Although we commonly think of the Twelve as apostles occupying a special place in the ministry of Christ and in the history of the early church, they are rarely so designated in the Gospels. Luke’s record is something of an exception in this respect, but it needs to be remembered that he was not one of the Twelve. John, who was one of the leading apostles, does not use the term once to describe the group. His favorite expression, whether he is talking of Christ’s followers in general, or of the Twelve in particular, is “disciples,” a word which means “one taught or trained” (see Young’s Concordance). John’s emphasis is surely a right one. First and foremost the apostles were disciples, following Christ, learning from him, and gradually imbibing his spirit. His success in changing these men, apart from the sad exception of Judas, was remarkable.
Important Truth
For those who aspire to be preachers of the Gospel, here is an important truth to remember: the work of preaching must be regarded as an aspect and expression of our discipleship. We must constantly be learning from Christ. Can we doubt that he loves us? “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). “God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). There can be no love without compassion, and there can be no compassion without love. The Gospel has its origin in the love of God. The Creator loves man despite his waywardness, and “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Timothy 2:4, RSV). This must not blind us to the fact that if there is no response to God’s love, if a man does not obey the Son, he shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him (John 3:36, RSV). However, let us never lose sight of the fact that God’s primary concern in sending the Son into the world was not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17).
No one can read the Gospels attentively and not notice how prominently compassion figures in the actions of the Lord Jesus. The miracles, we often say, were performed to establish the authority of the Lord, to demonstrate that he was the Son of God: If I do not the works of the Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in Him” (John 10:37, 38). Now if we read these words carefully we notice that, while it is undoubtedly true that the works support Christ’s claims, the emphasis is on the Father’s activity in and through the Son. There is a unity between the two, so that God, who is love (I John 4:8, 16), reveals that love in the person of his beloved Son. We do well, therefore, to notice how frequently compassion is the motive of Christ’s actions. The very fact that the Lord travelled so widely in the land, teaching and preaching, brought him into contact with the people, burdened with their infirmities and daily needs: “. . . when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Christ’s behavior on the occasion of the feeding of the 5,000 is particularly notable. Saddened by the news of the death of John the Baptist (Matthew 14: 13) and anxious to have some privacy with his apostles after their tour of preaching and healing (Luke 9:1, 2, 10), the Lord sought solitude in the neighborhood of Bethsaida. But this was not to be. His purpose became known to the people, and they followed him (Matthew 14:13; Mark 6:33; Luke 9:11). These are just the sort of circumstances that cause most of us to become irritated: we want to get away from people, but they will not let us. The Lord was different. Both Matthew and Mark tell us that he was moved with compassion by the state of the people, while Luke says that “he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing” (9:11, RSV).
Moved with Compassion
This expression, “to be moved with compassion,” is very eloquent for in the original it means “to have the bowels yearning.” It speaks of deep and genuine feeling. This is no natural and spontaneous product of our fleshly nature: it comes only by concentration on the example of Christ, by discipline and prayer.
There has been a tendency in the brotherhood to produce theological heavyweights, capable of out-punching an opponent and of laying him full length on the canvas. In the course of my own experience in these islands and abroad, I can remember occasions when fellow-campaigners and myself have really “mixed it” with people of different religious beliefs. One campaign at Orleans comes particularly to mind in this connection. We ran into a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were obviously accustomed to meeting people with little knowledge of Scripture, and of getting the better of them. At the end of a few days they were clearly “punch drunk,” but we could not have been completely merciless, for something of an affection developed between the two camps. Perhaps it was the treatment they best understood in view of their own training in theological pugilism. It is undoubtedly an advantage to be able to expose the weaknesses in another’s argument or point of view. When this is accompanied by compassion and a genuine concern for the other’s salvation, “Knowledge” acquires another dimension because of its association with love.
The Lord Jesus had the depth of compassion which embraced people even when they rejected his message. Surely all of us have marvelled at that incident recorded by Luke: “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes” (19:41,42).
Here then is the quality of compassion which should distinguish our preaching. It yearns over people, because of a genuine concern for their needs, physical and spiritual. The young preacher who has success in the mission field will learn from experience that compassion is indispensable. His converts will be people with needs and problems, the number of which is often surprising and disconcerting. They will look to him for help, possibly over many, many years. Our responsibilities are not discharged when we baptize a person: they have only begun. Preaching of the right kind calls for stamina, patience, and a rich measure of Christ-like compassion.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One