Full of Pity, Joined with Power

Luke 7:11–17

Sermon Notes

  1. The Desperation that Draws His Compassion, 11–13a

  2. The Confusion that Surrounds His Compassion, 13

  3. The Dominion that Empowers His Compassion, 13–15

  4. The Exclamation that Follows His Compassion, 16–17

Reflection questions

  1. When desperate people ask you for help, do you feel compassion for them, or annoyed by them? How does God feel towards desperate people? Compare Ps. 68:5 and Luke 18:1–8.

  2. Do you think the words “Do not weep,” (v.13) would’ve sounded comforting to the widow initially? How should that affect the way we comfort the grieving, since we cannot take away someone’s pain like Jesus did in this story?

  3. Why is it important that Jesus if both “full of pity” and “joined with power” (Come Ye Sinners)? How does His power magnify the pity or compassion that He shows us? Cf. Psalm 62, esp. vv. 11–12.

  4. Consider what it means when God “visits” (v.16) His people by looking at the following passages: Exodus 3:16; Ruth 1:6; 1 Samuel 1:19–20 and 2:21; Luke 1:68; James 1:27.