COMPASSION

Luke 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it…

Whenever I read about Jesus, the one thing that stands out the most, for me, is his heart of compassion. When you read in the New Testament of the accounts when Jesus healed people, it always says, he had compassion.
Matthew 4:14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 20:34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Isn’t that one of the motives behind the act of love… compassion. The two go hand in hand. You can’t have love without compassion and you can’t have compassion without love.

There are times when I get this overwhelming heaviness in my heart. This sense that comes from the depths of my soul and I begin to weep. Not just weep, but it’s this uncontrollable cry from my belly. At the time, I might be thinking of someone who I care for deeply, who may be going through some struggle in their life, or I may hear of the injustice of children around the world who are suffering, or see a movie that touches on this. It’s as though my heart has been given the compassion of Jesus when he stood on that hill and wept for a lost world. Maybe it’s the Holy Spirit grieving inside of me, or groaning, as the scripture describes.
Romans 8:26&27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

I don’t know why this feeling comes upon me at times. It’s not something that I have control over, it just happens on various occasions. I do believe it’s as though God is giving me a glimpse of seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus, and that He is just reminding me of His enormous love for the world and keeping my heart right. I pray I never lose a heart of compassion for others.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I am always amazed when I hear a follower of Christ say that they don’t want the Lord to come again, just yet, because they have too much work still to finish. I think, “Wow, what a selfish thing to say!” How can anyone want the world to keep suffering, because you think you still have some great work to do? Do you actually think God is waiting for you to save the world? Can you stop all the suffering in this world? No, you cannot! When I see or hear of the world’s suffering, I pray, “Lord come quickly!”

Matthew 6:1-4 Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

How do you see the World?