Matthew 9:35 (NIV)
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on 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 workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 14:14 (NIV) 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 15:32 (NIV) 32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.

Matthew 20:34 (NIV) 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Matthew 9:35 (NIV) 35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on 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 workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Luke 10:25-37 (NIV) 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

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“Let us be carried into the to be healed” - St Augustine

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Questions for Discussion:

How do you respond when you notice the struggles or problems of the people around you?
(these may be emotional, relational, spiritual, physical, etc. struggles)

a. I’m ready to save the day  b. I feel overwhelmed  c. I call some friends to help  d. I pray
e. I’m too exhausted to notice    f. I eat ice cream    g. I take surveys   h. I hope someone else notices   i. other
Discuss your answers

When have you experienced the healing power of a trusted community with various gifts/skills?
(this may be an emotional, relational, spiriutal, physical, etc. sense of healing)

When have you witnessed the needs of others go consistently unaddressed by the community they “belong” to?
Have you experienced this personally?
What factors contribute to this experience?

How would you describe the gathering of a church community that makes space for genuine healing and redemption?

Isaiah 53:5-6, 10-12
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all….

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

2Corinthians 5:14-21 (NIV)
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1John 1:5-10 (NIV)
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Questions for Discussion

How do you respond when others “overshare”?

a. I look for an exit strategy   b. I give advice to help them make better decisions   c. I listen & pray with them
d. I share with/remind them about the truths of the gospel  e. I need to process what I heard with someone else
f. I ask them if they’d like to take a survey  g. I ask if it’s ok to invite a trusted friend into the conversation
h. I eat ice cream  i. I offer to share ice cream (or a meal) with them for further discussion   j. other
Discuss your answers

When have you felt the freedom to be honest about your struggles in a community?

What does 2 Corinthians 5:17 say about those who’ve put their trust in Jesus? How does this truth empower us to patiently engage the “ministry of reconciliation” (v. 19)?

Notice the parallel in 1John 1:7 and 1:9. How do these verses help clarify one another?

We can help bring healing to shameful experiences by simply making space for one another, creating trust, and reminding one another of the simple gospel. What steps can we take to make this a reality in our respective church communities?