Pros
update
13 March 08
Clear Perspective
'When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were
harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.'
Matthew 9:36
The former England rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward broke new ground when
he appointed a member of his coaching team who was a specialist in
training the eyes to see things more quickly and sharply. He felt this
was critical because a clear perspective enables a player to make much
better decisions about what's going on around them.
Do you ever get frustrated with the people around you for showing so
little interest in Jesus? Sometimes I get frustrated with team mates and
family members that they don't seem to care about him. As I read Matthew
9:36 I realise that I need some perspective training. Perhaps you do
too!
Jesus had a clear perspective. The sight of the crowds moved him to
'compassion'. He saw people as 'harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd'. The shepherd is an Old Testament picture of God
from whom Israel so often wandered. Jesus wasn't frustrated. He simply
had compassion for people who were without spiritual leadership.
And, because they didn't have Jesus' leadership they were 'harassed and
helpless'. This is strong language. Jesus says that like a sheep exposed
to the wolves, an individual without Christ is torn apart, mangled and
destroyed.
This is what Jesus saw when he looked at men and women. He saw to the
heart of all human need – beyond sickness, beyond hunger, beyond
injustice, beyond exploitation, beyond misery – to helpless, harassed
souls.
If you're annoyed or frustrated with someone today who isn't in a
relationship with Jesus, please remind yourself of how he sees their
condition. Consider his compassion. Try looking with the eyes of Jesus.
That should give you a clearer perspective.
Danno
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