Into the Breach Pt. 2: Bridges and Nets, Compassion and Mercy

Matthew 9:9–13

Matthew 14:14

Luke 10:35–37

Luke 18:38–42

Luke 17:11–14

Mark 9:20–23

Matthew 5:7

Luke 7:12–15

John 11:35

Three Thoughts on the Mission of Compassion and Mercy

1. Your heart must be moved before your mouth is used. Our hearts must break before our words are used to heal. It all starts with feeling as Jesus did in order to live as Jesus did. The quickest way to spiritual amnesia is to stop feeling how Jesus felt toward the broken world around us. We must fight to feel.
2. We step into the breach by becoming the net our neighbors fall into. Before they can be caught by Jesus, they must be caught by you. We cross the street, we touch the wound, we sit in the pain, we point the way.
3. We have to build a life that knows how to catch. Our lives cannot be too busy for the pain of our neighbors. Jesus did not have moments of compassion; he had a life that was willing to be interrupted, and eyes that saw those who needed someone—anyone—to hold onto.