Tuesday: The Compassion of Jesus

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 21st of January 2025

In the New Testament, the same kind of imagery as in the Old is used to depict God’s compassion. Paul refers to the Father as the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3, NKJV). Further, Paul explains in Ephesians 2:4 that God is “rich in mercy” and redeems humans “because of His great love with which He loved us” (NKJV).

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

In various parables, Christ Himself repeatedly uses terms of visceral, gut-wrenching emotion to depict the Father’s compassion (Matthew 18:27, Luke 10:33, Luke 15:20). And the same language that depicts divine compassion in the Old Testament and New Testament also is used in the Gospels to depict Jesus’ compassionate responses to those in distress.

Read Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:34, and Luke 7:13. See also Matthew 23:37. How do these verses shed light on the way Christ was moved by the plight of people?

Again and again in the Gospels, Christ was said to be moved to compassion by people in distress or in need. And He not only felt compassion, He addressed the people’s needs, as well.

And yes, Jesus also lamented over His people. One might imagine the tears in Christ’s eyes as He looks out over the city—“ ‘How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!’ ” (Matthew 23:37, NKJV). Here, we see that the lament of Christ matches closely with that depicted of God throughout the Old Testament. In fact, many biblical scholars note that the imagery of a bird taking care of her young is imagery only used of divinity in the ancient Near East. Here, many see an allusion to the imagery in Deuteronomy 32:11, of God as a bird hovering over, protecting, and taking care of its young.

There is no greater example of God’s great compassionate love for us than Jesus Himself—who gave Himself for us in the ultimate demonstration of love. Yet, Christ is not only the perfect image of God. He is also the perfect model of humanity. How can we model our lives after the life of Christ, focusing on the felt needs of others, and, thus, not merely preaching God’s love but showing it in tangible ways?

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Print/PDF/Email

(14)

The compassion of Jesus was not not just a show of emotion or religious fervour but a springboard for action. Typically his compassion resulted in healing the sick, providing food for hungry multitudes, and even supplying wine (grape-juice) to a wedding party that had run out.

I have told this story before, but I think it illustrates the difference between theoretical and practical compassion. I wish you could hear it in an Australian accent:

There’s the yarn about Peter and the dying cattle at Piora Station one terrible drought, when the surface was as bare as your hand for hundreds of miles, and the heat like the breath of a furnace, and the sheep and cattle were perishing by thousands. Peter M‘Laughlan was out on the run helping the station-hands to pull out cattle that had got bogged in the muddy waterholes and were too weak to drag themselves out, when, about dusk, a gentlemanly “piano-fingered” parson, who had come to the station from the next town, drove out in his buggy to see the men. He spoke to Peter M‘Laughlan.

“Brother,” he said, “do you not think we should offer up a prayer?”

“What for?” asked Peter, standing in his shirt sleeves, a rope in his hands and mud from head to foot.

“For? Why, for rain, brother,” replied the parson, a bit surprised.

Peter held up his finger and said “Listen!”

Now, with a big mob of travelling stock camped on the plain at night, there is always a lowing, soughing or moaning sound, a sound like that of the sea on the shore at a little distance; and, altogether, it might be called the sigh or yawn of a big mob in camp. But the long, low moaning of cattle dying of hunger and thirst on the hot barren plain in a drought is altogether different, and, at night, there is something awful about it—you couldn’t describe it. This is what Peter M‘Laughlan heard.

“Do you hear that?” he asked the other preacher.

The little parson said he did. Perhaps he only heard the weak lowing of cattle.

“Do you think that God will hear us when He does not hear that?” asked Peter.

The parson stared at him for a moment and then got into his buggy and drove away, greatly shocked and deeply offended. But, later on, over tea at the homestead, he said that he felt sure that that “unfortunate man,” Peter M‘Laughlan, was not in his right mind; that his wandering, irregular life, or the heat, must have affected him.
Henry Lawson, "Shall We Gather at the River"

The sort of compassion that comes with dirty hands and covered with mud is the compassion that Jesus showed when faced with the effects of sin on the population of Palestine.

In our modern world, we are sometimes short on compassion and rather quick on condemnation. We are faced with homelessness, immigration tidal-waves, and devastating wars. All too often we are quite vocal on what should be done to fix these problems but slow to treat these folk with compassion. We cannot solve these problems but sometimes it is within our power to help one or two people within our reach.

[The rest of the story may be found here: Henry Lawson "Shall We Gather at the River"]

(51)

Reply ↓

Comments

Tuesday: The Compassion of Jesus — 5 Comments

Maurice Ashton on January 20, 2025 at 10:49 am said:

The compassion of Jesus was not not just a show of emotion or religious fervour but a springboard for action. Typically his compassion resulted in healing the sick, providing food for hungry multitudes, and even supplying wine (grape-juice) to a wedding party that had run out.

I have told this story before, but I think it illustrates the difference between theoretical and practical compassion. I wish you could hear it in an Australian accent:

There’s the yarn about Peter and the dying cattle at Piora Station one terrible drought, when the surface was as bare as your hand for hundreds of miles, and the heat like the breath of a furnace, and the sheep and cattle were perishing by thousands. Peter M‘Laughlan was out on the run helping the station-hands to pull out cattle that had got bogged in the muddy waterholes and were too weak to drag themselves out, when, about dusk, a gentlemanly “piano-fingered” parson, who had come to the station from the next town, drove out in his buggy to see the men. He spoke to Peter M‘Laughlan.

“Brother,” he said, “do you not think we should offer up a prayer?”

“What for?” asked Peter, standing in his shirt sleeves, a rope in his hands and mud from head to foot.

“For? Why, for rain, brother,” replied the parson, a bit surprised.

Peter held up his finger and said “Listen!”

Now, with a big mob of travelling stock camped on the plain at night, there is always a lowing, soughing or moaning sound, a sound like that of the sea on the shore at a little distance; and, altogether, it might be called the sigh or yawn of a big mob in camp. But the long, low moaning of cattle dying of hunger and thirst on the hot barren plain in a drought is altogether different, and, at night, there is something awful about it—you couldn’t describe it. This is what Peter M‘Laughlan heard.

“Do you hear that?” he asked the other preacher.

The little parson said he did. Perhaps he only heard the weak lowing of cattle.

“Do you think that God will hear us when He does not hear that?” asked Peter.

The parson stared at him for a moment and then got into his buggy and drove away, greatly shocked and deeply offended. But, later on, over tea at the homestead, he said that he felt sure that that “unfortunate man,” Peter M‘Laughlan, was not in his right mind; that his wandering, irregular life, or the heat, must have affected him.
Henry Lawson, "Shall We Gather at the River"

The sort of compassion that comes with dirty hands and covered with mud is the compassion that Jesus showed when faced with the effects of sin on the population of Palestine.

In our modern world, we are sometimes short on compassion and rather quick on condemnation. We are faced with homelessness, immigration tidal-waves, and devastating wars. All too often we are quite vocal on what should be done to fix these problems but slow to treat these folk with compassion. We cannot solve these problems but sometimes it is within our power to help one or two people within our reach.

[The rest of the story may be found here: Henry Lawson "Shall We Gather at the River"]

(51)

Reply ↓
Omwenga Mwambi on January 20, 2025 at 10:54 am said:

God’s compassion for mankind is sacrificial (Romans 5:8). The Bible is very illustrative in showing us how God has made every effort to draw humanity to Himself. It breaks the heart of God to see how we reject His compassionate love (Matthew 23:37). What hurts God’s heart is not the rejection but the eventual consequence of that rejection. Rejecting God’s compassion leads to self-destruction and loss of eternity. This is what God laments about. Jesus wept over Jerusalem when He saw the impending doom having rejected God’s compassion. What can possibly redeem us from the looming eternal destruction if we reject the compassion of the Son of God? Sadly, nothing!

Why is it that humanity is almost and perhaps always inclined to reject God’s compassionate love? It seems probable that our gift of free will is twisted towards dismissing God. From the very beginning of human existence, Adam and Eve rejected God's love. Is the gift of free will defective? Why are we not freely and easily persuaded by the goodness of God? It is sad indeed to see how we easily and freely walk away from God who loves us with eternal love. Who can save us from this helpless condition (Romans 1:21, Romans 7:24). Humans’ spiritual blindness is perhaps the most tragic self-inflicted accident that ever occurred to us. How do we fail to be attracted to and freely fall in love with this compassionate Saviour? We are wayward children and our Father in heaven is grieving. How can we possibly explain this tragic foolishness? Please Lord help us from our foolishness.

How long can we continue to ignore and trample upon God’s compassion? How long shall God be patient with us before revealing His justice? The Word of God is evidently clear that his compassionate love is boundless and extraordinarily patient but at some point, He will reveal his justice. God will not allow his compassion to be trampled upon indefinitely without an appropriate response (2 Peter 3:9, Galatians 6:7, Romans 2:4). God’s patience is not indecisiveness but a show of love. Resisting persistently God’s saving compassion will lead to the hardening of the heart. There is a spiritual . Pharaoh hardened his heart to a point of no return. When we are spiritually dead, it is “free-fall” to eternal destruction (Romans 1:28-32).

“You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ” (Hebrews 3:13-14 – NLT)

(22)

Reply ↓
John Herscher on January 20, 2025 at 11:38 am said:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3.

There is so much evidence of God's mercies, it is dificult to miss them. We have already given the proof of Jesus love. We have in the past spent days showing that the Son of God who is Jesus authored the old testiment, by comparing what was in Psalms with what He said in Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Now today we have Paul quoting Christ in his own words with his letter to the Corinthians. Mercies of God, Christ has the definition of compassion, kindness, pity, forgivness. Why even alleviation of distress. Another aspect of alleviating distress is, restoration. How does that happen. In short Psalms 51. And then we can go on to praising God for restoring our soul as David wrote about it in Psalms 23. Yet, it is not automatic, or an antibiotic given by your doctor. There is an element of faith, required, or chosen if you prefer. Evidence is given in the multitude of text in today's lesson. I especially like the Samaritian gentleman who stopped to help a stranger regardless of creed, color, or ethnicity. Luke 10:33.

(16)

Reply ↓
Petit Radet on January 21, 2025 at 8:42 am said:

Jesus said, if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. God’s Compassion is seen in Jesus. In Jesus we can see a host of wonderful examples of God’s compassion for people.

In the parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus contrasts an inadequate Jewish response with the compassion of the “good” Samaritan.

The Missing Shepherd (Matt. 9:35-36). As Jesus went about with his teaching and healing ministry, he had “compassion” on the people who were like “sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus fed the hungry (Matt. 14:13-21). When a great crowd followed Jesus into a isolated place, he had “compassion” for them.

Raising the Widow’s Son (Luke 7:11-15). When Jesus saw a funeral procession for a widow’s only son, Jesus had “compassion” on her, actually touching the bier – thereby becoming unclean – and raising him from the dead.
What else can we say?
What a compassionate God !!!!

(8)

Reply ↓
JC Zielak on January 22, 2025 at 1:56 am said:

God is thinking of His creatures all the time! He never sleeps and is always caring for everyone. Doing good for others is the most significant example Christ left for us.

(2)

Reply ↓

Sabbath School Net

Seventh-day Adventist Bible Study Discussion

Tuesday: The Compassion of Jesus

Read Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:34, and Luke 7:13. See also Matthew 23:37. How do these verses shed light on the way Christ was moved by the plight of people?

Comments

Tuesday: The Compassion of Jesus — 5 Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply