Dear Christian friends:

Do we really appreciate Jesus enough? Do we fail to come to Him in prayer expecting great things from Him? The disciples in our text did not appreciate Jesus enough. They did not expect Him to multiply the five loaves of bread and the two small fishes so that He could feed more than 5,000 people. I suspect that we often are like these disciples and do not expect much help from Jesus. We fail to pray because we think Jesus can't help us or He doesn't care. When we come to church on Sunday morning we do not expect to meet Jesus here and receive His mercy and help. We only expect meet the pastor and our friends. If you stop to think about it, I'm sure that you will agree with me that we do not expect great and wonderful things from Jesus. We do not appreciate Jesus enough.

We need to improve in our appreciation of Jesus. So let us attend to our text that we may learn to


First, we need to appreciate Jesus' compassion more.

In our text we see that Jesus showed great mercy for the people who were sick and hungry. And in other parts of the Bible we read how Jesus often felt sorry for people in trouble and need. At the wedding in Cana, when their wine was all gone, Jesus felt sorry and pity for the young couple. He didn't want them to suffer shame and embarrassment at their wedding reception, so He changed the water and made it become wine (John 2:1-11)

When Jairus came to Jesus and asked Him to come quickly to his house and heal his daughter who was dying, Jesus felt sorry for Jairus and went with him to his house to heal his daughter. (Mark 5:22-43) We all know how Jesus had heart for a deaf man and healed him. (Mark 7:31-37) Jesus even felt sorry for the crooked tax collector, Zaachaeus, whom all the Jews hated. Jesus paid attention to him and asked to visit at his house. (Luke 19:1-10) When the widow's only son died at Nain, Jesus felt sorry for her. He stopped the funeral procession at the gate of the city and commanded the young man to arise from death. (Luke 7:11-15)

These and many other events in the Bible show Jesus' great compassion for people in physical troubles or needs. Jesus often said to His disciples, "I have compassion for the people." (Mark 8:2)

Since Jesus is both true God and true Man He can sympathize with us in our weaknesses and sicknesses. He suffered these same physical weaknesses and troubles that we suffer. He knows how it feels to be in pain, or sick or lonely or despised and dying. The Bible says of Jesus, "He took our infirmities, and suffered our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:17) Jesus who here in our text fed the 5,000 is still the God-Man. But today He sits at God's right hand. Therefore He is present with us wherever we may be. He sees us at all times and is aware of our physical illnesses and needs and He has great compassion also for us today.

As Jesus shows compassion for our physical needs He also shows compassion for our spiritual needs. Like His heavenly Father, Jesus has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but He wants the wicked man to turn from his wrong way and live. (Ezekiel 33:11) Jesus feels sorry for those who are lost in sin, and who suffer the punishment of sin. Jesus said about Himself, "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) Jesus felt sorry for the many people who didn't yet believe in Him: "When He saw the multitudes (many, many people), He felt compassion for them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep, having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

We need to appreciate Jesus' compassion more. We also need to appreciate Jesus' power to help and save us in our need. Compassion is fine, but that is not enough. Power and ability to help is needed with compassion. A mother may feel compassion for her sick and dying child, but she may not be able to save her child. But Jesus is able. He has the power to help. Jesus has both compassion and power.

Jesus showed His great power to help those with physical needs. Here in our text we see how He had the power to multiply the loaves and fishes to feed the 5,000 plus people. He had the power to change the 130 gallons of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. He had the power to raise Jairus' daughter from death and to make the deaf man hear.

And Jesus' great power is still active today. He commanded His disciples to continue His ministry to the bodily needs of men. Here in our text He says to His disciples, "You give them food." (verse 16) When Jesus sent out the 70 disciples He said to them, "Preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:7-8) Through us Christians today Jesus continues His ministry to the needs of the hungry, the refugee, to the naked, the prisoner and the dying. His compassion and power is active in us to help those in physical need.

But Jesus shows His greatest power in ministry to the spiritual needs of men.

He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) He makes those who are dead in sin become alive in the spirit. (Ephesians 2:4-10) He gives eternal life. (John 6:35-40) And He gives hope in this life. (1 Peter 1:3-9)

Jesus' wonderful spiritual power comes to us through His Word and Sacraments (Holy Baptism and Holy Communion). Therefore we need to "HEAR" His Word often at Bible Class and here at church. We need to come to the Lord's Supper often and daily remember our baptism. Then Jesus' spiritual power can come to us and give us new birth and new life now, here on earth, and hope for eternal life in heaven. We also need to bring Jesus' Word and the Sacraments to others who do not yet believe in Him. In this way Jesus' wonderful spiritual power can come to the world, Jesus is depending on us Christians to do that. We should have the same compassion for the lost sheep as Jesus.

We have seen again today what a wonderful Savior we have in Jesus. Appreciate His great compassion and power: Don't be afraid to go to Jesus in time of your need. Invite others to go to Jesus for help and salvation! Jesus can really help you and He wants to help you. He can help in any trouble, whether physical or spiritual.

Amen.