When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. – Matthew 9: 36 (MSG)
Has your heart ever been broken?
Was it over a failed relationship? Or receiving a medical diagnosis?
I have lived over five decades. I can assure you that I have had my heart broken many, many times. But nothing I have experienced compares with what I see in this verse. Reading this passage that truly convicts me: As a Christ-follower, I must confess that I rarely have my heart broken for people.
Today in church we were reminded of an organization in our city that will assist many single moms and families this upcoming Thanksgiving. It was an invitation to support this ministry, and I believe hearts were warmed by the fact that our church would be feeding more families this year than in years past.
But hearts broken?
My mind was challenged: What breaks my heart for the crowds? Being in Chicago during the Cubs’ World Series win, I saw complete strangers hugging and high-fiving. Millions gathered to celebrate their home team, an underdog coming from behind after years—more than a century—of loss. And so, I sat in O’Hare asking God to give me a heart broken for people. As of this writing I’m not quite sure what it will take. But I know that Christ’s heart was broken by the crowds.
Keep reading this blog; I hope to share what I find out as I walk this journey of being a Christ-follower, a disciple-maker.
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Hey! How we would love to meet some of you reading this. We will be at Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, for Exponential’s Chicago regional Tuesday, November 15, through Wednesday, November 16. Come find us at the NavPress booth, 1635 Emerson Ln, Naperville, IL 60540. Mention you are a reader of The DiscipleMaker blog and we have a gift just for you!
-NavPress Publisher Don Pape