SERMON | Whites in their eyes

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-36

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Questions

What?
1) How do you define “compassion?”

So What?
3) Has there been a time in your life where your initial judgment from a far was proven wrong by a close encounter?
4) Lucas talks about a few ways that downtown church tries to connect: over meals, asking questions, or going camping. In what ways or places do you most easily connect with someone who might be different from you?

Now What?
5) Lucas says “we cannot know someone fully from a far. We cannot know someone from Fox or CNN, from facebook or instagram. “you cannot understand the most important things from a distance. We have to get closer.” Do you find yourself using media to try to know everything you can about a person/group of people? Why might this not tell the full story?
6) Why is compassion so difficult? Why do you think Jesus calls us to have compassion for others?

Activity: Listen to this poem from Anis Mojgani entitled: “Come Closer.”

https://youtu.be/ATC5OGh3adg

What images stick out to you?
What do you think he means when he says “come closer?”

Prayer

Take a moment to pray for people, groups of people that you normally would not prioritize. How does this feel?

" Jesus’ compassion was not only a personal emotional reaction, but a public criticism in which he dares to act on his concern for others against the status quo of numbness.
—Dr. Walter Brueggemann