Compassion

INTRO: Galatians 6:2 states that we should “Carry each other’s burdens.” Are you willing to carry my burdens? Even if you know I don’t deserve it? Having compassion on someone can be time consuming, expensive, and just plain hard—on everyone involved

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I. How we usually think of compassion.

A. Empathy: Putting yourself in that person’s position and imagining his position..

B. Sympathy: “I understand how you feel.” “I’ve been there.” “That is so sad.”

C. We usually think compassion is just feeling sorry for someone; however, God has shown us with concrete examples from the Word of what compassion is.

D. The Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines “Compassion” as “The sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” Wow, a desire to alleviate it. Compassion should go one step further, though; it should do something instead of just desiring to do something. That is what compassion does: something. Even if it is some situation that your really can’t do anything about(such as the deformed, blind, crippled, mentally slow, etc), you can pray.

1. syllogism: If compassion is trying to give someone what he needs, and they need ___________, then having compassion on that person would be trying to give him ____________.

II. What does Compassion actually do?

A. Compassion provides those who are in need with what they need.

a. Matt 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”

1. Notice that they did something for “the least,” knowing that these people could never repay them. They didn’t loan, they gave.

2. What does he mean “whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me”? How are you doing it for him?

b. Jesus did it for the least of these when he healed the woman with the issue of blood. Luke 8:43-47 43 And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45 And Jesus said, "Who is the one who touched Me?" And while they were all denying it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You." 46 But Jesus said, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me." 47 When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.

11. This woman was definitely “the least of these.” She had no way of repaying the favor, and no one would’ve noticed if he just ignored her, but he didn’t.

b. Sometimes it is just being there for someone when they need help. Galatians 6:2 states that we should “Carry each other’s burdens.”

B. Compassion takes the one thing we have the least of: time.

a. Luke 10:31& 34 The story of the Good Samaritan is really famous, but lots of us miss one point in the story. (Verse 33) "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” The Samaritan took time to stay with him and tend to his wounds. He took time out of his busy life to do it himself for a total stranger. We waste a lot of time, and we are busy nearly every minute of every day. Giving of that time to do for others is a big sacrifice, but it is required.

1. If you are in a hurry, do you really think God will understand?