This week you are invited to:
1. Read the scripture for this week with your child from Matthew 9:35-36.
2. Ask them what Jesus attitude was toward people with hurts or needs?
3. Brainstorm one way to show more compassion to this week
(as a parent let your child be on the receiving end of your compassion this week
and remind them that your actions show what compassion looks like)
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming 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.
Helpful Background Information:
This scripture from Matthew is one of several places in the Gospels where Jesus is described as having great compassion toward hurting people. The compassion was often felt toward large groups of people; many of these people were physically sick, and all of them needed spiritual healing, too.These verses give us a taste of God's heart of compassion for our world. Jesus let compassion dictate his schedule, even delaying times of much-needed solitude and prayer so he could minister to the people. As followers of Christ, people aren't interruptions to our agenda; they ARE our agenda! Unfortunately, our hearts are often filled with selfish desire for what we want rather than compassion and concern for what others might need.
Here are some additional questions you might want to ask your teenager:
- Why is it significant that Jesus demonstrated his compassion through action, not just words?
- Think about the people at your school who might be "confused and hopeless, like sheep without a shepherd." How would Jesus interact with them? How is that different from the way most people at your school interact with them?