To Be As Compassionate As Jesus!

A police officer out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, got more than he bargained for after responding to a squad call. Instead of making an arrest, he actually helped the panhandling culprits. Officer Luis Hernandez, with the Albuquerque Police Department, rushed to the scene after someone reported a couple panhandling at a bus stop, with their 2-year-old baby.

The couple was begging for money to buy a bus ticket. Their baby had recently had heart surgery in Colorado, and the family needed to return for a follow-up appointment.

"I have a child that was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and I know how hard it can be when you have to deal with medications and additional care," Officer Hernandez said. "It puts a burden on the family and that's the spot that they were in." Hernandez bought the last ticket the family needed. He said it was his chance to give back.  -CBN News, January 3, 2013 

What a wonderful example of compassion. Compassion! When that word is used, most folks don’t have any idea at all what it means. Some people think of weakness when that think of compassionate people. Men especially are guilty of viewing compassion as something “weak, soft people do”. In truth, expressing compassion towards others reveals a strength of character that few people possess!

You see, we live in a fairly compassion-less world. Most people place themselves and their family above any other consideration in the world. The sad reality is that most people simply do not care what happens to others! They do not possess compassion. In fact, I would venture to say that most people don’t even know what it means to have compassion!

The word compassion, as it is used in the Bible means, “To be moved inwardly; to yearn with tender mercy, affection, pity and empathy.” It refers to the deepest possible feelings. The phrase, “moved with compassion” means to be moved in the “inner organs”. It has the same idea as our modern expression, “From the bottom of my heart.” Someone has defined compassion as “Sympathy coupled with a desire to help.” Sympathy means “The capacity to share feelings, to enter into the same feelings, to feel the same thing”. So, compassion is “sharing the feelings of others and possessing a desire to help them in their trouble.”

When we read the Gospels, they tell us of Jesus and His great compassion for mankind. We see that our Savior was moved deeply in His inner being by the needs of those around Him. In today's message, I would like to address this matter of compassion. I want to talk about The Compassionate Christ. I want to talk about what motivated Jesus to be compassionate and how we can become more compassionate ourselves.

I don’t know about you, but I surely need all the help in this area that I can get. Too often, I am selfish and self-centered, but I want to be; I need to be more like Jesus. Let’s look at The Compassionate Christ and learn His secrets for caring about the needs of others.

How could Jesus reach out to all the people He did? How could He care about so many different people with so many different problems. What motivated Him? Think for a moment about Who Jesus is. He is God in the flesh! He is not encumbered with a fallen nature. He is not selfish. He is not self-centered. He transcends all the faults and flaws that mark humanity!

Many people read the Old Testament and come away with the idea that God is mean, wrathful and harsh. Yet, Jesus, in the New Testament, reveals the exact nature of God, John 1:18; John 14:9. He is holy. He is a consuming fire. He is a God of wrath and judgment. Yet, He is also a God of infinite love, grace, mercy and compassion.

One reason Jesus was able to express such sympathy for others was His Own experiences in life. Jesus did not come into this world to live an idyllic life! The life He lived was difficult at best! He grew up, lived and died in abject poverty, Luke 2:24; Matthew 8:20, when He died, His worldly effects consisted of just the garments on His back, John 19:23-24. He knew about loneliness, Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:47. He was despised, hated and rejected, John 1:11; Mark 14:50. He even endured a time of severe temptation, Matthew 4:1-11.

A brief study of the gospels reveals the truth that His compassion knew no boundaries. Jesus felt the need of all classes and kind of people. His love and compassion are a challenge to each of us.

• He Feels Compassion For The Scattered Ones - Matthew 9:36; 15:32
• He Feels Compassion For The Sinning Ones - Mark 5:1-20 (E.g., when Jesus arose, He sent special word to Peter, who had denied Him three times, Mark 16:7!)
• He Feels Compassion For The Sick Ones- Matthew 14:14; 20:30-34; Mark 1:40-45
• He Feels Compassion For The Suffering Ones - Luke 7:11-13
• He Feels Compassion For The Seeking Ones - Mark 10:17-22

Why was Jesus able to do this to so many different kinds of people in so many different settings and situations? Because Jesus, even though He knew all their faults, did not let that get in the way of His compassion and expression of love! He did not look just at that which was apparent on the surface, He was able to look at these people and see their deepest need! He loved them at the deepest level of His being, as a result, He was never impatient with them or offended by their needs.

In conclusion, you never know what a little compassion will accomplish! I know I need help in this area! How about you? Remember, compassion is more than feeling sorry for someone. It is more than pity. Compassion is a desire to reach out and make a difference in the life of someone else. In truth, compassion is a desire to be Christ to someone else!

Prayer: Lord, help us to remember that others don't always see the way we do, hear what we hear, feel what we feel, or understand things the way we've come to understand them. Give us the compassion you want us to have, O Father, and teach us to embrace each other with compassion, as well. Amen

May God be with you always, 

Jennifer