COMPASS AND COMPASSION
The famous artist Thomas Nast painted a beautiful landscape before his audience at a public exhibition. He worked from left to right, rapidly painting green paddocks dotted with cattle, fields of golden grain, a farmhouse and surrounding buildings, and nearby orchard. Overhead was a bright blue sky graced with dreamy white clouds. It was a beautiful, peaceful scene, and those watching looked on appreciatively. When Nast reached the right edge of the canvas, he held his brush still, stepped aside to show the audience his work, and received hearty applause from those looking on.
“But the scene is not finished” Nast said. He turned back to the canvas, and to the shock of those observing, began brushing over the top of his peaceful scene with sweeping strokes of dark, sombre colours, spreading thick streaks of paint across the picture with reckless abandon, until the landscape was obliterated, with only a patch of sky remaining at top, and remnants of the field at the bottom. “Now,” Nast remarked, “The picture is complete”.
This time, no applause was given. Everyone was too stunned, staring at the canvas in silence. They couldn’t believe Nast had seemingly ruined such a beautiful scene. But when everything else suggested otherwise, Nast was in control of his canvas. He turned the picture on its end, and gasps came from the viewers. For now they could see a painting of a beautiful waterfall, masses of dark water pouring over moss-covered rocks. When it seemed to them that the beauty and tranquillity of the first scene had been destroyed, Nast had in fact created a second, even more beautiful picture from the first.
In today’s text, the disciples had seen the first picture, as it were, with bright blue skies ahead. Jesus was with them and his teaching had enlightened them. His miracles astonished them. They had witnessed the very Kingdom of God at work in the world through him. They had seen him minister in grace and truth. He had shown them that nothing was impossible for him, as he freed people from bondage to sin, death and the power of darkness, bringing them new life. He had changed people’s lives. He had changed their lives too, as he called them to follow him and participate in the ministry of the Kingdom of God at work in the world through him.
But then he told them that he would be betrayed. He told them that he must leave
them: “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 13:33)
The disciples are completely baffled and anxious. They had hoped that Jesus would be the one who was going to redeem Israel. (Luke 24:21). Just days before, Jesus had ridden on a donkey into the capital and crowds lined the streets to welcome him with jubilation, acclaiming Jesus as their King who had come to bring help from heaven: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” they cheered. The anticipation of the people skyrocketed as they expected Jesus to be the one to bring long awaited deliverance from Roman rule. “Hosanna!”—’save now!’ they shouted.
They were heady days. But now, Jesus taking about being betrayed and going away all seemed like failure. The disciples are afraid. They can’t imagine life without their teacher and friend. So Jesus says to them: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. He brings words to comfort them in their confusion and anxiety: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” When what they would see and experience would tempt them to despair, they are to trust him and the Father. ‘Trust me’, he tells them. ‘I will be back’: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
It was hard for them to trust in Jesus, as he was led away to die. Days later, it was nigh impossible to see what God was doing, and how he could possibly be at work, when the shouts of the crowd changed from ‘Hosanna!’ to ‘Crucify!’ It was impossible to see how God had brought victory through Jesus, when they laid him in a tomb. Women wept. Two of the disciples stood, faces downcast, as they talked about everything that had happened in the past days on the road to Emmaus. The others were bunkered down behind locked doors for fear of receiving the same punishment from the authorities as their Teacher.
Jesus’ followers, who had seen him so powerfully at work, couldn’t believe what had happened. What would become of them now? Where was God? What was he doing? Why didn’t he stop this? It made no sense! It was as if a beautiful picture with a peaceful scene had been disfigured and ruined; bright blue sky covered over with the bleak colours of death and mourning, defeat and despair.
When Jesus spoke of going away to prepare a place—a place they could not come—he had been speaking of his death. The place he was going was first of all Golgotha, to be crucified. The way to heaven is first through the Cross. Jesus had earlier said: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24).
God would not lose control. God would not be overcome. Just as Thomas Nast was in control of his canvas and created a second masterpiece when it looked as if he were only destroying the first, God was also in complete control, creating something beautiful for the world in Christ. So Jesus told his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” Three days later the painting was turned on its end, as it were, to reveal a more wondrous scene: the glow of the morning of the resurrection washing the darkness of fear and grief away, shining forth victoriously over sin, Satan and death itself. The Palm Sunday crowd were right to be jubilant, and their acclamation was true: Jesus is the one who comes with heavenly blessing. He is the one who brings saving help for the whole world from enemies even more sinister than political ones.
By his blood Jesus redeemed the world and brought forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. By his surrender, he reigned over evil, and still reigns, and his Kingdom will have no end. By his death, death itself has died. And by his precious blood, Jesus opened the door to favour from his heavenly Father for all who trust him. That is why Jesus did have to go it alone, and die, because only he could be the sinless sacrifice for the world; God on the Cross in place of us. Jesus taught the disciples he is the way, just as he is the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except by him. Or the flipside is: whoever looks to the Son sees the Father. Whoever comes to Jesus, comes to the Father. Whoever trusts his truth that he alone is the way to the Father has a place in the Father’s mansion.
Today’s text is not merely a recall of what Jesus said historically to his disciples on the night he was betrayed. The word of God is living and active, just as Christ himself is risen and lives, everywhere present. His ministry goes on. Not even death can stop Jesus. No evil, nor any human plans can stop Jesus from doing the will of his Father. And so the Father’s work through Jesus continues on earth as he builds his church. These are the ‘greater works’ Jesus speaks of, that his people will do—rather, the Father through Christ doing them through his people. Jesus will continue to build his church. His message of salvation of repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name will continue to be proclaimed through the communion of saints, carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth, saving souls for life eternal, just as Jesus ministered through the apostles and his faithful people in the book of Acts.
Jesus is present to us today too. On the other side of that first holy week, Jesus speaks to you in the afterglow of the resurrection, a light that the darkness will never extinguish. He speaks these words to you today: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
This means that Jesus is the way to the Father’s favour and blessing not only at the end of our life, but in every day of our life. Through his word he is the compass for our life. He speaks divine truth to us, so that we can walk on paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. He is the way, and with us all along the way, at all crossroads, at seeming dead ends, in every situation, in joy and sorrow, in health and in sickness, in ease and in hardship, in serenity and suffering, in life and in dying and death. In the times when, like the first disciples, we are fearful and confused because God seems to be painting a very different picture of our life than the one we have sketched, God’s completed work will be a masterpiece far greater than our own making. In such times God is the master artist of the canvas of our lives, is continuing his work of making us his new creations, leading us to rely on him whose truth is the compass for our life.
But through Jesus, we not only have God’s compass for our life, but also his compassion. God has delivered us by the blood of his Son because of his love and grace, and has made the way for us to know him and receive all of his blessings and mercy. So in whatever life presents to you in this moment—in the midst of all challenges and troubles, anxieties and failings, when you are afraid and need comfort, Jesus speaks to you: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” When, like the first disciples, you are afraid and can’t see where God is in life or what he is doing, or why he allows certain things to happen, hear Jesus say to you: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” For you have Jesus, the way to approach your Father in Heaven with complete confidence to ask whatever you need, just as a child approaches their loving father. We have Jesus’ own promise today: “I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name” (that is, according to the will of the Father) “and I will do it.” When you are perplexed and troubled, you have the invitation and promise from God’s word: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16).
In Christ you have God’s compass and compassion. What can we give to the Lord for all his goodness to us? We are invited to respond with the Psalmist: “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord”—in other words, there is nothing we can do to contribute to our salvation—but God has delivered us by the blood of his Son because of his love and grace. Jesus had to drink from a bitter cup; the cup of his Father’s wrath on sin. We are invited to receive the cup of blessing; a cup that is overfilled and keeps overflowing with blessing. We are invited to simply take it and drink, and we lift it up, to call on the name of the Lord in thanksgiving.
God has poured out his heart for us. Now we are called to pour out our heart to him. Since Jesus has reconciled us to God by his precious blood, even those prayers we think are most inadequate we can bring as an offering to God. We can offer to him our sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise for the incredible love he has shown to us. We can talk to him about things we are confused and perplexed about, fearful of, hurt by. We can talk to him when we don’t know the path we should take. Jesus has made the way for you to talk with the Maker of all there is, who sits enthroned high above all the galaxies. Yet he hears all your prayers, even the smallest offered in Jesus’ name, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Pastor Tim Ebbs
St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Glenelg
Fifth Sunday of Easter, 2026
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:
“…in the midst of all challenges and troubles, fears and failings, you have Jesus, the way to approach your Father in Heaven with complete confidence to ask whatever you need, just as a child approaches their loving father.”
- Why do you think many people expected a conquering Messiah rather than a servant who humbled himself to death on a Cross?
- What does the Cross teach us about God’s power working through what seems like weakness?
- Why do you think it can feel especially hard to trust God when we don’t understand what is happening?
- Can you recall a time when God worked differently than you were hoping or planning?
- How did that experience shape your faith—either at the time or later?
- What fears tend to surface when answers are delayed or God feels silent?
- What is the difference between trusting God and understanding God?
- What helps you trust God when His plans do not make immediate sense?
- What dangers are there in relying on our own understanding during times of hardship?
- What areas of your life might God be asking you to surrender, even when the path forward feels uncertain?
- Why do you think God often does not reveal the full picture of what He is doing?
- How can prayer help you remain open to God working in unexpected ways?
- In today’s text, how did Jesus respond to people who were uncertain and anxious?
