36: The multitudes came to Christ. The hurried masses of the common people assembled about their true hero. They recognized that Christ held the answers they could find nowhere else. He saw them in droves. He was not impressed by how many came, or by what they thought of him. This would be our thoughts. No, Jesus thought of their great needs. He knew of needs that the people did not even know they had. It is the same today, Jesus can see into the heart of the masses and hear the cry of their hearts, even if they are deaf to it.
He has compassion. The word here is σπλαγχνίζομαι, which refers to the seat of the emotions being deeply moved. In our day, the heart is seen as the seat of the emotions. In that day it was the bowels, or the spleen. Jesus was moved to sympathy. Sympathy is a surprising and wonderful thing to get from Jesus. It means that he feels like we feel. He identifies with us. How wonderful is that!
Without a shepherd, sheep will wander themselves into all kinds of dangers and troubles. They faint in that they will lie down and seemingly give up, beset by adversaries on every side. They wander about, not knowing the best rout for their well-being. They are very much a fitting illustration of humanity without Christ.
Daily Bible Reading: Luke 18:1-19:48
Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Daily Tidbit: 1 John 1:9 is a great comfort to us. And yet, we may easily miss a big blessing right in the verse. If we confess our sins, he forgives us for those sins. However, our estimation of our sins is defective. We need his help to truly grasp the depth of our unrighteousness. Thus, Jesus is not only faithful to remove sins that we confess; but, on the basis of genuine confession, he cleanses us from all that stands between us and Almighty God.
Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, our Lord God Almighty, thank You for another day to know You. Each day with You is better than the day before. Though we know that You know what we are thinking, our praise bring honor to You. We will sing Your praises all the days of our lives. We will be joyful in the house of the Lord. We will come before You in delight for evermore. You are so worthy! Almighty God, we long to know You more. We want to lift You up in our praises. We know You are already high and lifted up, but You want us to lift You up in our hearts and lives. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.
Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a five-year-old with Ewing’s Sarcoma. Pray for a man who just had a heart attack. Pray for a woman’s unspoken request.
Personal Journal Entry #13039