Imagine for a moment that you are walking down the street when you notice a homeless man sitting on the ground up ahead. What do you do? Do you try to get him some help? Do you give him some food? Do you invite him to join you and your family for worship on Sunday? A lot of people when they are confronted with a situation like this are extremely uncomfortable, some are even fearful. It’s moments like this and so many others, that we as people, and especially we as Christians, need to remember the lessons we see in the life of Christ as He lived here on the earth.
In Matthew 9:36-38, Jesus is moved with compassion when He sees the multitude. In talking with His disciples He tells them to “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” As we continue to read in Matthew 10 we see Jesus sending out His disciples to preach to all Israel “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Jesus saw the condition of the people and He was moved with compassion.
Jesus is once again moved with compassion in Matthew 14:13-21. When Jesus heard about the death of John he departed and went to a deserted place. The people followed Him from the cities. When Jesus saw them He was moved with compassion and healed their sick. Later that day when it had gotten late Jesus fed five thousand men plus women and children. I think it is fair to say Jesus showed compassion.
Lastly, I want us to look at one final example from Jesus in Mark 1:40-44. Here in these verses a man with leprosy comes faithfully before Jesus begging to be made clean. “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.” Mark 1:41-42. Here in these verses Jesus showed compassion. The action of reaching out and touching the man speaks to the power of God and to the compassion that Jesus had for him.
As Christians, as we are going through life, let us not foget to follow the example of Christ and show compassion to the world. There are lost souls that need the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some may need a helping hand. Some may need a shoulder to cry on. Some just want to know somebody cares. As we “go into all the world” let us be moved with compassion.
Derek Broome