My pastor preached Sunday on Christ’s direction to his followers to care in fuller, more compassionate ways than the culture. The text was on the Good Samaritan. A key word in the text was the way the Samaritan had compassion for the Jewish man, attacked and lying half dead on the roadside.
The distinction was made between sympathy, empathy, and compassion. His words got me searching the many times and ways “compassion” is used in the Bible.
As I searched the whole Bible for the word in the NASB translation, a quick review of the references to compassion revealed 4 primary uses as I read them:
- Compassion shown or promised by the Triune God- 90 X
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Compassion withheld by God- 9 X
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Compassion demonstrated by mankind or directed by God to be shown by mankind- 15 X
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Compassion withheld by mankind- 10 X
It seems clear to me that compassion is an attribute that is characteristic of God and arises from the heart of God. Christ is repeatedly referred to as having compassion on people, individually, as a community or all the world.
When compassion is demonstrated by mankind, it appears to be in response to general, special, or personal revelation of God at work in situations.
But in all the references to godly compassion, the case is easily made that it is far more than a feeling and comforting words ( like sympathy and empathy.).
Compassion encompasses action by God, or by people showing godly conduct, to demonstrate His care, protection, and provision for people in the name of God.
“Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering AND FEEL MOTIVATED TO RELIEVE THAT SUFFERING.”
Compassion is the outward, active expression of God’s love for His creation. God is the source of compassion because God IS love and God will not fail to act on behalf of His children.
Today’s reading and reflection in the Seedbed.com Wake Up Call reveals the depth of Christ’s compassion for the man with leprosy. He was moved to action. It demonstrates a comparable act of compassion by Him coming to be with us, His willingness to take on our infirmities, and His power to touch any life, any where, at any time through His continuing Presence with any who seek Him.
https://emails.seedbed.com/view.html?x=a62e&m=16&mc=O&s=PZ2&u=3&z=mYRnsPp&pt=view