A boy too young to read asks his father what the sign says in the hands of a man standing by the road, and then will not let it go: Dad, we can’t do nothing. The father turns the van around, knowing that some food and a few dollars will fix nothing. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 15) shows a crowd laying the sick at Jesus’ feet while the disciples look on, and yet after he was gone there were still blind and lame people in Israel. Listen if you often skip the small good you could do, because it will not solve the problem anyway.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Matthew 15:29-31 the crowds bring the sick and lay them at Jesus' feet, and He heals them. What does this scene tell you about who Jesus is and how He responds to human need?
- Just before this, Jesus teaches that purity is a matter of the heart, not rituals and traditions. How do the healings by the Sea of Galilee show what a pure heart looks like in practice?
- The speaker's son said in the van, "Dad, we can't do nothing." When do you tend to walk past someone's need because you feel you won't make a difference anyway?
- The speaker says serving should cost us something, and that this is how we know our heart is right. What makes it hard for you to help when it requires sacrificing time, energy, or money?
- Jesus did not heal everyone in Israel, yet He left His disciples a work to continue. How does your view of serving change when you don't have to fix everything, but simply entrust small things to God?
- Who around you might need a small act of Jesus' love this week, and what specifically can you do for them while leaving the rest in God's hands?
