THE COMPASSION AND POWER OF JESUS

A. C. Craig

Luke 7: 11, 12; 8: 40–42, 49, 50; 9: 37–39

Before coming to this country, beloved brethren, we had ample and faithful testimony as to what the beloved saints were passing through here, and that entered into our feelings and prayers; but before we left our country I prayed that as coming here there might not only be ministry—that is important—but too that our very presence might in some little way be a comfort to the beloved saints. That is a test as to how far we can enter into the feelings that belong to such circumstances as the saints are in here, and yet it is possible because we belong to a spiritual system; we belong to a body and, as we quite freely quote, “If one member suffer, all the members suffer with it”, 1 Corinthians 12: 26. That is quite easy to quote, but then we would love to be here in some measure as entering into what the saints are going through, and, if possible, as under the Lord, to lift the load a bit. You can think of Onesiphorus going into the prison at Rome and being a comfort to Paul. Paul says, “Being in Rome”; I do not know that we should say that he went there specially to see Paul; he may have done, but he was in Rome anyway, and seized the opportunity of going to the prison and Paul says he “sought me out very diligently, and found me”, 2 Timothy 1: 17. You can see him going in and lifting that chain and saying, ‘I will take some of the weight, Paul’. See that chain hanging there on that beloved apostle. Onesiphorus would lift the chain and take some of the load. What refreshing! “He has oft refreshed me”. I think, beloved brethren, that would be a real thing. The ability to enter into others’

sufferings would be as with them. Although there might be sympathy and prayers at a distance, but being present I think means there is more entering into it than there could be otherwise.

We belong to a wonderful system. After it speaks in Romans 8 about the sufferings of the present time and the coming glory to be revealed to us, there opens up under the apostle’s service and ministry a whole system of intercession. There we are found praying. We may not be asking properly—we do not know what to pray for as is fitting—but still we are praying; the saints are praying; that is the first thing mentioned. The Spirit also makes intercession, and then too we have the Lord Himself who is at the right hand of God who also intercedes for us. It is wonderful; we have a whole system of sympathetic intercession and support just following upon the sufferings. Well, I commend this to us, beloved brethren.

We have read about an only son, an only daughter, and an only child. It seems to me that with the progression of these cases the depths of loss, the depths of feelings, increase. I mean, as to an only son, that the widow might have had a daughter or more than one. It was Jairus’s only daughter; he might have had a son; but when it comes to the third case it was his only child; apart from that he had neither son nor daughter. I think that as time goes on, the feeling of loss does not lessen. I can easily believe that it maybe increases. This is what I want to suggest, that there is the priestly service of Christ—“Thy refuge is the God of old, And underneath are the eternal arms”, Deuteronomy 33: 27. These arms would be the priestly service in that system—“underneath are the eternal arms”. God will see to it that His people are borne up and supported whatever might be the wilderness path, whatever might be the wilderness

testing. And I believe that among the keenest circumstances are those belonging to the family.

An only son, and it says the mother was a widow. Now think of how Luke, as you would expect, writes about the great Priest, so sympathetic, so compassionate. That is what he brings out here first, compassion, the compassion of the Priest. Think of the compassion of the Priest. He is able, as Man, to enter into the sorrow but bring all the compassion of God into it. This is His service and it is a great matter. It has been said that God does not sympathize; God shows compassion. It takes one in the circumstances, or one who has been in the circumstances, to sympathize, and so we have a wonderful Priest above who is able to sympathize; but too He shows the compassion of God. In this case here she was, a widow.

How intense that is. She had been through this matter before; it is not exactly a new experience for her, her son being taken; she has come through it before, being a widow. How touching that is! I am sure Luke brings something in there that ought to touch our hearts.

Think of Jesus present there and being moved with compassion. I just commend this to us.

His entering into the circumstances of this widow as to her only son, and all that it meant, her hopes gone. What will the meeting do? What about the testimony? Now everything is dashed to the ground. We know about these things, beloved brethren, the feeling of extreme loss. Ah!

but there is the Priest there; He had compassion on her and raised him up.

I want particularly to speak about the middle case, Jairus. You can think of the man’s tender feelings as to his only daughter—“While he was yet speaking” (that is, Jesus was speaking to the woman who had been cured of the issue), “comes some one from the ruler of the synagogue, saying to

him. Thy daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher”. Think of that! Think of the man’s feelings as he waited. The woman has interrupted Jesus on His journey; every minute would be precious to Jairus. You can imagine his feelings as this woman detains Jesus for the moment. But that is one thing about our Priest. He cares for all, and He will not serve one at the expense of another. Still, you can imagine the man’s feelings, and then the word comes,

“Thy daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher”. I am quite sure the man did not shout it out. He would go up to Jairus and he would say quietly, “Thy daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher”. There is a certain tenderness about that, almost a reflection of the feelings of Christ Himself. Then it says, “But Jesus hearing it”; now two things come out here. The man was keeping close to Jesus, but more than that, Jesus was keeping close to the man—“Jesus hearing it”—I think that is beautiful, and He is able to enter sympathetically and feelingly into the peculiar suffering of the moment. It says, “But Jesus, hearing it, answered him saying, Fear not”—look at those arms going round that man, those eternal arms, those priestly arms—“Fear not”. I think there is nothing like that; in the midst of such excruciating circumstances; his only daughter; and Jesus immediately says, “Fear not”. Beautiful, is it not?

What a Priest He is! Beloved brethren, how far we may be able to enter into each other’s difficulties and bereavement is a question, but He is well able to do it. I commend this to us.

He will find a way to do it; only let us keep close to Him and He will keep close to us, that is the great matter.

Then, you come to this last incident, his “only child”. Death in the first case was connected with the only son, and in the second case with the only daughter, but now you get a demon.

Think of what

He is able for. It is a wonderful thing to come to it in our understanding of the truth that death has been dispossessed. Think of that—death has been dispossessed. The empty grave is the proof that death has been dispossessed, and in the glad tidings He has made known life and incorruptibility. These are wonderful things. But then you come to this matter of Satanic influence and power over this man’s son, and the disciples could not undertake to cure it.

There is Jesus, there is always Himself; how wonderful that is! There is His priestly power; not only compassion now and sympathy, but His priestly power. Beloved brethren, this is a solemn matter that there would be those who would interfere with family ties, family relationships. Mr. Taylor said, with regard to provoking the Lord to jealousy, that if you engage the Lord in conflict you are sure to lose. So here is the energy of Satanic influence and power. I think, as I said, that the matter increases in intensity. You think of the heart of Christ. Luke would put these three cases together, I believe, to bring out this kind of thing that would appeal to the heart of Jesus. He heals the child and gives him to his father. He gives the first son to his mother; He raises up Jairus’s daughter and gives her to the parents; but He gives this son back to his father. I think Luke in all these matters would be considering for us, dear brethren, that we might be encouraged and helped in view of the testimony going on. Whatever might be the interference by way of death or Satanic influence, we have Christ as the Priest, all His compassions and His power, and leaving it with Him He will carry things through, and the testimony will go on. May we be encouraged by these things.

Word in meeting for ministry, Christchurch, New Zealand
23 February 1987