Moved With Compassion
Patrick Oelund
Jesus has called us to go out and “…go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Just the commandment “go” is something that would simply move us out from our churches and houses to go and tell everyone about Jesus Christ; but there are other things which compel us to go and one of these things is COMPASSION.
Compassion is born out of love and love is found in God: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1John 4:8).
I believe that many times, compassion or love for people is not what drives us, but instead, ministry, position and finding something to do is driving us to go out. This will work for a short while but it will not last forever: whenever we face problem; a high position or ministry will not encourage us to not let our hands let go of the plow and look back, but compassion for people will, the love of Christ will.
My wife once asked God what is the most important thing for Him – He answered, “People.”
2. Compassion shown through the life of Jesus Christ
Jesus is our example in everything and also in doing ministry. What was it that drove Jesus?
Matt 9:35-37
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
1. Be attentive to people
As Jesus was going through all the towns and villages preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God and healing every disease and sickness – He was looking at the crowds and saw that they were harassed (tormented) and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus was looking at the crowds – sometimes we need to take time to look at the people we meet. Often we are so in a hurry to do our ministry so we forget why we are here. When Jesus saw the people He was filled with a compassion for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. They were harassed and helpless. Many times it is when we start to look upon the people God can speak to us. We lift our eyes from our own situation to see other peoples’ lives and helplessness.
Mankind is lost without Jesus. They are on their way to hell.
2. Compassion is not just a feeling but involves action
• Many times when we see something, for example, we can see a young girl that is crippled and can’t go
• We feel pity and sympathy for her, but it stays there
• Literally it says that when Jesus had compassion on them – his bowels inside was yearning
• Yearning that these people who were scattered like sheep without a shepherd should come to know Him – the Good Shepherd
• And his feeling of compassion made Him to do something… He appointed 12 apostles and send them out to preach the Kingdom of God, heal the sick and raise the dead to life
Ex: The Chinese female evangelist that was out preaching.
The girl who fled from China to HK and when she saw the Bible for the first time she said, “I am willing to go back the same way I came if I only could give my people the word of God.”
Paul said in 2 Cor 5:14-15, “For Christ’s love compels us, [the Russian bible is not the right translation] because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
“We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving.” – Alexander Duff
Mark 1:40-42
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
• This man was unclean because of his sickness.
• The man had probably heard a lot about Jesus; how He was healing people and casting out demons. He knew that Jesus was ABLE to cure him from his sickness.
• What he didn’t know was if Jesus was WILLING to cure him.
• Jesus was filled with compassion for this man.
• It didn’t bother Jesus that this man had an unclean disease, but He touched him and made him clean
Ex: There was a businessman who was traveling in Japan and while there he met a young American woman who worked as a missionary among the lepers. When he heard that she had left a prosperous life in the US, he was amazed and told her: “I wouldn’t do this for 1 million dollar.” She replied, “Me neither,” “but I’ll do it for Jesus!”
Luke 5:21-43
• A large crowd gathered around Jesus
• A Ruler from the synagogue came and fell down before Jesus and asked Him to come to his house because his daughter was sick
• Jesus left the crowd to visit one person. Many times we do the opposite.
• A woman who had a blood disease and she had spent all her money on different doctors but instead of getting better she grew worse
• When she heard about Jesus she came up behind Him
• She touched the hem of his garment because she thought that by doing that she could be healed.
• Immediately the bleeding stopped and she FELT in her body that she was healed.
• When Jesus felt that power had gone out from Him, He asked, “Who touched me?”
• She trembled with fear. I don’t know why she was afraid, maybe she thought that Jesus would be angry but Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
• When we read about Jesus we see that He never turned away from someone who came to Him. He always healed them and always cared for them.
• After this, people came from Jairus’ house and told him that her daughter was dead and that he shouldn’t bother Jesus anymore. But Jesus IGNORED them and told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”
• The girl was dead and when they came to his house Jesus took Peter, Jacob, John and Jairus and his wife and went into the room where the daughter laid. He raised her up from death and told them to give her something to eat. Jesus cared for her.
Luke 7:11-15
• Jesus came with His disciples to a town called Nain
• When they approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out – the only son of his mother and she was a widow
• Jesus saw this woman and He was filled with compassion for her – She was now alone without anyone and He told her:
• “Don’t cry.” And He raised her boy back to life
When we read the Gospels, we see that Jesus was not only filled with a feeling of compassion for people but He acted on that feeling and did something to change the situation for the people He met.
Ex: William Booth and preaching to a hungry stomach.
Matt 15:29-39
• Jesus came to a mountainside and sat down and as always a great multitude of people were surrounding Him
• He healed their sick; the mute spoke, the crippled were made well, the lame started to walk and the blind saw
• Probably Jesus spoke a lot to the people as well and I think that He was really tired after so many people coming to Him asking Him to do something for them
• But He is not worried about Himself but of the people:
v. 32
• “Jesus called his disciples to him and said: ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.’”
Luke 19:1-10
• Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was
• Jesus came where he was in the tree and called him by name. That means that Jesus already knew him. Jesus was interested in people.
• Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.
Acts 3:1-10
• Peter and John went to the temple at the time of prayer
• A crippled man was carried to the temple gate called Beautiful where he was put every day to beg
• When he saw Peter and John he asked them for money
• Peter and John looked straight at him: Probably they had seen this man many times as they were going to the temple to pray, but not until today they SAW him
• “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you…”
• Peter understood that he really had something to give this man to change his life
When Jesus was here on earth He gave as an example how we as the Church of God shall live. He said that He had come to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28). We are also to be servants and serve people and not expect people to serve us.
The Church is the hope for this world! It is not the government that is the answer and has all the answers.
We need to understand that if we don’t go out and show the world the love of God no one will do it. By feeding some people every week will make an impact in these peoples’ life. By doing this, you show the love of God to these people. They will see that someone cares.
We don’t have a hidden agenda. With that I mean that we want the people we serve to be saved and come to God. But, even if they won’t, we will anyhow do whatever we do, because we want to show them the love of God and that there is someone who cares for them and love them.
3. Compassion both for the people in the world and the people in the church
a. They healed the sick and showed the love of God (Acts 5:12-16). When Philip preached Christ in Samaria, people were being healed and there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:4-8). People outside of the Church had respect for them because they saw that they were nice people doing well.
What are people speaking of us: Maybe that we are a sect, strange, and introvert people. Many times this is what people speak about us. Why? One of the answers is that we are introvert and we close ourselves inside the churches. We need to go out and be someone that goes to the people giving them love, compassion, healing by being there when no one else cares.
b. But the First Church didn’t only care for the people outside of the Church they cared for their brothers and sisters in the Church.
Acts 4:32
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No-one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
I don’t mean that we shall give away all our belongings but I think that we as a church, a fellowship of brothers or sisters must be open to each other’s needs. Whenever we see someone of our brother or sister in need, we do something about it.
2Cor 8:8-15
Paul is speaking to the Corinthian Church that they should give to the believers in Judea in their suffering.
But it is not only by giving of one’s belongings we show compassion and love for each other, it is also by treating each other in a loving way.
1Pet 3:8-9
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
We shall lift each other up. Look not only on our own interests but also for the interests of others (Phil 2:4). We shall be attentive to each other and love one another even when it means that we need to sacrifice something.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
