Compassion's Passion

We live in a world full of knowledge and knowledge transfer. Power goes to him who receives and transfers the most and the fastest.

But Darwin has invaded our church relationships when discipleship boils down to teaching, when pastoring reduces to advice, when friendship shrinks to an Ideas Gallery.

And then come the valleys and potholes of life. The Crisis Moments. The private 9-11s. Now a friend is on the floor bleeding; then a church member is wounded deeply. Abuse, job loss, disease, death, inner torments.

And now and then we see how pale a shadow our loveless words and actions cast. O woe is me! How often I have felt myself to be a friend in need, a solid confidante, only now to see how often I gave the cold only a photo of a blanket, and the hungry only a drawing of a feast!

Jesus was genuinely and deeply “moved with compassion”. In Matthew chapters 9, 14, 15 and 20 He was stirred with this emotion, which literally means “to feel someone else's pain in one’s bowels, in the very seat and pit of love”..

And now Christ lives in me. His compassion is compressed within me.  The Person of the Holy Spirit is Resident. This is not something that needs to fall from the sky. Our faith, made manifest in God-inspired repentance, is what unleashes the force of heaven within us and about us.  What do I mean by "God-inspired repentance"? Well, scripture says in Acts 11 and 2 Tim 2 that God "grants repentance".  And as we embrace this,  our faith releases the Spirit’s power and fruit.

 
Yes, compassion is not listed specifically as a “Spirit fruit” in Galatians 5:22 - but kindness, goodness and gentleness are! Imagine a church with these fruit being given and eaten daily!! Imagine a world enjoying this from many Christians! This is revival!

Tender hearts, full of empathy, understanding - hearts quick to listen and slow to speak.

I stand convicted today. Lord, make us more compassionate for one reason only – because Christ dwells in our hearts through faith. Shine the Christ-light from us, that the broken and battered may come and find rest with us. May they not firstly find more teaching and good advice, but the love and power of God - the Kingdom come!

Now I understand a little more why the prostitutes and tax collectors loved being with Jesus. Even (especially?) for sinners, we need love them for one reason only – because the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge is at home in us. And wants to burst out of the front door of our lives with a smile on its face.

I close with the words of the Irish poet George William Russell, taken from his poem entitled “Love”:

Not alone, not alone would I go to my rest in the heart of the love:

Were I tranced in the innermost beauty, the flame of its tenderest breath,

I would still hear the cry of the fallen recalling me back from above,

To go down to the side of the people who weep in the shadow of death.

Many are asking for an opportunity to participate in the miracles of Jesus. May the miracle of Christ’s compassion be included heartily in such requests.

Nick