Luke 9:11
"And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing," Luke 9:11. Our Lord and Saviour continues to show compassion on His disciples, and the people who make up the multitude. In verse 10 He is taking His disciples away to disciple them and so they could rest from their labours. Though it is important to get away and get alone with the Lord, we also see that ministry never stops. People are needy, and to them their need is the most important thing in their lives at the time, and they think it should be to the minister also. This is another reason the minister must not waste his time. Whether he is able to devote all his time ministering to the church, or if he is bi-vocational, he must be careful how he spends his time. He may need to get up a few hours earlier in the morning just to spend time with the Lord in prayer and study before his phone begins to ring. Whatever the case may be, the minister doesn't have time to waste. I also want to add that all of us are human, we all get worn out, which is another reason we must make sure to take breaks. Bro. Lynn used to tell us younger ministers if we do not go apart, we will come apart. Even though we take a break, we do not disconnect from those we are ministering to. We have compassion on them, which means our hearts go out to them, even when we are worn out.
"And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing," Luke 9:11. Word travels fast. As news spread as to where Christ was, more and more people went to Him. Christ did not turn them away, He received them. He also taught them about the kingdom of God. There were no lights, camera, and action. Christ was not putting on a show. He was not pulling on people's feelings. He was teaching the people about the kingdom of God, and He taught them all day. Christ did not give the people three points and a poem in 30 minutes and then send them on their way, no, He taught them in depth. He taught the people the doctrines of grace. The only way to become a citizen of the kingdom of God was by the grace of God. Again, this is in depth teaching. If you want to grow and mature as a Christian, you want much in depth teaching. If you do not want to grow and mature as a Christian, then you want to get in and get out as soon as possible so you can spend the rest of the day doing what you really want to do.
Who is in the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is made up of saints in heaven and on earth. The saints are sinners saved by the grace of God (I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Timothy 1:15). Turn to Colossians 1:9-14. We are born into the kingdom of darkness. It takes the power of God to take us out of the kingdom of darkness and place us into the kingdom of His dear Son. Verse 13 says, "hath delivered" which means to draw, drag along the ground. To draw or snatch from danger, rescue, deliver. In the N.T. it is used of God delivering His saints. This is a work that only God can do. Not only can you not deliver yourself from the kingdom of darkness, you don't want to be delivered from the kingdom of darkness. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil," John 3:19. We are conceived in sin, live in sin, love sin, and are bound by sin. We serve sin, and the kingdom of darkness. We need deliverance. Aren't you thankful for the Gospel?!
Many of the people Christ was teaching were slaves to the religious system of that day. The religious system had taken the Law of God and placed over the Law of God man's traditions. They made the do's and don'ts of the law, and the traditions of men as a means of salvation. They did this to control the people. When John the Baptist started his ministry, and then Christ started His six months later, they both preached repentance from sin. Turn from your sins and turn to the promise of God, which is the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. This is the same message we proclaim today. This is eternally important. Before we go further, are you saved according to the bible? Has God delivered you from the kingdom of darkness and placed you in the kingdom of His dear Son? Do you submit to the authority of the King of kings? Or do you wish the preacher would hurry up because you have better things to do? It takes time to grow and mature as a Christian, and we give ourselves to those things we love.
The last part of Luke 9:11 says, "and healed them that had need of healing." Through Christ's ministry on earth, He was continually healing people. This magnifies Christ's compassion towards people. Christ taught them, He healed them, and we will learn next time that He also fed them. Christ tended to the needs of people. This marked His whole ministry. Though we do not have the power to heal people today, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:17-21). We show compassion on people when we share the Gospel with them. No matter how good you may think you are or how bad you think you are, you need deliverance from the penalty of your sins, and the only One that can do that for you is Jesus Christ.
During the ministry of Jesus Christ, He showed compassion to multitudes. He is still showing compassion today by saving people's souls. One day He is coming back to this earth. He is not coming back to die, He is coming back as Lord of lords and King of kings. He is coming back to judge the living and the dead. He will judge with perfect judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Christ will not show compassion to the lost on this day. There will be no mercy, no grace, no second chances. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still, and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still," Revelation 22:11. On this day it will be too late. Today is the day of salvation. Lost sinner, I beg you to come to Jesus for salvation. Don't let your pride send you to suffer God's wrath in a literal hell for eternity. Seek Him while He may be found. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," Acts 4:12. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out," John 6:37.
Oh what a Saviour!
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Soli Deo Gloria.
