The Biblical writers were captivated by Jesus’ compassion. One of the most notable examples is in Matthew 9:35-38. “Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.’”
What an amazing portrait: Jesus saw the crowds. He felt compassion on them. He understood their predicament. He responded to their needs. It’s hard to imagine a person so fully engaged as what Jesus must have been, as it is described in these verses.
In these verses its evident that Jesus wasn’t content only “being” a person of compassion. He was charging his disciples to open their eyes and become men of compassion as well. The Harvest is abundant he reminded them, the workers are few, pray for God to send out workers. It’s quite evident who the workers were to be! We’re to be the workers… The Twelve, all Christ’s followers, people like you and me!
In Colossians 3:12-13 the Bible tells us, “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. . .” 1 Peter 3:8-9 says, “Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble, 9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.”
Few qualities are valued more in pop culture than compassion. To have compassion is to be rooted, human, lit, wok, relevant, electable, Christian, good. But Sometimes our compassion kind of misses the mark. For example: [Symbol] Sometimes we struggle with compassion fatigue. Jesus went through “all” the town and villages, engaging “every” need he encountered. None of us have that kind of bandwidth. We get overwhelmed just sitting on the couch watching the news or browsing our news feed! When we’re made to care about everything, we end up caring about nothing much at all.
Sometimes we struggle with limited faith. I kind of relate to the disciples in Matthew 14. For days, some 5000 people had been following Jesus around on foot. It was such a huge crowd, so many of them were sick, they hadn’t eaten anything, they were in a remote area, far from any town. The disciples are overwhelmed by the scene. So, they say to Jesus, “This place is a wilderness, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food. . . we only have fives loaves and two fish.” Forget about 5000 people, sometimes it just takes one person in need to overwhelm us. Instead of trusting Jesus, it’s so much easier to send people away.
Sometimes we struggle to have impure motives. Why care? Do I just want to feel good about myself? Do I just want to feel needed, or important? Do I just want to look good, and have people say nice things about me? Am I just trying to establish social proof for my life or ministry? It’s very trendy for churches/pastors to broadcast their good works—to be seen as a force for good in their community, on television, or on the Internet. Here, wear our T-Shirt, share our video, read my book, support my cause.
In Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Sometimes our compassion is a feeble attempt to deflect social criticism. Is there anything worse than being labeled privileged, rich, racist, sexist, bigoted, intolerant, anti-women, homophobic, Islamaphobic, etc.? To deflect such character attacks, what do we do? We bend over backwards and acquiesce to whatever the social norms of our day dictate. “No, I’m not any of those things… see, look at me... I care… I’m different… I’m compassionate… I’m checking all politically correct boxes…” Ever notice, the harder you work to deflect social criticism, the more it tends to stick?
Sometimes compassion is narcissistic emotionalism. Sometimes the deader we are inside, the more we want to be moved, and really feel something—anything. So, we gravitate to things that make us feel that anger, or sadness, or despair, or depression. We pursue emotion for emotion’s sake. Some chase the flashing lights of human trauma, not so much to help, but just to hear the wailing, and see the tears, and smell the smoke, and get a voyeuristic adrenaline rush.
Here are a few things to consider. First, Compassion Is Who God Is. One of the most powerful/frequent refrains found in the Old Testament is that God is “gracious and compassionate.” For example, in Exodus 34, when the Lord reveals his glory to Moses, He proclaims, “The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” As it relates to compassion, our primary concern is to help people see God’s character.
Second, Compassion Fosters Repentance. Compassion isn’t an end in itself. It’s never intended to enable a person in sin or weakness. In Romans 2:4 were told that God’s kindness/favor is intended to lead us to repentance. In Exodus 34:6-7, when God reveals his glory to Moses, he doesn’t just say, “The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” He also says, “But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.”
In Exodus 34:6-7 Moses response to this says it all… “Moses immediately knelt low on the ground and worshiped. Then he said, “My Lord, if I have indeed found favor with you, my Lord, please go with us (even though this is a stiff-necked people), forgive our iniquity and our sin, and accept us as your own possession.” There isn’t a single ounce of presumption in Moses’ response! God’s compassion is an opportunity for repentance!
Third, Compassion Is Wholistic. Jesus expressed his compassion through teaching AND preaching AND healing. He taught the mind, preached to hearts, and healed bodies. Compassion that only focuses on one of these elements is short sighted. Jesus entered synagogues, teaching people, challenging their beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, values, assumptions, perspectives, worldview, and mindsets. He inspired people’s hearts to action—preaching the Kingdom, calling people to faith, repentance, and obedience. He laid hands on people, healing their every disease and sickness.
Jesus wasn’t only concerned with healing, he was also concerned to meet practical needs. Remember Jesus’ commendation to the righteous in Matthew 25? “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’”
Fourth, Compassion is Intelligent. When I read the Bible, there’s all these little details that catch my eye. For example, when Jesus fed the 5000, we’re told he fed them after three days, not after one day. Most people can’t skip a single meal, much less three! Why did Jesus let their stomachs growl so long? Was he just being mean? The answer is found in passages like Matthew 9:4, or John 2:25. Jesus knew what was in a man’s heart, what they thought, and what they most needed. Because of that knowledge, Jesus could act decisively and competently every time. But for us, we must pray for discernment.
I get asked this question all the time, “Jon, what about the guy standing at the intersection with his sign?” Here is my answer. I don’t know! Leaving him in hunger may/may not be the best thing for his long-term wellbeing. How can you know? The only way to know is to sit down with the man, and ask his name, and hear his story, and pray for discernment. Now if you do that, don’t you dare do it alone. Jesus sent his Apostles out in teams. But my point is, you’re not all-knowing nor omniscient like Jesus. You must really pray and seek wisdom. Feed him now? Wait a day? Wait three days? Offer cash? Card? There’s an answer, but compassion demands prayerful discernment.
Fifth, Compassion Imparts Value. There are two things that plague, and enslave, every human being. Those two things are shame and guilt. Shame and guilt are two very different things. Guilt is totally legitimate. For example, apart from Jesus Christ, every single one of us stands guilty of sin before God. Of all the predicaments we might find ourselves in, guilt is the gravest of all, because it affects our soul for eternity. We are absolutely dependent upon God for the forgiveness he provides in Christ Jesus. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If we’d trust God, and confess, our guilt could be taken care of in Christ Jesus that simply, that instantly, and that completely, and God’s Spirit would begin His clean-up operation!
Here is what is amazing about God’s compassion. Our predicament, no matter how severe it may be, never destroys our value. Jesus shed blood sets our value. God valued us so much, that despite our sin, he died for us on that cross. Our value is the blood price God paid to forgive us and redeem us. We are of infinite value.
But along comes shame. And shame introduces fear and doubt about our value. Shame says, “Maybe God doesn’t really want to forgive me. Maybe God doesn’t mean what he says. Maybe I’m so dirty, and so far gone, and such a mess, and such a failure, and so filthy inside, and so underserving, and done so much damage… why would God even bother with such a hopeless case as me?”
In the gospel story, Peter had shame. In Luke 5 there is this story where Jesus enables Peter and his men to catch such an insane number of fish, their nets begin to break. Instead of being overwhelmed by Jesus’ kindness/compassion, Peter is overwhelmed by his own sense of shame. He falls at Jesus’s knees and says, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” But Jesus tells him, “Don’t be afraid.”
Such is the power of compassion. Compassion decimates a person’s inner shame, because it imparts value. Compassion says, no matter what you think of yourself, here’s what I think of you… and more importantly, what God thinks of you. Your predicament doesn’t set you value, God’s own mercy, grace, and kindness and compassion in Christ Jesus sets your value. Do not be afraid!
The overwhelming number of folks in the Gospels are the fear-filled, shame-filled, doubt-filled masses—the crowds. They are distressed. They feel dejected. They are daily harassed like sheep. They have no competent shepherd to lead them to still waters, green pastures, right paths. They don’t feel welcomed to any table of fellowship, much less a table of fellowship with the Living God. As God’s holy and dearly loved children, we have this opportunity to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. . .” This is the work that God, in Christ Jesus, is calling us forth to embrace!
Finally, Compassion is Costly. Compassion costs time. It costs mental and physical energy. It costs money. In 1 John 3:17-18 the Bible says, “If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.” There is no cost-free compassion. Compassion will always cost us “something”, but always keep in mind, it cost Christ “everything.” May our something point people to sufficiency of Christ’s everything.