Compassion

I was listening to a podcast this week and the preacher said something along the lines that every time Jesus was moved with compassion, it forced His involvement. Forced His involvement? I didn't really understand that statement so I looked it up and found that this was actually true. In fact, it happens 5 times (Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32, Matthew 20:34, Mark 1:41, and Luke 7:13-15). I started with Matthew 14:14 which says, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." He goes on to feed about 20,000 people but the startling reality lies in that word compassion. That word used in the Greek (splagchnon) actually means "inward parts or bowels" a gut-level compassion. 

It's interesting when you think about compassion as bowels. When you get food poisoning what happens? I don't know about you, but the 2 times I've had food poisoning I've been violently sick. Throwing up constantly. When my bowels were messed up it forced an action! That is exactly what happened to Jesus when He felt compassion on people. It's almost as if He got sick to His stomach to the point where He was forced into action to meet their needs. 

This should really challenge us in the way we do life. When we see the needs of others, we should have such compassion on them that it forces our actions to meet their needs. God calls us to love! 1 John 3:17 says, "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" Compassion cannot leave a person in the same condition they were found. Mother Teresa says it best, "I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love!"