Moved with Compassion

Compassion is not just pity or sympathy. It is more than being moved to tears or stirred up emotionally. Compassion is mercy accompanied by a desire to change things. True compassion moves us to do something. 

While Jesus was ministering, he departed into the wilderness to pray. When the crowd discovered his whereabouts, they followed him on foot and brought him their lame, blind, dying and demon-possessed. Scripture tells us, “And when Jesus went out he saw a great multitude; and he was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14, NKJV).

Had Jesus been hampered by our modern thinking, he might have gathered his disciples for a committee meeting to analyze the problems and talk about the sins that had brought society to such a place. He might have pointed to the frothing demoniacs and tearfully said, “Look at what sin does to people. Isn’t that tragic?” 

Perhaps he would have said, “Look, I feel your pain, but I have worked hard ministering to you, and now I am exhausted. I need to talk to my Father. Later, I will call my disciples for a prayer meeting, and we will pray over your needs. Now, go in peace.” That is modern theology in a nutshell. Everybody is willing to pray, but few are willing to act. 

Matthew 9 says of Jesus, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). The phrase “moved with compassion” means stirred to action. So what did Jesus do? He didn’t just talk. What he saw stirred his heart, and he had a consuming desire to change things. His feelings of pity and sympathy moved him to action. 

“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matthew 9:35).

This was not some vain theology. Jesus did not just get alone with the Father and say, “Lord, send laborers into your harvest field.” No, Jesus went himself. He got deeply, practically and intimately involved and reminded his disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).