Made Alive in Christ

Key Passage: Matthew 9

Devotional:

For a moment think about the last time you were in a crowd. What thoughts, if any, did you have about or for the people who made up the crowd? Did the presence of the crowd prompt any sort of emotional response or were you contextually numb to those around you? These questions likely feel quite random because, let’s be honest, how often does someone think about the last crowd they were in? One could assume that ultimately the crowd bustled with life. But, what if many in the crowd were actually “dead men walking,” feeling helpless and hopeless? And what if you realized this?

Many times, we avoid such lofty questions, often due to laziness, a lack of compassion for others, busyness, or self-centeredness. But how would Jesus see the crowd? That’s a challenging question. Now, we never want to assume what Jesus would or would not do. That said, the Scripture does give us an account of Jesus interacting with a crowd. In Matthew 9, Jesus is going through towns and villages teaching the Good News and healing people. Verse 36 says, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” Jesus wasn’t just a part of the crowd; He saw the crowd. He saw beyond the number. He saw the people and it prompted an emotional, practical response from the Lord.

The burdens of this world are weighing down those who are either unaware or have been unresponsive to the temporary and eternal victory found only in Jesus Christ. In his letter to the Colossian church, Paul emphasized the transformative power and victory that comes when someone finds their identity in Jesus. He wrote, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses” (See Colossians 2:13.). The crowd of people that surrounds us today is filled with people who are grasping for an identity that will bring victory. That’s why they need followers of Jesus to see the crowd as Jesus did—filled with compassionate, prayerful laborers for the hope, and victory found only when someone is made alive in Christ.

Application Question: Who will you be? Will you be someone who lacks compassion for the crowd, or will you see the crowd through the lens of the Holy Spirit?

Further Reading: Colossians 2

Written by Eric Heatherly