“When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)

When I see a crowd, I groan.

When I enter the freeway and see traffic backed up in every lane, I groan. When I arrive at the airport, turn the corner, and see the security line winding through the stanchions and down the corridor, I groan.

Because a crowd often means delay.
It means more noise, more waiting, and oftentimes more work.

Sometimes the crowds are not on the freeway or in an airport.
Sometimes they’re in our calendars or inboxes.
They’re in our homes and our hearts.

There are more needs than we can carry.
More responsibilities than we could manage.
More people than we know how to help.

In Matthew 9, Jesus and His disciples had been moving from town to town and village to village. Jesus was teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and affliction.

Everywhere they went, more people came. Matthew’s gospel doesn’t tell us how the disciples responded when they saw another crowd. Instead, it tells us what Jesus felt — “When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them.”

Jesus saw the same need, confusion, weariness, and pain that everyone else saw, but He was not overwhelmed by it. He didn’t turn away. He didn’t groan.

He had compassion.

Jesus’s compassion was not passive. It wasn’t pity from a distance. His compassion moved Him toward people who were hurting, burdened, and lost.

That’s comforting because Jesus sees the crowded places in our lives too.

He sees the responsibilities that pile up.
The needs we do not know how to meet.
The questions that we are still struggling to answer.

He sees the worries that we carry quietly, and the burdens that leave us feeling harassed and helpless. He doesn’t look at us with frustration or say, “Here we go again.”

He simply sees us with compassion.

And this is where seeing and serving begin.
Jesus sees us before He asks anything of us.
He sees our need even before we know how to name it.

His compassion moves Him toward us. Ultimately, that compassion moved Him all the way to the cross.

Jesus did not come merely to observe our brokenness.
He came to carry it.
He came to serve.
He came to save.

And because we have been seen by Him, we can begin to see others differently. Not as interruptions, crowds, or problems to avoid, but as people Christ loves.

This is the heart behind Lutheran Church Charities’ annual campaign, See & Serve. Compassion is seeing others through the eyes of Christ and serving them with His love.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will share stories from our ministries, devotions, and opportunities to see how God is using Lutheran Church Charities to bring His mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation to people who are suffering and in need.

Be assured of this: You are not one more burden in the crowd to Jesus. You’re someone He sees, serves, and loves deeply.

Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank You for seeing me with compassion. When my life feels crowded with needs, responsibilities, and fears, remind me that You’re not overwhelmed or distant. Help me to find rest in that mercy that You give to me. Give me eyes to see others as You see them. Not as interruptions, but as people You love. Prepare my heart to serve them with Your compassion. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Final Thought
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