Hudson Taylor found his heart breaking for a man who seemed insensitive to God.
Taylor, later to become a great missionary to China, was a medical student in London, dressing the wounds of a man with gangrene in the early 1850s.
"The disease commenced, as usual, insidiously, and the patient had little idea that he was a doomed man, and probably not long to live," Taylor wrote in his autobiography some years later.
Taylor said he became "very anxious" about the man's soul. The man's family were believers in Christ but they told Taylor that the man was "an avowed atheist, and very antagonistic to anything religious".
Taylor did not talk of this to the man for several days while working to relieve his suffering. But, finally, he could not contain himself and told him why he was concerned about him. The man reacted by turning away from him and refusing to talk.
"I could not get the poor man out of my mind," Taylor wrote, "and very often, through each day, I pleaded with God, by his Spirit, to save him ere he took him hence."
Every day, after dressing the man's wounds, he said a few words to him, fearing that he might be hardening the man's opposition to God. The man would turn away, annoyed.
Finally, one day he said nothing and turned toward the man at the door as he was about to leave. The man looked surprised that he hadn't spoken about Christ.
Taylor was so moved, he burst into tears and poured out his heart to the man, telling him "how much I wished that he would let me pray with him". The man said that, if it would relieve Taylor to pray for him, he could go ahead.
A few days later, the man accepted Jesus as his Saviour. He lived for some time after that but his attitude was completely changed - telling others about God's goodness to him.
When I read that story, I realize how far short I fall in having Taylor's compassion for those who don't know Jesus. Taylor's compassion was really God's compassion, flowing through him.
In Matthew 9, the gospel writer says: "When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
That is still how God sees those who do not know him and follow him.
May I pray with God's heart for those around me who are harassed and helpless - like sheep without the Lord as their shepherd.
Taylor, later to become a great missionary to China, was a medical student in London, dressing the wounds of a man with gangrene in the early 1850s.
"The disease commenced, as usual, insidiously, and the patient had little idea that he was a doomed man, and probably not long to live," Taylor wrote in his autobiography some years later.
Taylor said he became "very anxious" about the man's soul. The man's family were believers in Christ but they told Taylor that the man was "an avowed atheist, and very antagonistic to anything religious".
Taylor did not talk of this to the man for several days while working to relieve his suffering. But, finally, he could not contain himself and told him why he was concerned about him. The man reacted by turning away from him and refusing to talk.
"I could not get the poor man out of my mind," Taylor wrote, "and very often, through each day, I pleaded with God, by his Spirit, to save him ere he took him hence."
Every day, after dressing the man's wounds, he said a few words to him, fearing that he might be hardening the man's opposition to God. The man would turn away, annoyed.
Finally, one day he said nothing and turned toward the man at the door as he was about to leave. The man looked surprised that he hadn't spoken about Christ.
Taylor was so moved, he burst into tears and poured out his heart to the man, telling him "how much I wished that he would let me pray with him". The man said that, if it would relieve Taylor to pray for him, he could go ahead.
A few days later, the man accepted Jesus as his Saviour. He lived for some time after that but his attitude was completely changed - telling others about God's goodness to him.
When I read that story, I realize how far short I fall in having Taylor's compassion for those who don't know Jesus. Taylor's compassion was really God's compassion, flowing through him.
In Matthew 9, the gospel writer says: "When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
That is still how God sees those who do not know him and follow him.
May I pray with God's heart for those around me who are harassed and helpless - like sheep without the Lord as their shepherd.
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