Compassion

Compassion

Today I’d like to talk about Compassion and what it means to have compassion.  Or what it means to show compassion.  You could show compassion to friends, family, fellow Christians, or more importantly the non-believers in the world.  The Bible talks a lot about compassion.  But first we have to look at what the word really means.  I believe it has a little bit of love, a little mercy, and a dash of concern.  Sounds a lot like a recipe right?  Well in order to be compassionate you need these vital things.  Now let’s break them down by each ingredient.

Love-Well Jesus’ greatest commandments was ”And Jesus replied:  Love the Lord your God Almighty with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’: -Matthew 22:37-39

See not only is it a love for God but a love for your neighbor.  I’ve heard it said once that you cannot hate anything for it is to hate God.  There for you must love those who annoy you, those who do us wrong, those who kill our loved ones, those who are weird and different from us, and mostly those who are homeless and drug addicts.  How in the world do you do that???  Well that’s a question between you and God.  For me it was part of taking my nobleness and humbleness and taking it down another peg or two.  And it gets hard sometimes.  I’ve had people wrong me, hurt my feelings, take advantage of me, cheated on.  But eventually and with time I wrote those things off, and forgave those who did those things…….but at same time I made myself available to help them in whatever needs whether it be physical, emotional, or just a plain ole ear to listen to their thoughts and grievances.  I have a buddy who is in prison right now, and while I may not agree with what he did, nor his reasons good or bad for doing what he did, I still love him and he is still my brother from another mother. I will never stop loving that boy. I also see a little homeless man whom I see every paycheck, and many times in between.  He’s what I consider a friend, and someone who’s life kicked him and kept him down.  I never fail to help my fellow brother in Christ who barely knows who Jesus really is.  But I can see the joy in his face  when I help him out.  Harry is a special person to me and I thank God for his Life.  I love him.  You really want a good example of Compassion in the Bible?  Turn in your Bibles Luke 10:25-37

 

Second we have Mercy-  2 Samuel   24:13 comes to mind when I think of Mercy.  God send his Prophet Gad to give David a message.  He gave him three options……..3 years of famine, 3 months of fleeing from enemies, or 3 days of plague.  Now David said to Gad “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his Mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men”

Micah 6:8  also speaks of Mercy and can kind of tie things together with what I believe Compassion is ….”He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God.”   -Now to me that scriptures sums up Compassion.  The Lord has shown us mortals what is good….Compassion…..act with justice, mercy, and humbly with and or before God.  Even Jesus spoke swiftly of the compassion about the followers that were with him in Matthew 15:32  “Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people;1 they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way." He saw that they were in need and through on the work of God and the Power of his hand fed all who were there so that they  may travel back to where they had come from. 

My question……How man of you have received compassion through another person?  How many of you have shown compassion for another?  Did you do it boast about it or did you pray about it?  Me personally I pray every time I show my compassion for others, and thank God for those who have shown me compassion.  I challenge you today the next time you see that homeless guy in the street begging for change for whatever reason….give generously and on your terms of praying with him first!  Someone who is struggling  with something that you  have a strongpoint, give of your time and yourself to help that person out.  And do it with a compassionate heart and Love.  If you do that God will surely bless you!  As for me I will pray for you as well my brothers and sisters!  May God Bless you and I love you too!

 

AMEN