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By: Bob Rodgers
July 17, 2023
If you know anything about Sherlock Holmes, you know that one of the intriguing things is Holmes’s ability to observe the most insignificant, obscure facts that others miss. He is painted as a character with an uncanny ability to perceive details beyond the obvious and to identify specific information outside the everyday normal examination.
I have noticed, outwardly, that there are some vast differences between my unsaved neighbors. One is a catholic family, and one wears metal from head to toe and swears in a way that would make a sailor blush. Another enjoys their beer and parties, while across the street is a gentleman who lost his wife a few years ago and is living with a gal. Next door to us, the couple is an average family with one kid. What they share in common is they are all nice, and friendly, and look out for each other (that includes my wife and me). I suspect each of them has a separate story to tell, something that is not readily available to my knowledge…so I continue to observe the obvious.
Something dawned on me a while back while reading the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 9 of Jesus’ dealing with people. Far greater than the skills of Holmes’ ability to solve crimes, or my not knowing intimate details of my neighbors, at this point, is the Savior’s ability to perceive people. Jesus not only saw people day in and day out while He ministered here on earth, much like us, but He also observed things that many of us bypass, which go unnoticed, or perhaps that we have just become accustomed.
It seems to me that our ultimate mission is involvement in the harvest, and we must always be alert to ways to reach our culture without gimmicks, tricks, and ploys. At the same time, we need a focus and heart for those around us. I am finding as I bump up alongside our culture, the pressing need is to remind myself of two critical lessons from Matthew 9:36 regarding evangelism.
You are most likely familiar with the context of Matthew 9:35-38 but let me summarize some thoughts from v36 regarding these two lessons. Humanity is flawed and filled with sinful creatures. This theological aspect is borne out in our hamartiological views (our understanding of sin) and is a deliberate reason for sharing the gospel. Jesus got acquainted with all sorts of sinful, messy people in a variety of conditions on a regular basis. He dealt with people who lived in all kinds of situations, who worked in all kinds of environments, big and small, near and far, people who had life put together while others demonstrated lives that were falling apart.
Yet, Matthew 9:36 reveals, “and seeing the multitude…” This is a little phrase that I think is quickly glanced over. There is a sizeable group of people that catch Jesus' eye. The word "seeing," or as some translations note, "when he saw," means "to know, be aware of, to perceive." This is not a mere act of seeing with physical eyes…it certainly entails that, but it is much more.
The same word is used in John 1:29 when John the Baptist saw and acknowledged Jesus as the Lamb of God, the one who takes away the sin of the world. No one else shouted that out! If we are going to impact our culture with the gospel, it makes sense that we need spiritual eyes to see beyond the obvious, or it won’t move us.
Another example and lesson the Savior evidenced in impacting the culture is He felt their circumstances. This doesn’t mean catering to the culture, nor does it mean ignoring their sin. The gospel touches people, and the gospel’s truth can offend. Christ knew this, yet Jesus was devastated by what He saw, which moved Him to compassion. He felt deeply and sincerely about the people around Him.
Spurgeon once commented,
"I believe that much of the secret of soul-winning lies in having bowels of compassion, in having spirits that can be touched with the feeling of human infirmities."[1]
Compassion, in its basic term, has the idea of a deep awareness of the struggle in another's life, and tied with it is the desire to relieve it. It means to be people who care and care enough to pay attention, ask the right questions, and provide a loving, attentive answer that gives hope. Or perhaps, to put it another way, do we see mere figures, or do we see the true condition of those devastated by sin that so easily entangles them? Do we see people with hurts, struggles, living meaningless lives, out of sorts, etc.?”
Let me look on the crowd as my Savior did.
Till my eyes with tears grow dim.
Let me view with pity the wandering sheep.
And love them for the love of Him.[2]
This should be our goal, to impact communities with the gospel with eyes that see and hearts that feel much like Christ, who impacted those in His realm of living.
[1] Charles Spurgeon (1989), "The Soul Winner," page 238, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.[2] John MacArthur. Matthew. Moody Publishers: Chicago, IL. C. 1987. Page 113
