(Our Compassionate God and Savior - Part 1 | Part 2)
In the first part of this study on Jesus' compassion we looked at many healings and acts of mercy He performed. In this part, we will continue that study.
Women and Children
The Scripture: Luke 8:43-44
"A woman...had been subject to bleeding for twelve years but no one could heal her. She came up behind Him (Jesus) and touched the edge of His cloak and immediately her bleeding stopped."
1. What was the woman's problem?
In Mark's version of this story, the author tells us that she had spent all her money on doctors but had only gotten worse.
2. What did she do?
3. What was the result?
When Jesus asked who had touched Him, the woman fell at His feet.
The Scripture: Luke 8:48
"Then He (Jesus) said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
4. What did Jesus say to her?
The Scripture: Matthew. 9:1 8
That same day a ruler approached Him.
"'My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.' Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples."
5. Who came to Jesus?
6. What was his problem?
7. What did he say to Jesus?
What faith! Although the girl was already dead, the father believed Jesus could bring her back to life.
When Jesus reached the ruler's house, his friends and acquaintances were already observing the death rituals.
The Scripture: Matthew 9:25
"He (Jesus) went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up."
8. What did Jesus do?
Gentiles
Although Jesus, by His own admission was sent primarily to the Jews, on occasion He healed others as well. The Bible gives us two important accounts of Jesus' compassion for Gentiles. In Matthew 8, we have the story of a Roman centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of his paralyzed servant. When Jesus offered to go to the centurion's house, the centurion protested:
The Scripture: Matthew 8:8-10
"Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes, and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, `Do this,' and he does it. When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him. 'I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.'"
9. How did Jesus commend the centurion?
The Scripture: Matthew 8:13
"Then Jesus said to the centurion, `Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.' And his servant was healed at that very hour."
10. What happened?
In the same gospel, we have the account of a Canaanite woman who came to plead for her demon-possessed daughter. At first Jesus refused, but when she persisted, He relented.
The Scripture: Matthew 15:28
"Then Jesus answered, 'Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour."
11. What did Jesus say to the Canaanite woman?
12. What happened to her daughter?
To these two Gentiles Jesus gave His highest accolade.
On All Occasions
Jesus sometimes referred to His own compassion. Wherever He went, He was followed by large crowds.
The Scripture: Mark 8:2
"I have compassion for the people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."
13. Why did Jesus have compassion for the people?
The only food available was seven loaves of bread. Jesus had the four thousand people sit down and the disciples distributed the food among them, performing yet another miracle.
The Scripture: Mark 8:9
"Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over."
14. What was the miracle?
Healing on the Sabbath
Jesus' healing, particularly on the Sabbath, frequently put Him at odds with the religious authorities.
The Scripture: Mark 3:1-2, 5
"Another time He (Jesus) went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there....Some of them (the synagogue leaders) were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal Him on the Sabbath. He looked around at them in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored."
15. What was wrong with the man?
16. What did the synagogue leaders want?
17. What happened next?
On another occasion Jesus was teaching in a synagogue and a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit for eighteen years was there.
The Scripture: Luke 13:12-13
"[Jesus] called her forward and said to her, 'Woman, you are set free from your infirmity. Then He put His hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God."
18. What did Jesus say to the woman?
19. What happened next?
The Scripture: Luke 13:14
"Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the ruler said to the people. ‘There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.’”
20. Why were the religious leaders angry?
Jesus rebuked the leaders severely for their hardheartedness, but the people were delighted. Many of Jesus' parables show the relationship between God and His people. In the parable known as the Prodigal Son, the younger son of a man asked for his inheritance before the death of his father. He left home and wasted the inheritance. Finally, in a position of abject poverty, he realized that even his father's servants were better off than he was. He decided to return home and ask forgiveness.
The Scripture: Luke 15:20, 21
"While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him."
21. What were the father's feelings?
22. What did he do?
The father also put his finest robe on him, gave him a ring and sandals and had a wonderful feast prepared for him.
Jesus gave us this beautiful picture of God's attitude toward us. Even when we sin, He has compassion for us and is willing to forgive us.
The Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
23. What does God want from us?
In Matthew 18 Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant, a man whose master forgave a tremendous debt owed him by the servant. Yet, the servant refused to forgive a very small debt owed him by a fellow servant. When the master learned what the unmerciful servant had done, he had him thrown into prison until his debt was paid. Jesus' words give us all much to think about.
The Scripture: Matthew 18:35
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
24. Explain Jesus' words in your own.
The Answers
- She had been bleeding for twelve years and no one could heal her.
- She touched the edge of Jesus' cloak.
- Her bleeding stopped.
- "Your faith has healed you."
- A ruler—a synagogue official
- His daughter had died.
- "Come and put her hand on her, and she will live"
- He took the girl's hand and she got up.
- He said He had not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
- The servant was healed.
- "You have great faith. Your request is granted."
- She was healed.
- Because they had been with him for three days without food and would collapse on the way home.
- After the food was distributed, there were seven basketfuls of broken pieces left over.
- He had a withered hand.
- To see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath.
- Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand. The man did so and his hand was completely restored. 18. "Women, you are set free from your infirmity."
- 'Woman, you are set free from your infirmity'
- Jesus put his hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
- Because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath
- He was filled with compassion for his son.
- Ran to the son, hugged and kissed him.
- That we comfort others with the same comfort we received from Him.
- Your own words.
All scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version
(unless otherwise indicated)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, New International Bible Society
Copyright © 2003 by JoAnne Sekowsky