“Jesus walked throughout the region with the joyful message of God’s kingdom realm. He taught in their meeting houses, and wherever he went he demonstrated God’s power by healing every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the vast crowds of people, Jesus’ heart was deeply moved with compassion, because they seemed weary and helpless, like wandering sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:35-36 TPT)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!” (Matthew 23:27 BSB)
“The Lord is close to all whose hearts are crushed by pain, and he is always ready to restore the repentant one.” (Psalm 34:18 TPT)
“I am broken over the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn all day long. Horror has gripped me.” (Jeremiah 8:21 TPT)
I do not believe there is any greater motivator in my life than compassion. When Matthew wrote that Jesus’ heart was “moved with compassion” the Greek word translated compassion literally means a deep, visceral feeling of pity and sympathy. It is commonly speaking of a gut-wrenching compassion. It hurts! This is the same kind of deep pain that is being described by Jeremiah when he describes the Lord’s being “broken” over the “brokenness” of those he loves. David echoed this in Psalm 34 as he described the closeness of the Lord to all whose “hearts are crushed by pain.”
Jesus feels our pain. He has been “touched” by everything that we go through…
…”For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 KJV)
The closer I get to Jesus, the more I begin to see and feel things the way that he does, the more the feelings of others begin to affect me. I find myself growing in both sympathy (feeling for) and empathy (feeling with). I am growing in the depths at which I am moved with compassion for those around me. Their pain is beginning to create pain within me. Their hurts are beginning to hurt me. Their struggles are beginning to cause me to struggle on their behalf. The best part of Jesus’ compassion is that it is redemptive and restorative. That is the nature of the compassion that he is growing within me.
The “Sufferings WITH Jesus” that I experience drive me to be a part of the solution for the problems of those around me. I truly start to realize that if it weren’t for the grace of God I would be exactly where they currently are. I am moved to action on their behalf. All judgement and condescension begins to dissipate and is replaced with grace and mercy. The pain of compassion moves me!
As I become more like Jesus I will grow in my recognition of those surrounding me. I will be moved to take action. At times this will result in a closer bond in which the Lord’s compassion through me brings healing. Other times that recognition will result in rejection and persecution. Either way, I will have the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing that I am sharing in the sufferings of Christ that he intended for me to suffer WITH him.
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…Eric’s Life Lesson # 412: Discerned Suffering: Suffering WITH Christ – The Pain of Compassion