27 May Compassion is the Key to Change
There’s no doubt about who the most influential person in the history of the world is. Jesus Christ. Even those who don’t believe He was the Messiah believe that He made an unmatchable impact on society.
We can probably list many reasons why Jesus was so influential, but it really all comes down to one word: compassion. It’s not just the reason Jesus had so much influence, but it is also the reason that He was so loved.
In the book of Matthew, we hear all about this compassion for which Jesus was known. In one chapter, it says that Jesus went out of His way, to all the towns and villages to tell them the Good News. And when He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus’ life on earth proved to us that influence isn’t hard. What we need isn’t more capability, but more compassion. That’s why a couple of chapters later, Jesus called himself the friend of sinners. He had true, undying compassion for people. And He wants us to live with the same. There are three kinds of people Jesus had compassion on, and they’re the same ones He wants us to go out of our way for.
The first is the lonely. Jesus proved His compassion for the lonely when he sailed through a storm to the other side of the lake to find a man who had been exiled for demon possession. He had been chained to tombstones and was left there to die. But Jesus didn’t let that stop Him. He inconvenienced Himself to set the man free, and that man’s life was changed forever.
The second type of person Jesus showed strong compassion for was the labeled. He proved this in Mark 1, when He healed a leper who had been quarantined. He was sent away, not just for the physical disease but also because he was labeled as spiritually diseased. But Jesus didn’t care. In fact, Scripture says that when He saw this man, He was moved with compassion. He healed that man, made him whole and restored His life.
The third type of person Jesus was obviously moved with compassion for was the lost. He demonstrated this in one of my favorite portions in the Bible. In the midst of everyone accusing Jesus for loving sinners, He told three parables: one of sheep, one of coins, and one of the prodigal son. In each of these stories, the shepherd, woman and father went out of their way to find, love and accept what had been lost.
He proved to them that day that compassion is what helps people to be found. And that’s why He wants us all to choose compassion each and every day.
Who do you know who is lonely, labeled, or lost? More importantly, what will you do to love like Jesus, to be moved to compassion? That alone is what will bring a change. Compassion is love in action!