“Then Jesus, deeply moved with compassion, touched their eyes, and at once they could see again. So they followed Him.”
-Matthew 20:34 (NKJV)
Now that “following” wasn’t a nonchalant, complacent follow. It wasn’t an “Oh sure… I guess I’ll follow him… Seems like a good guy, and stuff.” No, anytime the Bible says that someone followed Jesus, it means they dropped everything to follow Him. They dropped their jobs, forgot their things, family, friends…EVERYTHING!
Jesus’ disciples (not just the twelve) left everything behind to follow Him. That’s pretty crazy, right?
What made Jesus so attractive? Either Jesus was a pretty special guy or people couldn’t get enough of Him! I think it was both. Jesus had something about Him that was unfamiliar, yet magnetic at the same time. Jesus had a powerful force, this uncanny ability to draw crowds. Whenever people were around Him, they could see, feel, experience, and know that they were precious to Him. Even when He had been ministering for hours, if people came to Him for something, He gave it to them. He never refused them.
Compassion is the force that compelled Jesus to move on behalf of humanity despite His well-being.
Compassion: what is it, really? We know that it’s the Christian thing to do and even some of the world does it…although misdirected at times. Jesus didn’t just have compassion, but is compassion. It’s a force that gets down deep inside a person and will cause one to help those in need.
Compassion’s force will take you to the places that no one else will go. Compassion took me around the world to share His love for the kids in the Southeast Asian slums, and orphanages of South America. Sharing His compassion is absolutely amazing!
Let me tell you a story that Jesus told from Luke 10:33-37. There was a man who was traveling when he was beaten up and robbed by bandits. He laid in the ditch for some time, badly injured, before anyone came along. When a traveler finally came, the traveler saw this injured man and left him there because he was [too busy, or too tired, or apathetic about the situation, or insert excuse here]. After a few repeats of this, finally, a man came by and was moved by compassion (verse 33). He didn’t leave the man in the ditch, but took him to an inn and told the owner to do whatever it takes to heal him. The compassionate man spared no cost to see health return to him. Then Jesus said, “Go and do the same.” (Verse 37) Jesus was that man walking by and did something about the wounded man’s condition.
Compassion moves a person to action! It’s a burning passion to move on someone’s behalf. Have you ever seen someone who is on fire? He doesn’t stand there, but he moves! Spiritually, when someone is on fire, he’ll get around others and they’ll catch on fire as well.
This is compassion! It’s the force that sent Jesus to the cross for us! Jesus is always there ready to give you the empowerment to move on and give love, even to those who hurt you. Jesus had so much compassion that He went to the cross to display that same love for the world! Compassion took Jesus somewhere that no one else has gone since, and it will do the same to you!
[hr style=”2″ margin=”30px 0px 30px 0px”]everydayMISSION:
No matter who you are or what your life looks like, because you have Jesus, His love has been shed abroad in your heart. (Romans 5:5) Determine today to go outside your “comfort-zone”, and show compassion to someone you would normally ignore. Sit with someone at lunch who normally sits alone. Buy your co-worker their favorite drink. Wash your parents’ car just because. Find a way to express compassion. The Holy Ghost will show you how to do it, because He is in you! Everyone needs to know their worth! Just like Peter, you’ll give them what they truly need, a touch from Jesus, not natural things. (Acts 3:6) Let love push you past your limits.
[hr style=”2″ margin=”30px 0px 30px 0px”]everydayCONVERSATION:
“Lord, thank You for flooding my heart with Your love. I want to live a life of compassion– just like Jesus. I’m asking for a greater understanding of the compassion that you have for me. You’ve given me so much to be grateful for. Today, I choose to pour out Your compassion on people, just as You did on me. I thank you for this in Jesus’ name, amen.”