33. CHRISTLIKE COMPASSION. (Luke;10 33.)

Many dictionaries define Compassion as Sympathy, Pity or Concern… These are all emotional responses but the Compassion of Jesus transcends emotion and translates into action. Christlike Compassion first, recognises the needs of others In Philippians 2: 3-4 Paul puts it this way “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other than himself, let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Note the phrase “better than himself”, Now let’s look around at the people in our lives and then say “I Esteem them better than myself.” If one tends to be self-centred, it will take a while for this concept to sink in, but self honesty and appraisal is a healthy and worthwhile attitude to have, someone once said “To thine own self be true” Note also the words,”Look out for the interests of others”. Sometimes those “others” are badly messed up and not easy to love. eg. What about those who are in prison? We say “Well, they got what they deserved”, May be so, but did you always get what you deserved, or did you just not get caught? Think about it! In Matthew 25:40) Jesus Himself said “When you visit someone sick or in prison, your doing it to Me. And in Luke 23:43 Jesus showed compassion to a convicted criminal on a cross and saved him. So everyone needs compassion and we must not pick and choose, we ought to look at the problem rather than the person in such cases. In Job 6:14 we read “To him who is afflicted kindness should be shown by his friends even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty”. We should not show partiality, Our works of compassion could very well be the steppingstone that brings them to Christ. One of Mother Teresa’s prayers was “Oh Lord Jesus, Grant that even if You are hidden under the unattractive guise of anger, crime or madness, I may recognise You and say “Jesus You who suffer, how sweet it is to serve you.” Scripture teaches us a couple of other things about Christlike compassion. In Hebrews 14-15 Paul tells us, in relating to the needs of others “Jesus this High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same tests we do.” Jesus – understands, how comforting! Whatever situation, challenge or adversity we find ourselves in, He is saying “I can relate, I’ve been there”. Pressure? Rejection? Pain? Temptation? Slander? Lies? False accusations? He understands, because He’s been there. Both Jesus and James tell us,We need to respond to the needs of others on a practical base. It’s not enough just to recognise and relate to the needs of other people, we’ve been called to action on a practical level, otherwise our compassion is meaningless. Jesus responded to sick people with healing, to hungry people with food and to lost people with the Good News of the Gospel. If we find ourselves in the presence of a need, it’s not by accident, God knows what we can supply and He’s put us there at that time, in that situation for four very good reasons, to see how much you have grown, How much you truly love Him, how much you trust Him and how much you really care. Compassion has no limits. It sponsors a hungry child, Helps change a tyre for a stranded person on the roadside, Brings a meal to someone whose grieving, and listens patiently to someone who needs a friend. Compassion gets its hands dirty, It gives money, it sacrifices its own agenda, schedule, desires and dreams to meet the needs of another. In Acts 38 Matthew the writer says, “God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with Power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” We need to ask ourselves this one question, “What is my main concern in life “Looking Good or Doing Good”. If you want to be more like Jesus You know the answer to that question. The word “Compassion” means to enter into another’s passion. You may ask “How can I do that?” By asking them gently, why they are so stressed or depressed and asking How you can help, or maybe a friend has been diagnosed with an illness, High Blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, cancer. What should or can you do for them. Maybe someone has been promoted but their co-workers are jealous, he doesn’t know how to handle their jealousy, talk to him, and more importantly let him talk to you. Or maybe someone just lost a loved one and you don’t know what to say, Don’t say anything, just be there. The Bible says in Romans 12;15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep “ In other words, If someone is hurting, hurt with them, and if they are happy, be happy with them. Enter into their passion...That’s how to show compassion... In an effort to look Holy, sometimes we come across harsh and insensitive We say things like ”Oh well that’s the will of God, we can’t do anything about that.” First of all You don’t know if it is the “Will of God” and secondly, if it is, it is also the will of God for you to be there to help and pray for them. Paul addressed this very issue in Colossians 3;12 “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves...clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, some of us may have to work harder at this than others. But there’s no opt-out clause. 1Peter 3;8 says “All of you be of one mind, having Compassion for one another.” That includes You and Me. Thank you for reading my thoughts on Compassion. There are a number of people who need compassion and understanding in this world and are too embarrassed, proud, self-conscious, or shy to admit to it, or ask for help in particular areas. I was one of those people regarding my eye-sight , it took me years to get over it, and it still comes back to haunt me sometimes, but I found facing the problem, asking God to help me and graciously accepting the help that is offered is the only solution. So what I have written about here is mainly from my own personal experience. I hope it helps. Let’s go to the Healer together and seek His. Blessings Phaline --------------------------