Whatever Happened To Compassion?

   The very thought of having Jesus as our mediator is overwhelming. The amazing distance between Jehovah God and a human seems like a chasm which cannot be crossed. Yet, Jesus did this very thing! He emptied Himself and took on the form of feeble, helpless mortals. He lived among us and having returned to heaven, He received the glory He once had. The end of all of this is that we have one who understands our frailties and can sympathize with us in our troubles. One word seems to sum up so much of the way He lived among us. That word is compassion.

Compassion is almost unknown among many in our society. The heartless slaughter of the unborn, the ruthless killings in schools and workplaces and the beheading of “unbelievers” are all evidence of the absence of the godly nature of compassion. However, the problem is far greater than the extreme aspects of the heartless cruelties listed above. Study the life of Jesus and look at how often Jesus manifested compassion to those ordinary people around Him. Then, take time to look at yourself to find areas where you can be more compassionate like Him.

Jesus had compassion on the poor. In Matthew chapter 14, we read of the feeding of the 5,000. The very next day, Jesus rebuked the multitude because they only followed Him because they loved the loaves and fish He gave to them (John 6:22, 26). Yet, He fed 4,000 of them again. What is remarkable are the words found in Matthew 15:32. “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have…nothing to eat.”  So few of us would understand such compassion that He had on those whose motives were so wrong.

Jesus had compassion on scattered sheep. Mark records the feeding of the 5,000 and adds another thought to the compassion of Jesus. “Jesus when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). The Good Shepherd’s heart was moved toward those who had no spiritual direction in their lives. Think about this and those “shepherd-less” people around you.

Jesus had compassion on widows. He was in village of Nain when He saw a widow ready to bury her only son. “He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep’” (Luke 7:13). There were those other religious leaders who saw helpless widows as a source of financial gain, even taking their houses from them (Matt. 23:14). Jesus’ heart was so different from theirs.

So, take time to look at yourself. How compassionate are you to others?  What changes do we need to make to have the compassion of Jesus?

~Dan Jenkins