Matthew 15:29-16:12 "Resisting the Idol of Compassion"

11/9/25
Series: The Book of Matthew
Resisting the Idol of Compassion
Text: Matthew 15:29-16:12
Speaker: Phillip Santillan
Clarity Church gathers every Sunday at 10:00am at Edinbrook Elementary School in Brooklyn Park, MN
https://claritychurch.org/messages
https://claritychurch.org/podcast/202509/matthew-1529-1612-resisting-the-idol-of-compassion

SERMON TRANSCRIPT

Matthew chapter fifteen is where we're going to be today. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to be back in the book of Matthew. Hopefully we will eventually finish this book. This this book. Oh, man. Well, if you, uh, if you scroll through social media for five minutes, you'll see story after story about kindness. You'll see things that people say like, hey, be kind. Pay it forward, do good. And we live in a culture that celebrates compassion. It's inspiring, it's shareable, and it feels right. And honestly, that's a good thing, right? It's a good thing. And the world could use a little more kindness. But somewhere along the way, we started confusing compassion itself for the highest good. Just be a good person, we say, as if kindness alone could fix what's broken in this world. We've created what you might call the gospel of kindness, a message that says that if we are simply nice enough to people, helpful enough to people, or generous enough, you know, that'll make everything all right. The problem is that kindness by itself can't save anyone. It can feed someone for a day. It can ease a moment of pain, but it can't reconcile a heart to God. Now, don't get me wrong. Compassion is absolutely beautiful. But compassion was never meant to be the destination compassion is supposed to be. If I could say a signpost pointing somewhere, pointing specifically to someone. And that's exactly what Matthew wants us to see as we jump right back into chapter fifteen of the Gospel of Matthew. This is what he wants us to see as we step into this next part of the gospel, Jesus shows deep, undeniable compassion. But every act of compassion reveals something greater. It actually reveals this. Who he truly is. Jesus doesn't just feed the hungry or heal the broken because he's a good guy. He's swell like that. He does it because he is the Messiah, the Savior, the one who brings God's King. Listen. He brings God's kingdom as it is in heaven here on earth. And he brings it not only to the Jews and the Gentiles, but he brings it to insiders and outsiders alike. And as followers of Jesus, we don't show compassion just to feel good about ourselves, or to build a reputation for being someone who's kind. We practice compassion because it's how the world sees who Jesus is through us. In fact, I would say compassion is something that is flowing out of the person who is passionately pursuing Jesus. It's actually not a negotiable. It's actually one of the fruits of the spirit as we look in Galatians. And so we join him in his mission to reveal himself to those who are far from God. And so today we're going to look at a section of Matthew's gospel that shows us what real compassion looks like, compassion that goes beyond good deeds and points people to the Savior of the world. Now, before we dive into the text today, let's just take a moment to remember where we've been, because I know, uh, we've been walking through the Gospel of Matthew now for over two years. Some of you remember we started this in October of twenty twenty three, and sometimes we've been doing it week by week, sometimes with breaks in between. But all along, if you've been with us, you know this, that Matthew has been painting a single unfolding picture, which is what? It's this. Who is Jesus? He's answering that question. He's answering this question, Who is Jesus? From the very first chapter of Matthew tells us Jesus is the Son of David, the long awaited king, and he's also the Son of Abraham. You'll see this long genealogy, and he does this so that he could tell his readers that the one through whom God promised is to bless all nations. In other words, from the opening lines of the Gospel of Matthew, the story was never meant to stay inside the borders of Israel. God's heart has always been for the nations. And so he tells us really from the beginning of his letter. But as we step into this part, this really the second half of the Gospel of Matthew, we begin to see this unfold. And then Matthew shows us how Jesus fulfills Israel's story like Moses. Jesus comes out of Egypt. Some of you know the story. Like Israel, he passes through the waters in his baptism. Like the prophets. He goes into the wilderness to be tested. And when he begins his public ministry, he announces that the kingdom of heaven has arrived. Not a political kingdom, by the way. Not a national revival, but God's rule breaking into human history through him. And so, from chapters five to seven, we see Jesus teach on a hillside from the sermon on the Mount, as we like to call it, where he revealed what life under God's rule and reign actually looks like. And what he does is he calls people to a righteousness that isn't just about keeping rules and regulations, but it's actually about hearts transformed by the grace of God. Blessed are those who are poor. Blessed are those who suffer. Blessed are those who are the meek. He turns the kingdom upside down. And then from chapters eight to ten, Matthew shows Jesus putting that kingdom into action, right? He shows what people who are poor in spirit do who, who, who have hearts that are broken over the brokenness of sin and what's going on. And so not only does he he he forgives sin, but he goes and he heals sickness, and he calms storms. And then he sends us out. He sends his disciples out to do the same. And every miracle, every word, every moment, every moment was revealing what his authority as the king who brings heaven to earth. But as we continue through the Gospel of Matthew, we find that not everyone received this right. By the time we hit chapter eleven, opposition began to rise when religious leaders started to question him. Even John the Baptist, his own cousin, wondered whether or not Jesus was real. Like, are you really the Messiah? I mean, I mean, I've been telling everybody that you are, but I'm not quite sure. And through and through parables. In chapter thirteen, Jesus explains why some hearts receive the kingdom while others reject it. And then in chapters fourteen and fifteen, we see that tension increase. Jesus feeds five thousand people. If you remember where we left off a few months ago and mostly Jews, right? In this scenario, he's mostly feeding Jews on on the side of the Sea of Galilee, showing himself to be the shepherd who provides for God's people. But then, in an unexpected move, he travels north into Gentile territory and he meets a Canaanite woman. Do you remember the story? A foreigner, an outsider who who pleads for mercy for her daughter? And when she responds in faith, Jesus does what he heals her child, a Gentile. And it's a turning point. It's the first time in Matthew's gospel that Jesus openly demonstrates that his compassion and his power are not limited just to the Jewish people. And that's where we pick up today in Matthew chapter fifteen, verse twenty nine, we start and we're going to go all the way to verse twelve and chapter sixteen. And so when we pick up here, Jesus is still in this Gentile territory. In fact, Mark will tell us that he will he will head a little bit west and he'll head to the Decapolis. And so he's surrounded by people who have never set foot in a temple. Right. So what does this mean? He's he's surrounded by people who've never set foot in a temple, never followed the law, don't even know what the law is. never called themselves the people of God. If anything, they called themselves the people of God. And here, in this unexpected place that we is, is where we see Jesus's compassion revealed, uh, revealing his true identity, which is what? He's the Messiah. Not just for Israel, but as John three sixteen will tell us for the entire what world? So let's look at this Matthew chapter fifteen, starting at verse twenty nine. It says this. Moving on from there, Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a mountain and sat there. And large crowds came to him, including the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he healed them. And so the crowd was amazed when they saw that those unable to speak, talking the crippled restored, the lame walking, the blind seeing. And they gave glory to the God of Israel. Now, as I said before, Matthew doesn't tell us directly, but but Mark does. In chapter seven, Jesus is now in the region of what's called Decapolis or ten cities, and it's a cluster of mostly gentile cities east of the Sea of Galilee. And so this scene isn't happening in Jerusalem or even in Galilee. It's actually happening among people considered outsiders to Israel's covenant story. Now, why is that important? Because Matthew is showing that Jesus isn't just a Jewish teacher visiting a Gentile crowd, Gentile a Gentile crowd out of pity. He's actually the Messiah, extending the blessing of God's kingdom beyond ethnic Israel. And what happens here deliberately echoes what the prophet Isaiah had to say. Remember, remember, Matthew is writing to primarily a Jewish audience, and they would have known this. They would have known this, this, this, this, this, this, this, uh, this portion of Scripture in Isaiah where it says, and when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind. Unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will not sing for joy. So for Matthew's readers, the words that Matthew chose to use here as he talks about what Jesus does, would have unmistakably brought to mind a passage from the prophet Isaiah that every God fearing Jew would have been, would have been. They would have been told about this since they were little ones, they would have known this. And what was so special about these miracles were they were messianic signs. What does this have to do? Well, this this passage of Isaiah speaks of a Savior. And so these, these these signs when, when, when, when Matthew talks about this, he's he's giving the evidence that God's promise. Redeemer was there. This person Jesus was the one we were looking for. But here's the plot twist in the story. Those signs are appearing in Gentile territory. See, the Jews always thought this would happen among them. You know, this is this would happen among them. But now Matthew's uttering these messianic prophecies among a people who they thought were unredeemable the Gentiles, the lowest of the low, the, the, the classless of the classless people. In other words, what was once reserved for Israel is now breaking out among the nations. On top of that, Matthew ends this short section with one simple and profound line. In verse thirty one it says this. And they gave glory to the God of Israel. Now why is this such a big deal? In fact, I'll just be honest with you, this wasn't a big deal for me. Like, I just read this and I gave glory. That seemed like it would make sense that they would give glory. But here's the funny thing. When you actually study the Scripture, and when you study the people who gave their life to study the scripture, they can reveal some very interesting things to you, especially if you don't understand the language. When you look at people who understand the language, they literally every commentator makes a huge big deal out of this last part of the sentence that they gave glory to the God of Israel, because what Matthew is bringing attention here is that this gathering on a mountaintop isn't just a healing service, it's a revelation. The nations are beginning to worship God, the God of Israel, because of what they've seen in Jesus. Uh, for instance, one Bible scholar, R.T. France, points out what every scholar, uh, who writes a commentary on this passage, uh, says, and he says this, that they quote, gave glory not to Jesus, not to Jesus himself, but to the God of Israel, shows a good understanding of the source from which Israel's Messiah must draw his authority. In other words, Jesus's compassion leads the Gentiles to glorify Israel's God like you have to notice the natural thing would go you healed us. Jesus, Jesus you're awesome. But what did they do instead? They noticed that Jesus was this sent one for whom he was actually bringing the news of the Kingdom of God. And that's what true compassion always does it. It points beyond itself. It doesn't end with Isn't Jesus nice? He heals some people. It ends with God is more worthy than anything. He's the one that's worthy of praise. This is what true compassion does. And so what does that mean for us? Well, when we as followers of Christ, show compassion in Jesus's name, we're not putting ourselves on display. What we hope we're doing is we're we're revealing that the God who saves is the one who sends. The healings aren't just acts of mercy, they're acts of mission. They're the Messiah saying to the nations, I see you and I came for you, and through me you can know the God of Israel. Matthew goes on in verse thirty two and he says this Jesus called his disciples and said, I have compassion on the crowd because they've already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way. The disciples said to him, where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed such a crowd? O disciples, remember we just saw the story of the five thousand just a little bit. Anyways, what does Jesus say? Well, how many loaves do you have? Which is another message that I won't speak right now. Sometimes we get caught in the fact that we don't have enough. And Jesus wants to just know, well, what is it that you have? Because I could probably do a lot with what you have instead of what you think you need. Seven they said. Which, by the way, is in the Scripture known as the number of perfection. So evidently they didn't know this, but by admitting they had seven, they had just enough. And a small few fish. After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took seven loaves, and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces. Seven large Basketfuls remember this leftovers were collected. This is really important as we head into chapter sixteen because you're just going to go like disciples. Okay. Just stay with me. Right now, there were four thousand men who had eaten besides women and children. After dismissing the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. Now, at first glance, this looks like a repeat of the feeding of the five thousand in the previous chapter. Same kind of setting, same kind of miracle. So then why tell the story again? Well, here's why. This is not just another meal, it's another mission field. The first feeding took place among Jewish crowds. This one happened among Gentiles. Matthew's original audience would have caught this. For those of us who are so used to this idea of the Scripture, and we don't, you know, we live in this, uh, you know, tensions are kind of high and we are more divided than ever. But even with the realities of what we're at, We are not as divided as people felt back then. And so we kind of get like, yeah, well, you know, Jesus came for everybody. We kind of even know that even people who aren't followers of Jesus kind of kind of believe that, well, you know, Jesus came for everybody, right? And so the first feeding took among the Jewish crowds, and this one happened among the Gentile. And the point is that Jesus is performing the same miracle in a different place to show, listen, that the same compassion, the same power, the same provision of the Messiah is available. Wait for it for everyone. Everyone is worthy. I like how one Bible scholar writes about this in his commentary in a passage. He he brings attention to these facts and he says this. First, the Jewish food laws were annulled. They were taken care of. Remember back in Matthew chapter fifteen, why do they wash their hands and Jesus like it doesn't matter. Those, those, those food laws don't matter. It's actually what's in the heart, right? So Jesus gets rid of these food laws. And then Jesus journeys up into the Gentile country and heals a Gentile girl. Gentile crowds are taught and cared for, healed, and shown the signs of the Messiah's presence as he prophesied long ago in Isaiah thirty five, just as the Jews had been early on, and now Gentiles are fed with the same heavenly bread that Jesus had made available to Jewish children of the kingdom. Wow. Right. Like, I don't know if you get the picture, but this is this is what the scholars know to be true. This was this was this was groundbreaking for those who first read this. In other words, Jesus is reenacting the same miracle to drive home the point that the kingdom of heaven is expanding beyond Israel. It's not a different Jesus for the Gentiles. It's actually the same Lord, same love, same compassion, and that the bread of heaven is actually enough for everyone. Something we'll see Jesus confront his disciples in the later verses of our passage. But now I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the last few verses of chapter fifteen. Notice the disciples reactions. What did they say? Even after seeing Jesus feed the five thousand people not long ago, they still ask, well, where can we get this bread? We don't know what to do. This is a desolate place. It's easy to shake our heads at them, obviously, because we know the story. We know how it goes. But Michael Green reminds us that they're not different from us. He writes this, and he has a really wonderful book on the on the, on the on the book of Matthew. If you're looking for something that's like, not so heady, like, you can just write this down, but it's a really great book. I recommend this. And here's what he writes. He goes, is it not like us? We see some marvelous display of the Lord's power, and yet we're full of doubts when we are thrown into another situation of need that cast us back on him. We simply do not expect him to act. The second time. Oh oh first. God did that the first time. But like, oh, I mean like God. God's not going to do it again and listen to what he says. Lack of trust. Lack of trust often springs from forgetfulness of past blessing. Now I look at some of you already and you're like, well, yeah, that's true. Maybe you're better than me, you're better than me. But I know I'm guilty of this. I trust God when he comes through for me once, but when I face the next challenge. Sometimes I act like I've never seen him provide before. Maybe you've never done that. You're better than me. I forget his faithfulness. I. I forget that that that Jesus is powerful. I forget that compassion isn't a one time act that God wants to do in my life. It's actually the ongoing expression of who he is. Jesus is compassion for known Bible scholar Da Carson takes it even further when he writes this. He says, though they might have been prepared for Jesus to perform miracles of healing and exorcism on Gentiles as expressions of his mercy and compassion. They might still have been a long way from admitting that Gentiles could share in any anticipation of the messianic banquet. That's that's that's a theological speak. For that, they could be saved. More important, we must never lose sight of a human being's vast capacity for unbelief. After this healing, Jesus disciples completely misinterpreted one of his enigmatic sayings, because even then they did not understand that those with Jesus listen. Those with Jesus could never starve. Carson, uh, may have more letters before and after his name and no scripture than probably all of us combined. But what he says is something you and I probably know out of experience. If you've followed Jesus for really any amount of time. But what he says is something you and I know that unbelief isn't just doubt, is it? It sometimes is. But unbelief doesn't just look like doubt. Sometimes unbelief looks like forgetfulness or spiritual amnesia. To be more precise, the disciples had seen Jesus multiply bread before, but they still didn't grasp that he himself was the bread of life. They knew his compassion, but they hadn't yet recognized his identity. And so Jesus performs a miracle again same action, same words, but this time for a new audience. It's a living parable. The kingdom of God isn't limited to a single nation or group. The table is getting wider. The bread is being broken, not just for the chosen people, but for the entire world. And when Matthew tells us that everyone ate and was satisfied, he's not just talking about full stomachs, he's talking about hearts that are being invited into a greater feast. The messianic banquet Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah sixty six. You can read it on your own. The eternal communion between God and his people, from every tribe and every tongue and every nation. And don't miss this. Jesus's compassion feeds their hunger. Yes, it does, but even more, Jesus's compassion reveals who he is that he is the Savior of the world. He is the bread from heaven, the one who satisfies the deepest hunger of the human heart. Whereas Billy Graham would say, I was in Wheaton this weekend visiting my son, and they had the Billy Graham he's eating. And those of you who know Billy Graham. And it's funny because, uh, we were there and I was going around and and we got done with it, and, and I and I ask Mia, how did it go? And she goes, well, I don't know. It was kind of boring. I'm like, what? She goes, I don't know who Billy Graham is like. And I was like, a generation doesn't know who this is. But for those of us I know, I know, you know who he is. And what did he always say? That that what God has, God has sent Jesus to fill the what? That God said. Because we all have this God shaped hole in our heart. Let's read on Matthew sixteen, the Pharisees and Sadducees approached and tested him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven. And he replied, when evening comes, you say, it will be good weather, because the sky is red. And in the morning today we will be. Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening. You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can't read the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. So here we have a scene again. Very familiar. Jesus gets confronted by some people. Uh, theologian uh, referred to him. Michael. Michael Green, he puts it like this. He says the Pharisees and Sadducees came together to test Jesus by asking him for a sign. This is remarkable, by the way, they would not have normally seen, uh, being seen dead in each other's company. Their theological views and political ideologies were diametrically opposed. It was the opposition to Jesus that drew these most unlikely partners together. And so when the human heart rejects the truth of Jesus, unbelief unites what would otherwise remain divided. The religious leaders demand for a sign wasn't about seeking truth. It was about challenging Jesus's authority. They had seen his miracles. They had heard his teachings and witnessed lives transformed. But it wasn't enough. They wanted control over how God would prove himself. Unfortunately for them, Jesus refused to play that game instead. Jesus is borderline insulting them by pointing out the fact that they're able to predict the weather, but they're blind to the signs of the time, the signs already standing right in front of them, the healings, the feedings, the fulfilled prophecies. They were all divine evidence that Jesus was in fact who he claimed he was. But often, as with our own unbelief, the unbelief of the religious leaders, they just just give me one more sign. Just just one more. And don't we do this? Yes, I know you're good, God, but just please, just just give me one more sign. And if this were a scene that happened in a modern context, it would appear that this was Jesus's mic drop moment. What he says here next, what he says here, take a look at this. It says what? What what Matthew says here after all of this, what does Matthew say at the end of verse four. Then he, Jesus, left them and went away. He said what he said, and he just looked at him and said. I don't know, that's what he did. But like, that's all that's kind of the picture. He said what he said and then he left and he went away. And just like that, Jesus ends his ministry in Galilee. And from here on, his focus will turn on towards Jerusalem and his ultimate demonstration that he is, in fact, God made flesh, the Savior of the world, headed towards the cross. And then what happens next? Verse five the disciples reached the other shore, and they had forgotten to take bread. I'm not sure what it was about the disciples forgetfulness to take bread, but it was in this moment that Jesus seize the moment to teach them something more profound. And here's what he says. Verse six. Then Jesus told them, watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were discussing among themselves. We didn't bring any bread. The disciples misses the missed the point entirely. They think Jesus is talking about lunch. And then Jesus, with what I imagined was equal parts patience and maybe a little bit of disappointment, says this in verse eight. Aware of this, Jesus said, O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand? And how many baskets you collected, or seven loaves for the four thousand? How many large baskets you collected? Why is it you don't understand that when I told you. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It wasn't about bread. In other words, Jesus is saying. Have you learned nothing? Don't you remember? Don't you yet see who I am? This is more than about bread. It's about belief. The Pharisees and the Sadducees can't see because of their pride. The disciples can't see because of their forgetfulness. And both kinds of blindness are dangerous. One rejects Jesus, rejects Jesus outright, and the other follows him closely, but underestimates him. And when Jesus speaks of leaven, he's using common language. Leaven spreads quietly through the dough. It changes everything it touches. If you come over to my house today, if you're coming for community, I'm going to show you the leaven that I've been working on. I've got this amazing sourdough starter that's probably like tripled in size. I checked it this morning. Right. But but that's what yeast does. That's what leaven does. Right? And he's warning them that unbelief can do the same. If they let cynicism, legalism or fear spread unchecked, it will distort their understanding of who he is and what he has come to do. Fortunately for the disciples, they get it by verse twelve. Look at this. Then they understood That he had not told them to beware of the leaven in the bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Well, I hope he did, because literally Jesus literally spelled it out. And so what is this teaching? It's the right kind of religion that demands proof instead of, uh, what? You know, what is this teaching? The the the teaching of the Pharisees. It's the kind of teaching religion that demands proof instead of faith. It's the self made spirituality that looks devout but resists surrender. It's compassionless correctness, Orthodoxy without love and faith without trust. Jesus doesn't want his followers to live like that. What Jesus is doing is forming disciples who will carry his compassion into the world, but compassion that reveals the Messiah, not compassion. Listen that replaces him. If you step back and look at this whole section of Matthew, from the healings among Gentiles to the feeding of the four thousand, to the confrontation with the Pharisees and the Sadducees. It's a picture of two kinds of compassion and two kinds of responses. On one side, you have Jesus. He shows compassion that moves toward people, not away from them. He he touches the sick. He heals the broken, and he feeds the hungry. By the way, not to gain approval, but to reveal who God is. His compassion is courageous because it's rooted not in his desire to make himself look good or to be helpful, but it's rooted in the mission of God. It's compassion that points people to salvation. And then on the other side, you have disciples and the religious leaders. Both groups see the same miracles, but for different reasons. Both miss the meaning. The Pharisees demand a sign. They want control. And the disciples forget the sign. And they lack trust. One's problem is pride. The other is fear. Both stops short of recognizing this. That compassion was meant to reveal the identity of the Messiah. When Jesus healed and fed the Gentiles, he wasn't just being nice. He was declaring that God's kingdom has no borders. Everyone is welcome to experience Jesus. He was showing that compassion without revelation isn't the gospel. It's just sentiment. It's just feelings. This is because the greatest need of every human being isn't bread. It isn't health. It isn't comfort. Listen, the greatest need of every human being is reconciliation to God. And that's what the compassion of Jesus is always leading toward. But there is a dirty little secret about compassion. I'm going to tell it to you. We live in a world that celebrates kindness. But is uncomfortable with the truth. We're encouraged to be caring, generous, and accepting as long as we don't talk about sin or repentance or Jesus as Lord. And that's where compassion often stops short. It becomes about us our goodness, our reputation, our comfort, instead of about Jesus. But if we belong to Jesus, we're called to a different kind of compassion, not compassion that draws attention to ourselves, but the compassion that reveals the Savior. Compassion that goes beyond relief and points towards redemption. Compassion that risks misunderstanding because it carries the message of the cross. And some of you have been faithfully showing kindness to people at your work, in your neighborhood, maybe even in your own family. But if you're honest with yourself, you've been hesitant to speak about Jesus. And and I get it, maybe that hesitation feels kind of safe. And maybe in some instances it feels like I'm actually being loving. But at some point, love without the truth isn't love. It's just you keeping things comfortable. The same Jesus who multiplied bread is the same Jesus who said this. It is written, man must not live on bread alone. Insert whatever compassion you think people need. They can't live on that alone. But on every word that comes not from the mouth of God. Our world doesn't just need more bread, It needs to meet the Bread of Life. And even as I say this, I know there's a real temptation for some of you to let yourself off the hook by saying, Phil, you just don't understand how tired I am. I've tried to live out my faith. I've shown compassion over and over again, and it feels like no one notices. And no one's changing and no one's believing and there's no opportunities. I've shown that compassion, but it just doesn't feel like there's any headway. I believe that this compassion is supposed to point to Jesus, and I keep on doing it, but it's not going anywhere. But listen. Remember, the disciples didn't understand everything either, but Jesus still used them. He multiplied what little they wrought, even though it was like a faithless, faithless little. They didn't even consider the seven. They're like, oh God, Jesus! But Jesus used it, and this one God can use them. He can use us today. And your compassion, your obedience, your small acts of faithfulness. None of them are wasted. None are wasted when they're placed in the hands of the Messiah. Because, listen, he can do more with seven loaves and a few fish than we can do with all of our plans and all of our strategies. And so the question this passage leaves us with is simple, but it's definitely not an easy one. The question is this will we join Jesus in revealing who he is? Or will we settle for showing compassion that stops with ourselves? Will we join Jesus in revealing who he is? Will we look at every opportunity to show compassion, to show kindness, to do good as an opportunity to reveal Jesus? Or will we just settle? I did my good deed for the day. Oh yeah. Or you could spiritualize it. Oh, I looked like Jesus today. Why is it still about you? Why is it often still about me? I don't want this to be about me. And I hope you don't want it to be about you. Because when we join Jesus in his mission, compassion isn't just something we do. It's something God does through us. It becomes the way his presence, his power, and his glory is made visible in a world that desperately needs him. Do you believe that this world desperately needs him? And that's the joy of following Jesus. Not that people would look and say, look how kind Tom is, or look how awesome Lance is, but that they would look at us and in our compassion and in our good would say, oh! Look how good their God must be for them to act like this. When the Gentiles saw Jesus heal, They gave glory to the God of Israel. There is something that happened there that made them undeniably know where the glory is given. Now, of course, it was Jesus. He does everything perfect. But I think that's what we're called to as well. To lead others, to glorify the God who saved us. And so let's not settle for compassion that stops short. Let's practice the kind of compassion that reveals the heart of the Messiah, so that the world, our friends, our neighbors, our city might see his power, would know his mercy. And glorify the God of Israel through us.