TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 11, 2015.
COMPASSION
A feeling of deep sympathy; sorrow for someone struck by misfortune accompanied by a desire to alleviate suffering.
For He who has mercy on them will lead them, even by the springs of water He will guide them. Isaiah 49:10.
But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity. Psalm 78:38.
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved to compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless. Matthew 9:36.
Not too many people really understand what it means to have compassion for others. We are living in what we call the “ME” generation because people are concerned only about self. It saddens us to be watching the late news at night and to hear reports that someone was in an accident and they left the scene before the police arrived. Even more heartbreaking are the reports of children being bullied by their peers to the point they have committed suicide because of it. In our world today few people show any concern for others.
When Jesus was on this earth He was very concerned about others. He gave us a standard to live by concerning showing compassion to others. In Matthew 9:36 (above), we read, He went from city to city and synagogue to synagogue seeing the masses of people “He was moved to compassion.
Compassion moved Jesus to action. In the previous verse it says he healed, “every disease and affliction.” Compassion is not just feeling sorry for someone. By definition (above), compassion is not just feeling sorry for someone struck by misfortune but also having a desire to alleviate suffering and then doing something to help.
Jesus gives us an example in Mark 2:1-12 where four men brought a paralytic to Him. These four men saw that their friend was in a helpless condition and their compassion moved them to take action. These men carried their friend to see Jesus. When they got to the house they saw there was no way they could get near Jesus because of the crowd inside and outside of the house. So they carried him to the roof and made an opening in the roof and lowered him down before Jesus.
When Jesus saw the faith of these men and the physical need as well as the spiritual need of the helpless man, Jesus compassion moved Jesus to act. Jesus told him that his sins were forgiven and then healed the man and told him to get up and walk. These men showed genuine compassion for their friend. What they did to get their friend to Jesus took time and considerable effort on their part. It cost them something.
God’s compassion for us surpasses all human understanding. He knew our need for salvation from the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was because of His great compassion for us that He sent His only Son to die on the cross paying the penalty for our sins. It is because of the compassion of Jesus for us that He was willing to pay such a heavy cost to give us salvation.
True compassion leads to taking action. In Luke chapter 10 we are given the account of the Samaritan who came across a man who was beaten by thieves and left to die. Two men came across him and walked on by showing no compassion, but the Samaritan stopped and helped this man and out of compassion acted to save his life.
All around us today are many people who are in situations that should move anyone to compassion. There are people living in the worst of poverty, families losing their houses because they cannot pay the rent and single mothers without food for their children. There are many losing their jobs and families divided because of drugs and other evil programs. There are people suffering from illnesses, people who are handicapped and unable to care for themselves. There are so many who need to be shown compassion. Jesus calls all of us to love one another and show compassion just as he has shown compassion to us.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Give me today a compassionate heart. May I be alert to seeing the needs of others around me. Help my family to be alert to the needs of others and develop in them a strong desire to show compassion to the hurting and hungry people in our world. Help me not only to feel compassion but to be moved to action to show my compassion to others.
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