The Controversial Compassion of Christ

One thing that the world knows about Jesus is that Jesus had a message of love. But few actually understand how radical and polarizing his love was. So controversial. In fact, that crucifixion was in his future. For his love was far more radical than what both high ranking religious men and and lonely sinners could stomach. Today we are going to be discussing the controversial compassion of Christ. How Yeshua dealt with Israel's enemies. How love is both more than about feelings and more than about rebuke. We're going to look at stories of God's compassion, the historical context of the Canaanites and how Jesus healed a demon oppressed girl. We'll also look at the grace and compassion that Christ calls us to and who exactly will inherit the kingdom. Hey guys, my name is PD and welcome to Rise on Fire where we talk about walking as Jesus walked. The biblical love of Christ is both inclusive and exclusive. Now hear me out for Culture Today has redefined these terms and even the ways of Christ to create a Christ that they desire and that is comfortable to them. But the Scriptures portray a biblical Yeshua with a biblical love. And Yeshua was radically inclusive in that he showed radical grace to those who were out of covenant with God, calling them near and including those then who were previously excluded by religious gatekeepers like the 1st century Pharisees. Yeshua came to outcasts and sinners with a message of redemption and restoration to God, making them away. But at the same time he was radically exclusive for those who decide to draw nearer and hearer. He called them to a greater devotion to God than what was previously imagined even by the most religious of men. And at the same time excluding those who choose to remain enemies of God, even after hearing this good news of restoration that he is bringing them. In effect, Yeshua is saying that because your sin is so much greater than you understand, you need to know my love is so much greater than you ever knew and my sacrifice for you then calls you to also bring a sacrifice to die and live for me. Yeshua turned the religious world of the first century upside down. Many religious men who thought that they are in covenant with God were suddenly shown that they are actually being excluded from the covenant because of their lack of faith in the Messiah. And many previously excluded sinners were now being included by the Messiah because of their faith in him. A sinner who previously thought he could never be reunited with God because of the things he's done and where he's come from and maybe the fact that he is a pagan Gentile suddenly Has the door opened to him by the door that is the Messiah. And so the sinner grabs a hold of Jesus garment with joy. Whilst on the other hand, a religious man thought he was united with God, but actually in his pride had the door closed to him. And so he crucified Christ with joy. See, as he calls both the religious and non religious all people to repentance, his life brings to life the Greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37. And he said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. So this begs the question, how is our heart to love God? Now there are a few ways, but I would like to focus today on one of the most controversial aspects of Christ's ministry. His compassion upon the lost. We read in Matthew 9:35 and Yeshua 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. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like a she sheep without a shepherd. It was from compassion and love for the people that he poured himself out for them all. But notice that compassion is actually an activity for Christ. It's something that he does, not just something that he feels. And behind compassion there is a certain emotion that I want us all to explore for a moment, which is called empathy. Its definition is that it is to feel the emotions of another person, which is a core aspect of emotional empathy. While empathy also influences our logic, our cognitive aspects, like understanding another person's perspective. See, many people today actually struggle to understand other people because they themselves struggle to experience empathy. They do not share the emotions that other people have and then struggle to see things from their perspective. And empathy also, of course, when we experience another person's emotions and sharing that with them, we can serve them in a deeper and more real way. And that can actually drive us to have a deeper level of compassion upon what they themselves are going through. In this world today, there are these two opposing errors and forces that exist. On the one hand, this idea that our emotions and feelings alone can lead us well. And of course that's not true, because not everything we feel is true and not everything we feel is a fruit of the Spirit. However, on the other hand, some react to this, this idea of being led by feelings and swing all the way to the other side, to this idea that a lack of emotion actually will lead us best. But God has given us emotions such as empathy, compassion in others so that we can be led into a place of humility and grace. I want to submit to you that many people struggle to show grace to others and to be humble because their hearts are hardened and they cannot feel any more. They cannot have empathy with another, nor compassion with another. And then we may have the Bible and we may have all the logic and we may have all the reasonings and all the laws and all the the truth, but you can have all of these. But if you have not love, you have nothing at all. For all of who God is is love. And love is the truth of God's word combined with the grace of God, where God has felt what we felt because he came in the form of Yeshua. And as he walked and he experienced pain and betrayal, so he can connect with our bruises, he can feel what we felt and he can look upon the crowds with compassion. So if you want to be more like Yeshua, you need to start feeling. Romans 12:15 says, Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. The Bible is actually instructing us to share in the emotions of others, that is to have empathy. God experiences emotions Himself. Now I know that may sound quite obvious, but remember that it is because of the fact that God not only wrote down law and judged us by the law, but because he felt felt something towards us. He decided to relent his judgment for something that he called joy. And in Hebrews 12:2 we read looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne. God. Christ, on the way to the cross, saw joy before him. The joy of dying for you and for me. And he now today comes and he gives the same love that he has for us all to us also. We may love one another as he's loved us, and so we may lay down our lives for one another as he's laid down his life for us. So let us experience that joy that Christ experienced, that empathy and that compassion, so that we may set that joy of Christ before others as well. Now I want us to look at a real biblical story of his compassion, specifically the story of the Canaanite woman. Now, in this story, important context is often missed. But I want you to today understand the gravity of of this situation. So we're going to read a few verses before. In Matthew 15:17, we read. Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the Mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts. Murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, death, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone. So, of course, this is a moment where the Pharisees came to Christ and his disciples and asked him, why do you not wash your hands before you eat, according to the tradition of the elders? Now Christ immediately calls them out in verse three. Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? I want to highlight something to you that many people misunderstand. Of course Christ is speaking of the washing of hands, but he's not talking about washing of hands as we may think of it, like how most of us wash our hands before we have a meal for hygiene. No, he's talking about a tradition and a ritual within Judaism which existed in the first century and even exists today in orthodox circles. This tradition was that there is water that is poured over both hands up to the wrists before meals. While this is happening, a blessing is recited, the blessing of the hand washing. And there is this belief that neglecting to do this is sinful, that it defiles a person and will bring punishment from heaven upon the person's life. I want to read to you just a few verses from the Talmud, not because the Talmud is truth, but so that you can understand what these Pharisees believed. In Shabbat 62B, we read three matters bring a person to a state of poverty as a divine punishment from heaven. One who urinates before his bed while naked, and one who demeans the ritual washing of the hands. And one whose wife curses him in his presence. We also read, and I quote, as Ralph Hizdah said, I washed my hands with handfuls of water, and they gave me in reward, handfuls of prosperity. We also read in the Sotah 4b, concerning anyone who eats bread without washing his hands. It is as if he engaged in sexual intercourse with a prostitute. And so you see that what the Pharisees believed was way deeper than what may appear just on the surface. They believe that Yeshua and his disciples, by not washing their hands, and by definition, anyone who does not wash their hands before they eat undergoes a spiritual contamination and curses come upon the person eating with those unwashed hands. And so you could now understand why there was this great hindrance and division between Jewish people and Gentiles in the first century. Jesus purposefully and completely ignores this oral law of Judaism because he understands its destructive nature. And by not washing his hands with his disciples before they eat, they're sending a very clear message that this division is unacceptable and against God's will. But he then further drives home this point by right after his confrontation with the Pharisees, traveling to Tyre and Sidon, Gentile territory. And it is here where Jesus meets a canaanite woman. Matthew 15:21. And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David. My daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. But he did not answer her a word. The fact that she is a Canaanite woman is very significant. And I'm going to take a moment now to explain to you some of the Canaanite history. And because that history is quite ugly, I'm going to be putting out a parental advisory at this point for our younger listeners. In the story of Noah In Genesis 9:22, we read first about Canaan and Ham. The father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father Noah, and told his two brothers outside. Noah was so upset by this that the consequence is explained in verse 25, where Noah said, cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers. So what's the big deal that Canaan is to be cursed? What did his father Ham do by seeing the nakedness of his father Noah? Well, this word Saul, in the Hebrew Ra can mean a variety of things. It can also mean to have experience with someone, to be near someone, to perceive or to joyfully look upon. We're not entirely sure what exactly happened, but it is likely that there was something sexual in nature that occurred. We also see that when God comes and warns Israel in the Exodus against the Canaanites, this is now the offspring of Canaan, this son that was cursed. One of the first things that God warns Israel against sexual sins. Leviticus 18:3. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as I do in the land of Canaan, to which I'm bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. Verse 6. None of you shall approach anyone of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. Of course, Canaan, the first of this lineage, was known for the fact that he uncovered the nakedness of his father. Canaanite behavior for much of history became famously known as people of idolatry, incest, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, temple prostitution, being normalized all of these were seen as a common way of drawing near to their pagans gods. They also had child sacrifices which they conducted in order to win the favor of their gods and win battles. They even laid sacrificed children at the cornerstones of their homes when they were building it to dedicate their homes for prosperity's sake, the Canaanites treated not only one another, but even their own children with horrific circumstances in ways that we cannot even imagine with clarity today. So when we come to Jesus being confronted by a Canaanite woman, he's not only faced with the obvious cultural taboo to not help this Canaanite woman because she would be considered defiled and unclean, because she does not follow Jewish customs culturally. As we read earlier, the Gentile nations were considered as lying with prostitutes simply based off the fact that they lacked hand washing. But now we further see on a biblical level that the Canaanite people were of the worst of the worst regarding sin and were even pronounced cursed in the Bible, in the Book of Genesis. And then now, spiritually speaking, this Canaanite woman's daughter has a demon, an unclean spirit. So we're just like building now this picture. We're seeing that the amount of taboo that is occurring in this interaction is off the charts. If there is anyone who is too dirty, if there is anyone who is too disqualified from the love of Christ, to the disciples of Christ, it is this cursed Canaanite woman. In Matthew 15:23, we read, and his disciples came and begged him, saying, send her away, for she is crying out after us. The disciples were shown just before this encounter in the verses we read prior to how this cultural tradition of the washings doesn't disqualify Gentiles from Christ, but now he is going to address with them actual spiritual uncleanness. We see Christ answers the woman and says, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and knelt before him, saying, lord, help me. And he answered, it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. So at this point, it still looks like this woman is not going to be helped. Jesus describes the house of Israel, that is his people, as the children. And he tells her that he cannot take the bread meant for them and give it to the dogs. Now, this word you used here, dogs, is often lost in translation in our English Bibles. Culturally, in the first century, Gentiles were called dogs. This was a derogatory term, like an unclean animal. And we also see this echoed in the Scripture, where the scripture calls sinners dogs, as we see in Philippians 3, 2, look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. And this word here for a dog is the word kooon. This just means a dog, a hound, literally. When Yeshua speaks to the Canaanite woman, he doesn't use this same word, but he uses the Greek word kunarion, a derivative, a similar word to the traditional word used for dog. But this one is the more affectionate form of that word. It is like if we say today a cute puppy or little dog. What we're seeing Yeshua do is he's using a word his disciples are familiar with, but a derivative thereof, using irony to communicate the truth of this whole matter. It's an incredible play of on words to show his disciples that she is not to be despised as Gentile sinners, traditionally called as dogs, but to be received with compassion. And this is what then happens. She says, yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table. Jesus then answers her, O woman, great is your faith. Be it done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed instantly from the demon. The Canaanite woman responds with great faith and humility. She doesn't demand of Yeshua to give her the bread that was meant for the children of Israel, but that even a crumb of it would be enough to deliver her daughter. And her great humility and faith brings freedom, and in her act, the fruit of her repentance in coming to Yeshua, in this humility is a sign of redemption for all Canaanite people, that they all can too be saved if they come to Yeshua, as she has. For of course, this woman will return to her house and town with a healed daughter, rid of every infirmity as a testimony to them all of the power, the grace and the mercy of God, and how he is calling all of them to Himself. What is so sad is that children so often have to suffer because of the bad decisions of their parents. And this is something that the Bible calls a curse. Just like we read in Genesis regarding that sin of Ham that came upon Canaan. And we see the same thing today when we look around us, a proclivity in sons to walk in the footsteps of their fathers. If a father was an alcoholic, we so often see that continue down the family line. If a father was in sexual sin, we so often see the children struggle with the same. And it goes on and on. We see on a spiritual level that children can be afflicted by demons. We see that in an environmental way, when children are in an environment of sin, that they will be negatively affected to either learn those behaviors or suffer trauma. And we also see even in science today, that whenever there is addiction, that those things can be passed on on a DNA level onto our children if we have not conquered it in our own life. This causes sons to walk in the footsteps of their fathers. And even if none of these things take place, we see that there is always a direct consequence of sin that is suffered by children. In ancient Canaan, the children suffered because the nations decided to rebel against God through rampant sexual immorality, child sacrifice and idolatry. And God's judgment is came upon the Canaanite nation as seen in Deuteronomy 20:17. But while children can suffer for the choices of the parents, the children may also be blessed by the choices of the parents. And so this is what we see happen with this Canaanite woman who comes from a line of who knows what. Who knows what has led to her child suffering with this demonic oppression. But Yeshua reverses every curse, including this one. The reality is that we all were once as Canaanites. We have all been under a curse of sin and death, demonic oppressions and slaveries, and addictions of many sorts when we were sinners and apart from Christ. But through Christ, every curse is broken. He gives us a baptism for the remission of our sins so that we can come out of the water made clean and delivered. It is truly all about the bread. The Canaanite woman understood exactly what she wanted when she came to the Bread of Life. For we read in John 6:35, Yeshua said to them, I am the bread of Life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger. And whoever believes in Me shall never thirst. All that the Father gives me will come to Me. And whoever comes to Me, I will never cast out. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life. And I will raise him up on the last day. And this is the part of God's compassion that people really struggle to get their head around, that even in his judgment, he is full of loving mercy and compassion and empathy for us. I mean, just think about the Exodus story for a moment where all of the surrounding nations in that world witness the signs and wonders and power of God, his great mercy to deliver these slaves from the most powerful nation of the ancient world. That nation which we still have their monuments standing today. The Nation of Egypt, they're all overthrown by this mighty God of Israel. And even overthrowing them them, he shows mercy because he does so slowly. Over 10 plagues, warning each time, this is going to happen, this is going to happen, this is going to happen. Turn, relent, let them go. And it will stop. It will not happen. You will not have to suffer. And we read in 2 Peter 3, 9, the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Why are we still breathing right now? Why are you still breathing? Why am I still breathing? Why have we not just been taken into the next life? He could have done that already, but he is relenting because with saving his people, he also has to judge those who are not. And he wishes all of those to still come in to become his people, for a people who are not his people to be his people. But now, being without excuse, when the nations refused to repent of their sin, God brought judgment upon them, and rightfully so, and not without warning. And so that's the present cycle we're in right now. Right now, God's signs are upon the earth. In this age of Shavuot, this age of Pentecost, where that was the last feast that was fulfilled upon the earth, where the Spirit of God was poured out, speaking in tongues, went forth, healing went forth, deliverance went forth. And that's happening still today through his faithful vessels. That is to be the sign of God upon the earth. The opportunity for the nations to witness the power of God so that they all may turn to Christ. The message that no matter what your nation is, no matter what your religion is, no matter what your background is, no matter what you've done, even if you are a Canaanite woman with a demon oppressed daughter, you can turn to Christ. This is compassion. It's radical. It upsets the religious at times. It brings joy to the sinners that have hearts of humility, but it also upsets the sinners who sin and continue hating God. In the future, there will be another final battle. Those who come against the people of God yet again, as they have. And all of these stories of past time, they will be wiped out in the future, according to Christ himself. And he, the one who is the most compassionate and loving of all, who is known as the most loving, loving person of all, will come with a sword and destroy his enemies. And that will be compassion upon his people who have been persecuted and who have been betrayed and who have even been murdered. We read in Revelation 19:19, and I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet, who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped the image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse. And all the birds were gorged with their flesh. This, today is the time where God calls repentance by his great mercy and compassion. This is the time of the open door for every Canaanite and unclean person to be made clean. But a time is coming when that door will shut. The grace of God is like a lifeboat in the midst of the sea. And when you find yourself in the middle of the sea and your arms start growing tired and it starts hitting you that you have nowhere to swim and are about to drown, then a lifeboat emerges. But the boat has the flag of a nation that is not your own. And you can decide to reach out and be rescued. But you also know that when you reach out and when you're pulled onto that boat, you have to follow their ways. Christ is rescuing the broken. But if you want to be rescued, you need to get into his boat and become part of his kingdom, leaving your ways, your culture, your thinking behind. For his ways and his kingdom are not your ways and not your kingdom, but his ways are better. And he will never let you fall into the ocean again while this world will be quick to throw you overboard. And then you realize all of this, this new boat, this new nation, this new kingdom, it's not actually that foreign. And you discover that your Father in heaven owns the boat. The One who made you, who's always known you, even if you didn't always know Him. And he sent that boat just for you. See, God is pursuing you personally, individually, with his grace. Intervening in your life at unexpected moments to show his love. If you could only recognize it. Men, they have free will. And men in this world will betray us. But God and His love will prevail, and he will never betray us. And he takes us all to Himself until the last day where we will all be resurrected to the face to face with Him. A place where there will be no more tears, no more death, no more hurt, no more fear. And so I'd like to conclude today with this question. Who are the Canaanites? Your culture. Who were you taught by your culture to hate? Who is too far gone? Now, I know we wouldn't say anyone is too far gone with our mouths. But I'm talking about what we say about where we go and who we reach out to with the gospel. Yeshua went to Canaanite territory. Will you? If that's where the Holy Spirit led you today. The Canaanites were known for homosexuality. The Canaanites were known for child sacrifice, also known as abortion. The Canaanites were known for sexual orgies and things like this. Other people like that that you can think about in your community. Will you love your enemy and find a Canaanite women? Don't answer me with your mouth. Shout it with your life. For the compassion of Christ is not something you say. It's an action. Show it to them by having the faith that Christ had. The faith that Christ can deliver the worst of the worst. Even a demon oppressed. Daughter, it's the power of the spirit living inside of you that the Canaanite generation of this present age may understand the love of your father. I'm going to read to you the words of Yeshua. Here we read in Matthew 5:3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Hallelujah. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The poor in spirit, those who are meek, those who are mourning, those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Those who are merciful. Those who are pure in heart. The Lord is going to have empathy. He is going to share in their meekness. He's going to share their mercy. He's going to share in their peacemaking hearts. He's going to share in their hunger and thirst for righteousness. And it is how he shares in these with them that he gives them the kingdom that is built upon these things. And so when you now see these that we have just read about upon the earth, share in these things with them. So that you can manifest the kingdom of God upon this earth even before it has been fully established. For it is those who Start today with Compassion, who will continue in the Kingdom of Compassion, who will walk with the one who is the God of compassion and love. Father, I thank you, Lord, that you have revealed to us your nature, your love, your truth, your grace and your judgment. Father, I thank you, Lord, that you give us all a chance today to dedicate and even rededicate our lives to you. Lord, where we have not been humble, we have not been meek. Put a new spirit within us. Remove our heart of stone that is without emotion and compassion and empathy. And that actually, even though we thought, we are standing on truth. Father, without your love, we are void of truth. Lord, help us to not be clanging symbols, but fruitful sons and daughters of the king. Father, I ask that your spirit would fall upon all listening, that they would walk and shine a light that was the same light that you shined. The light that drew the Canaanite woman, the light that delivered her daughter. The light that breaks the bondages and the curses. The light that is you in us. Lord. Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you give us the power of the spirit to cast out demons as you did, to heal the sick as you did in the name of Yeshua and to love by serving as you did. Help us to break every cultural tradition that comes against the commandments of God. Help us to be radical to even Christianity. For you are calling us to a standard. The standard where we love the unlovable, as the world has declared. Father, I thank you for your mercy on our life. Lord, help us to show mercy so we may be shown more mercy. Give us your discernment for the truth. Give us hunger for righteousness. I pray all of this in name of Yeshua, my Messiah. Amen. Thank you for joining me. May the Father bless and keep you. Shalom Sa.