day 5 - the compassion of jesus

By: Becca Harvey

If you were to sum up the whole character of Jesus, it might be gathered into this one sentence, "He was moved with compassion" (Matthew 9:36). This is said of Jesus several times throughout the New Testament by his Apostles as they recorded his ministry. The word ‘Compassion’ is a very remarkable one. It is not found in the classic Greek language in which the New Testament was written, in fact, the word was coined by the Apostles themselves. They could not find a word in the whole of Greek language that suited their purpose, and therefore, they had to create one. The word compassion is expressive of the deepest emotion; a yearning of one’s innermost nature with empathy. I suppose that when Jesus looked upon certain sights, whether it was crowds of lost souls or those in need of healing, the Apostles who watched him closely perceived that his internal agitation was very great and his emotions very deep. His whole nature was moved with the utmost sympathy for the sufferers before him. Therefore, the Apostles created a term to precisely describe these deep emotions, thus compassion was born.  

It says in Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” This scripture perfectly describes the nature and limits of Jesus’ compassion. He suffers with His people, not merely showing sympathy to those who are suffering, but taking to Himself a joint feeling of their suffering. If there is one attribute of Jesus’ that we must mirror, it is His deep and unwavering burden for broken things; broken and suffering individuals. What do we feel when we see those broken individuals in our own world? Are we moved with sympathy or compassion? It is said that sympathy feels, however, compassion acts. True compassion changes the way we live, therefore, let us take a note from Jesus and be not only touched with sympathy, but moved with compassion.

“When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and healed their sick.” (Matthew 14:13-14)

“And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will yea that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. (Matthew 20: 30-34)

“Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.” (Luke 7:12-15)

“And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)