Kind Consistency for the Harassed and Helpless: RRE 30
Religion Ruins Everything Daily 10.10.16 from One Life Network on Vimeo.
[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.”
(Matthew 9:35–38 ESV)
Jesus saw the people and had compassion on them.
Many of the same things that sheep respond to apply to people. I talked to a shepherd once and she said that the way to help and care for the sheep effectively is to show them:
Kindness
Calm
Consistency
People without those things, without someone walking through their daily life showing them those qualities, would seem harassed and helpless. The very next thing Jesus says is to pray that people would go out into the harvest of people needing the kindness and care.
We have a chance to show consistent kindness in whatever environment we are in. When we are at work or school or in our neighborhoods, there are people harassed and helpless waiting for someone to care. When we see people half-way around the world in a state of helplessness, we can pray that God would raise up workers there and send more to help them.