When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. - Matthew 9:36 NIV

Image licensed through www.shutterstock.com.

Needless to say, 2020 has brought challenges that I doubt any of us have ever imagined. This verse has given me a lot of comfort and a lot to think about in the past few days. Jesus, the Great Shepherd, looked out over Jerusalem with compassion because he realized they were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. What strikes me is the compassion that Jesus had on the very people who would turn on him in a relatively short amount of time. He still longed to gather them together as a hen gathers her chicks and nurture them. Jesus, the Great Shepherd, truly desires to comfort and protect all of His sheep. No matter how far they have fallen from Him. No matter how imperfect they are. Whether they’re getting harassed through no fault of their own, or they’re being harassed because they’ve taken the bait of a fallen world. The bait that looks freeing, yet offers nothing but bondage. Jesus invites all of us to experience His compassion.

Image licensed through www.shutterstock.com.

We’ve faced a lot of challenges over the past year. Challenges brought on not only by the pandemic, but also socially and politically. Over the past few weeks, I’ve talked to a lot of people with election anxiety. Both candidates have triggered fear and vulnerability. Of course, there are good people on both sides of this election. Some feel like this nation finally gotten a “good shepherd”. Some feel like their “good shepherd” has been stolen away from them. Some people’s hearts are sinking because the human they’ve seen as their shepherd who could lead them through the challenges of this world seems to have been taken away from them, and efforts to seek justice appear to be falling on deaf ears. Maybe we’ve been looking for a shepherd in the wrong places. Maybe God is trying to get our attention. We need to be looking towards the right shepherd. The Shepherd whose birth is being celebrated all around the world. The only one who suffered and died for our sins. The only one who offers the hope of resurrection life.

Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled…” He is our faithful Shepherd who will never leave us or forsake us. Never! Regardless of the storms of life that we navigate through… Regardless of the sins and weaknesses we wrestle with… Jesus Christ is always waiting for us at the cross. He is the one who will walk with us through the fire. He is the only shepherd who can transform us into His image and carry us through whatever trials come our way. He is our only hope.

Jesus came to have compassion on those who are harassed and helpless. You can have compassion on them too. Reconciliation Ministries is called to serve those who are trapped by the deceitfulness of sin. Those bound by heterosexual lust, pornography, and sexual addiction. Those held captive by LGBTQ identities. Those who were wounded through no fault of their own as helpless victims of sexual abuse. As a member of the Reconciliation Ministries support team, your prayers and financial support can help men, women, and adolescents experience the transformational power of Jesus Christ. You can touch the heart of harassed and hopeless brothers and sisters and help them experience freedom in Christ. Please make a tax-deductible year-end donation to Reconciliation Ministries. You can donate securely online by clicking here. We thank you for helping us bridge the gap between the church and the sexually broken.

In Christ, Dan Hitz and your friends at Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc.