Treasures From John's Gospel - 10

Our Compassionate Savior

 

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.     Matt. 11:28

 

The Lord Jesus is grieved by the misery that sin brings to men and women who are caught in its grip. He met the woman of Samaria at a place where she felt most vulnerable – alone by the well where she should have been enjoying the friendship of other women. He approached her in grace with a message of freedom from sin's degradation. At the pool of Bethesda Jesus gave new life to a helpless man who knew he needed the strength of another, but could find no one to assist him. And to the blind beggar Jesus gave the gift of sight so he could see, and enjoy, the Light of the world.

 

Jesus found them; He granted them life and strength and light – this is His heart toward mankind.

 

We find another sinful woman, another helpless man and another blind man in the Gospel of Luke. However, this time Jesus did not go to them – they came to Him. Luke 7:36-50 records the story of a sinful woman who was so desperate to see Jesus that she went, uninvited, to a dinner at a Pharisee's house. Ordinarily she would avoid contact with the high and mighty Pharisees, but her sense of the Lord's grace made her bold. She poured her heart out to Jesus while pouring perfume onto His feet. Luke also tells of a paralyzed man who was lowered from the roof into a crowded house right in front of Jesus. Jesus recognized his faith and his need; He forgave the man's sins and strengthened his body (Luke 5:18-26). Finally, a blind beggar sitting by the roadside heard Jesus passing by and called out for mercy. Jesus heard the heart-cry of faith and gave the man sight (Luke 5:18-16).  

 

In Luke's gospel we see that sinners are welcome to come to the Savior – those who come, believing, find Him to be a willing Savior. John shows that Jesus does not always wait for us to recognize our need of Him. He is ready to come to us with a heart full of compassion – eager to free us from the misery of sin and to bring us into His rest.

 

. . .  the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.     John  6:37b

 

You did not choose Me but I chose you . . .     John 15:16