Matthew 94
(Chapter 20)
(BE KIND!)
Matthew 20:29–34 (NIV)
29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
30Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”
34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Today!
· You know I started to write this to be a lofty sermon about:
o The majesty of Jesus
o And the power in His mighty hand
o That through prayer and supplication all things are possible
· And I completely overlooked the simple kindness in His act of helping
o Helping someone that can do nothing for you
· So today let’s talk simply about being kind to one another
Jesus was busy!
29As Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
· It had been a really busy 24 hours for Jesus
· He had been tested by the haters
· the disciples were being petty
· and He was preparing for what He was about to go through on the cross
· large crowds were following Him everywhere He went
· to say He was a busy man, with problems and issues would be an understatement!
Aren’t we all??
· This world is filled with lots and lots of problems
o Work problems
o Kid problems
o Family problems
o Political problems
o Health problems
· Life is hard, life is complicated, and most days life is not easy
Jesus had to deal with the same life issues we all face, even death.
· That’s why we can draw on His example and the way He handled life’s issues!
· Because as we are about to see, left to our own accord, there would be very little, if any, kindness in this world
Everyone wanted a piece of Him!
30Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
· Everyone wanted a piece of him
o The Pharisees wanted to tear Him down
o The masses wanted Him to teach them
o His friends wanted His undivided attention
o The sick wanted to be healed
o The Romans wanted Him silenced!
· He was pulled in 40 different directions
· His head was filled with worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, and anger
· He had to be overwhelmed, undernourished, and going on little sleep
Can you relate?
· Is life dragging you in a million different directions??
· Does everyone in your life want more than you can give
· Are you feeling:
o Worried
o Fearful
o Overwhelmed
o Underappreciated
o Anxious
o Afraid
· Do you wondering what direction to take in the fork in the road every single day??
· Are you exhausted?
· Feeling like you just can’t go on??
Guess what? So did your savior!
· That’s why He needs to be our example
· Our guide
· Our refuge, and where we draw our strength from!
The world just kept getting louder!!!
31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
· The more He tried to hide
o The louder the world got
o The more it just kept pressing in on Him
· Mercy is a messy business
· And the mission the Jesus sets us all on in messy
o Go into the world
o Make disciples
o Love people
o Be compassionate
o Show mercy
o And grace, humility, meekness
· The more we display the traits of Jesus the more the world will demand from us
The crowds had not learned what it meant to be a follower of Jesus!
31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet
· No doubt the crowd, especially His closest followers, were feeling the pressure as well
o They were feeling the pressure
o They were feeling some of the same emotions as Jesus
o And so they had every right to be a little guarded
o A little bit
o A little angry and bitter right??
This should be a mirror moment
· When life gets hard, we use that as an excuse for our behavior, I know I do!
· We use it as an excuse to be bitter
o Angry
o Rude
o Standoffish
o Arrogant
o Closed off
o Judgmental
o But is it a good excuse, is it the example that Jesus laid out for us??
The short answer is no!
32Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” He asked.
33“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”
· He stopped
· He stopped what He was doing
o He was busy
o He had a million things on His mind
o He had every reason to just keep on walking, and no one would have questioned it
· But He stopped
Why???
· People matter
· As a matter of fact, they are the only thing that truly matters
· If Jesus never taught us anything, it’s that the most important thing in this world is relationships and people
· They break, fall apart, rust
· Remember this church
o WE use things, to love and help people!
Jesus at this moment is teaching us a vital lesson
· it not that He is a miracle worker, that has been established
· it’s not that He is God among us, we already know that
· it’s how to treat and love hurting people, all people, no exceptions
Kindness and compassion are everything!
34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed Him.
· Through all the turmoil
o All the strife
o All the chaos
o All the pressure from the crowd
o Jesus showed mercy, and compassion and kindness
· He filtered out all the noise, all the distractions and concentrated on the one thing that mattered
· Helping people, showing kindness to people, loving people!
This is our example, this is who we follow, this is our savior!
Our job is to be kind
We are to be kind to strangers
Matthew 9:36 (NIV)
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
We are to be kind to each other
Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Love is kindness put into action!
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NIV)
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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