Several years ago a team of us worked in Athens, Greece, serving food to a crowd of refugees. Primarily men from Afghanistan and the Middle East, these guys lived in empty buildings, faced indignities daily, and hoped to move on to Germany or other parts of Europe. As we served, each man nodded a thank you as they gratefully received their meal.

Then they ate like wolves. Never have I stood in the midst of such a group of hungry, desperate men.

Jesus drew crowds, much like the men we fed in Athens. Those showing up dreamed of hearing or seeing or walking for the first time. Their desperation brought waves of compassion from Jesus. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion of them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Harassed. Not just sad, but threatened, intimidated, coerced. Who harassed them? Romans who conquered Palestine, their Jewish puppet rulers, and religious leaders all took a swipe. Add to the misery poor health and a dearth of opportunity. Prodded, ridiculed, and taken advantage of, these folks understood harassment—and so did Jesus.

Jesus noticed everyone, but the harassed and helpless drew his compassion. Good for us to remember in our most desperate times of life.

Matthew 9 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Sarvesh Bhagat