“A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.” (Mark 1:40-42.)
The powerful people of the world are not usually known for their compassion. Rather, they often use their power to oppress their subjects, sometimes in cruel and inhumane ways. Jesus, however, stands in stark contrast to those who have come before and after Him. Coming humbly, as a servant, he reached out in mercy, gentleness, and compassion.
Literarily, compassion means suffering with another, having pity and sympathy for others. God is our compassionate Father and Jesus is our compassionate Saviour, our King who rules with gentleness and mercy. As we watch Him move against the backdrop of the Palestinian countryside, we see His compassion every step of the way. Webster’s Dictionary defines compassion as, “sorrow for the sufferings or trouble of another or others, accompanied by an urge to help; it is deep sympathy or pity.” We can see by that definition that compassion is both an inward feeling and an outward expression toward others.
What is the principal evidence that compassion has been extended and what does compassion leave in its wake? The most significant consequence of compassion in action is, it alleviates suffering. It lifts people’s burdens and makes life more tolerable. This is what Jesus is all about. Christ has often been called, “The Man of Compassion.” And that is because He enters the arena of human suffering and lifts burdens. That is what mercy is all about. Mercy is more than an emotional experience of feeling someone’s pain it is doing what is possible to alleviate it.
Compassion is action! Jesus couldn’t look at people without being stirred to intervene. And He was specifically moved when people experienced pain, sickness, and sorrow. He was moved when people were hungry or lonely or confused. Jesus’ compassion was evidenced in His healing of all manners of diseases, all classes of people, even Gentiles and on the Sabbath. The beautiful picture of our Lord in all His compassion and mercy is evidence in the above text. There was no disease, no class of people, and no problem for which Jesus did not have compassion.
Beloved brethren, when we face struggles in life, we should not be tempted to think that God has forgotten us. We must always remember that God’s love for us is as expansive as the open arms of Christ on the cross. And the tender compassion of our heavenly Father is more dependable and more enduring than the love of a nursing mother for her infant. That’s what makes Isaiah 49:15 so remarkable. It is here that God told His people, who were feeling forsaken and forgotten (v.14), that His compassion is even greater than a mother’s: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.” Be comforted—God’s love never fails. Hebrews 4:15 says, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.” So that chapter of loneliness, longing, or hurt can be adequately addressed, if we can willingly take a step.. God wants us to come to Him as our compassionate Father, knowing that He is not going to be cold-hearted toward our pains, but tender-hearted and caring. Run straight to Him today like the leper. No one understands more or can carry it better than HIM.
Have a joyful and fruitful week of compassion and mercy of God.
Your brother and friend
‘Seyi Pirisola