COMPASSION is a VERB!

Over the last several years, I’ve been fascinated by the spiritual life of Jesus. Jesus lived from the inside out. He had a deep, intimate relationship with God. He lived in close, intimate community with others. And he was a faithful presence in the world. This was his pattern — intimacy with God, the Father, as a priority in his life, enabled him to be lovingly present to others — and I want to emulate him. I want to be like Jesus. I want my deep, interior life with God to be the engine that enables me to be with others and join God in his work in the world. Let’s talk about that last bit for a moment. How can you and I be a faithful presence in the world? Well, one way, is through the practice of compassion.

Compassion, by definition, simply means feeling with and for others as well as extending mercy and help to them in extravagantly practical ways.

“Compassion,” according to Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, “is the practice of feeling deeply, extending mercy and offering help.” It’s about joining your heart to God’s heart for the wounded around you. Certainly, we see this modeled for us in the life of Jesus. Jesus had compassion on outcasts, prostitutes, IRS agents, crowds, beggars, cities, women, who were largely ignored in that day, foreigners, and social outcasts as well as those with communicable diseases. He always saw the people that others overlooked. And he was quick to feel for them rather than label them as lazy, promiscuous, self-destructive, or beyond salvage. When a self-righteous religious leader, named Simon, passed judgement on a woman he didn’t know, Jesus asked him,

“Do you see this woman?” (Luke 7:44)

Simon was only interested in appearances. He didn’t feel for the woman because he didn’t see her. Jesus sees the hungry, the poor, the grieving, the physically impaired, the mentally disabled, the demonically oppressed, and the culturally marginalized. For Jesus, compassion was a call to action, healing and restoration. Matthew 9:36 says,

When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)

A few chapters later it says,

When Jesus landed [on a boat] and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)

And Matthew 20:34 says,

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:34)

Compassion, for Jesus, was a call to action. He had compassion and… Not compassion period. He did what he could. Now, there are a number of ways you can practice compassion and be a faithful presence in your every day life. You can…

• Look for an opportunity to comfort, encourage and support the oppressed.

• Look to heal wounds rather than react to the wounded.

• Show mercy rather than passing judgement.

• Listen to the news as a call to prayer and compassion.

• Volunteer at church to help the poor through community partnerships.

• Visit the sick, hospitalized, those unable to drive, attending to their needs.

• Respond to the hurting around you with Seven Simple Words: Can I pray for you right now?

Compassion, for Jesus, was a call to action, and the early church took Jesus’ example of compassion very seriously. Acts 3 offers an interesting example. It occurs not long after the Day of Pentecost. Verse 1 says,

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. (Acts 3:1)

A bit of background is in order. Apparently, the apostles continued to live as observant Jews, making daily visits to the temple. There were three prayer services a day at the Jewish temple, one at 9am, one at noon and one at 3pm, and observant Jews would try to go to at least one of them. Here we find Peter and John going up to the temple at 3pm in the afternoon and they encounter, it says in verse 2,

A man crippled from birth who was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put everyday to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. (Acts 3:2-6)

And he went walking and leaping and praising God, as the song says. The reason he began jumping around praising God and all the other people around began praising God was not only because the man stood for the first time in his life, it was because he physically must have been instantly transformed! People saw the in-breaking of the kingdom of God where, perhaps for the first time in their lives, they were confronted by the reality of God’s presence and power. Peter had compassion on the man, he prayed and he was instantly healed. Compassion is more than just sympathy or empathy. Compassion is a verb. It’s a call to action. It’s a way of emulating Jesus. What might God be inviting you to do for others?