Compassion and Mission: The Heartbeat of Faith

The gospel of Matthew reveals a powerful rhythm in the life of faith: the inward breath of Christian living and the outward breath of Christian mission. Jesus, sovereign and divine, models this rhythm by first immersing himself among the outsiders and outcasts—teaching, preaching, and healing—before calling his followers to mission. This pattern is not accidental; Matthew intentionally places the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on Mission side by side, showing that a life with God naturally leads to a life sent by God.

Missions, as defined by Scripture and the early church, is not simply any act of sharing faith or doing good. A missionary is one who is sent—affirmed and commissioned by the local church—to a place of recognized need, to fulfill the Great Commission. While every Christian is called to make disciples, not every Christian is a missionary in this specific sense. The distinction matters because it honors both the unique calling of those sent and the universal responsibility of all believers to bear witness to Christ.

What drives Jesus into mission is not merely a desire for God’s glory or even the existence of hell, though both are true and weighty. The heart of Jesus is moved by compassion—a deep, visceral response to the suffering and lostness of humanity. Compassion is not just empathy; it is a willingness to step into the pain of others and act to relieve it. When Jesus sees the crowds, he sees sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless, and his heart breaks for them. This is the wellspring of his mission: a love that cannot stand idly by while people wander toward destruction.

The reality of hell, as Jesus himself often taught, underscores the urgency of mission. Hell is not a comfortable topic, but it is a necessary one, for it magnifies the holiness of God and the depth of our redemption. Jesus’ compassion is most clearly seen in his willingness to bear our sin, to be crucified in our place, so that we might be rescued from eternal separation from God.

In light of this, the call is clear: the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. The first and most vital response is to pray—to ask the Lord of the harvest to thrust out workers into his fields. God has already prepared hearts; our role is to pray for workers and to be open to being sent ourselves, trusting that the work of redemption is God’s, not ours. Out of compassion, we join Jesus in seeking the lost, that all might know the Good Shepherd.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The Rhythm of Christian Life and Mission Christian existence is like breathing: we inhale through deepening our life with God, and we exhale by participating in his mission. These two movements are inseparable; a vibrant faith naturally leads to a life that is sent. The placement of the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on Mission in Matthew is a deliberate call to live out both aspects fully, refusing to separate devotion from action. [03:33]
• 2. The True Nature of Missions and Missionaries Not every act of sharing faith is “missions,” and not every believer is a missionary in the biblical sense. A missionary is one who is sent by the local church to a place of recognized need, commissioned to fulfill the Great Commission. This distinction honors the unique calling of missionaries while affirming that all Christians are called to make disciples wherever they are. [09:57]
• 3. Compassion as the Heartbeat of Jesus’ Mission Jesus is not driven by mere duty or even by the abstract desire for God’s glory; his motivation is compassion—a gut-level response to the suffering and lostness of people. Compassion moves beyond empathy; it compels action to relieve suffering and rescue the lost. This is the heart that led Jesus to the cross and that must animate all true mission. [11:34]
• 4. The Reality of Hell and the Urgency of Redemption Hell is a sobering reality, not because God is cruel, but because he is infinitely holy. The horror of hell magnifies the wonder of our salvation and the depth of Jesus’ compassion. Remembering what we are rescued from gives urgency and gratitude to our mission, reminding us that the stakes are eternal and the need is desperate. [17:07]
• 5. Prayer as the First Response to the Mission Field The harvest is plentiful because God has already prepared hearts, but the workers are few. Our first and most important response is not to strategize or recruit, but to pray—to ask God to thrust out laborers into his harvest. Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s compassion and opens us to be used by him, trusting that the work is ultimately his, not ours. [29:36]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:59] - Matthew’s Literary Structure: Two Sermons
• [03:33] - The Breath of Faith: Life and Mission
• [04:31] - Defining Missions and Missionaries
• [06:35] - The Sending of Missionaries: Biblical Foundations
• [07:56] - Accountability and Reporting in Missions
• [09:57] - Who Is a Missionary?
• [11:34] - Jesus’ Motivation: Compassion, Not Just Worship
• [14:28] - The Reality of Hell and the Need for Rescue
• [17:07] - God’s Holiness and the Depth of Redemption
• [20:06] - The Helpless and Harassed: Sheep Without a Shepherd
• [21:30] - The Failure of Israel’s Shepherds and Jesus’ Response
• [23:15] - Why Mission Exists: Worship, Hell, and Compassion
• [24:40] - The Plentiful Harvest and the Challenge of Evangelism
• [27:17] - God’s Work in Redemption and Our Role
• [29:36] - The Call to Pray for Workers
• [31:11] - God Thrusts Out Laborers
• [33:08] - Responding to Jesus’ Compassion: Prayer and Action
• [34:35] - Closing Prayer

Small Group Bible Study Guide: The Rhythm of Life and Mission (Matthew 9:35-38)

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Bible Reading

Matthew 9:35-38 (ESV)
> 35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
> 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
> 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
> 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Ezekiel 34:2-6, 11 (ESV)
> 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?
> 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.
> 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
> 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts.
> 6 My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
> 11 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.”

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Observation Questions

1. According to Matthew 9:36, what did Jesus feel when he saw the crowds, and how does Matthew describe the condition of the people?

([11:34])

1. In Matthew 9:37-38, what does Jesus say about the harvest and the workers? What is the first thing he tells his disciples to do in response?

([29:36])

1. In Ezekiel 34, what are the failures of the shepherds of Israel, and what is God’s promise in response to those failures?

([20:06])

1. How does the sermon define the difference between a “missionary” and a Christian who shares their faith?

([06:35])

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Matthew intentionally place the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on Mission side by side? What does this reveal about the rhythm of Christian life?

([03:33])

1. The sermon says that Jesus’ motivation for mission is compassion, not just a desire for God’s glory or the reality of hell. How is compassion different from empathy, and why is this distinction important for understanding Jesus’ actions?

([11:34])

1. The reality of hell is described as both sobering and necessary. How does understanding the seriousness of hell affect the urgency and gratitude in our mission?

([17:07])

1. The sermon makes a distinction between being “sent” as a missionary and being a disciple who makes disciples. Why is it important to honor both the unique calling of missionaries and the universal responsibility of all believers?

([09:57])

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Application Questions

1. The sermon describes Christian life as “inhaling” (life with God) and “exhaling” (life sent by God). Which side of this rhythm do you tend to neglect—deepening your life with God or participating in his mission? What is one step you could take this week to restore balance?

([03:33])

1. Jesus’ compassion moved him to action for the lost and suffering. Think of a situation or person in your life where you feel empathy but haven’t yet acted with compassion. What would it look like to take a step beyond empathy and actually help?

([11:34])

1. The sermon says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Do you see the world around you as a “plentiful harvest”? Why or why not? How might your perspective change if you believed God has already prepared hearts?

([25:55])

1. Jesus’ first command in response to the need is to pray for workers. How often do you pray specifically for God to send out workers—either from our church or elsewhere? What would it look like to make this a regular part of your prayer life?

([29:36])

1. The sermon challenges us to be open to being sent ourselves. What fears or hesitations do you have about being “sent” by God, whether locally or globally? How can you bring those fears to God in prayer?

([31:11])

1. The reality of hell is uncomfortable, but the sermon says it magnifies the wonder of our salvation. How does remembering what you’ve been rescued from change the way you view your own faith and your responsibility to others?

([17:07])

1. The sermon defines a missionary as someone sent by the local church to a place of recognized need. Do you know any missionaries personally? How can you support or encourage them this month—through prayer, a message, or another tangible way?

([07:56])

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Close in prayer, asking God to give your group the compassion of Jesus, to send out workers into his harvest, and to show each person how they can participate in his mission.