearning of their souls.
If we are truly focused on being instruments of redemption in our Heavenly Father’s hands, then we need to strive to bloom where he has planted us. We must not become distracted by the sinful barrage the enemy and our world throw at us every day. And we must be like our Jesus, seeing how “harassed and helpless” are the people within our own personal reach. See their lostness, not just their sin. I guarantee, this will move each of us with compassion. Only then are we ready to make the difference we are called and empowered to make with the real love and gospel of Jesus. That is our mission.
Dr. John Kimball is the Lead Pastor of Palmwood Church in Oviedo, Florida. He serves as the Director of Church Development for the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference and is a Coach and Trainer for the Praxis Center for Church Development. John has written two books on believers carrying out the mission of Christ, Low Hanging Fruit: Partnering with the Holy Spirit for Greater Ministry Impact (Beaumeadow Group, 2022) and DiscipleMAKING: Helping Churches to Understand What Disciples Are and How To Make Them (NextStep Resources, 2019). Both are available on Amazon.com.