Print or Save as PDF Booklet JESUS: THE COMPASSIONATE
(Matthew 5:4)
COMPASSION: WHAT IS IT?
Some people say that Jesus was a revolutionary. They say he was radical. They are right! It is true that he didn't try to overthrow the government of any country. He did not get involved in politics; he didn't encourage workers to go on strike; he never took up arms to fight against the authorities. To the contrary, Jesus always taught his followers to submit to the "powers that be". However, what he did teach and the movement he began was so different from what already existed that the society of his day rejected him and crucified him.

When Jesus preached his "sermon on the mount", the predominate religion was Judaism and the military-political power was in the hands of the Roman Empire. See how Jesus' words conflicted with the ideas of the leaders of these two groups:
The religious leaders of the Jews were mostly Pharisees, a group known for their pride and self-righteousness. Do you remember the prayer of the Pharisee in the temple? "Lord, I thank you that I am not like this publican sinner here beside me."
The Roman soldiers prided themselves for having conquered the world by force. So here comes a carpenter's son saying, "Blessed are the humble ones." That is quite radical, isn't it?

The Pharisees were the "sanctified ones." They considered themselves so superior to others that they would not even touch a "sinner". Jesus, though, "the friend of sinners" came telling: "Blessed are those who weep"; that is, those filled with compassion, a sensitive heart, the contrite, those whose hearts are touched with the sorrows of others.

The Roman Empire lived by the rule of "might makes right" and the voice that spoke the loudest was the sword. Our Jesus taught: "Blessed are the meek."

The Pharisees robbed widows' houses and for pretense prayed long prayers but Jesus said: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."

The Pharisees announced with trumpets that they were about to give a beggar a coin. They prayed in the public town squares and streets so they would be seen by men. But Jesus arrived on the scene saying, "Blessed are the pure of heart, the sincere ones.

The Roman Empire lived for battles, conquest and destruction. Jesus taught, "Blessed are the peacemakers."

Can you imagine the reaction of the people who heard Jesus teach? It would be like the man who commented about the Jesus' instruction to "turn the other cheek": This man said, "That won't work anymore. If you do that you'll lose out every time." Some think Jesus' words are beautiful but impractical. Remember, though, that Jesus did not only teach, but he lived what he taught. The Pharisees and the Roman Empire have disappeared from the world but Jesus still lives. He doesn't just live in his teachings and in his followers but he rose from the dead and the kingdom he came to establish was indeed established and millions have entered into it and are still entering.

In Jesus said that those who weep are blessed because they will be comforted. This idea is contrary to the modern mindset that teaches us that real men don't cry. We hear our society telling the youth: "Don't look back, enjoy life, have fun, you only go around one time, do whatever you feel like doing, to be sad or feel remorse is stupid." But Jesus still proclaimed that those who weep are blessed.

There is, in itself, no virtue in weeping. Jesus is not promoting pessimism, self-pity, wounded pride, frustrated ambition, pain or suffering. Jesus is not saying, "Blessed is the spoiled child who cries when he doesn't get what he wants." He isn't saying: Blessed is the criminal who laments going to jail." That's not it at all. The compassionate person, contrite and sensitive, is the one with a heart that is touched by the sufferings of others or by his own sins. This person will be blessed because God will comfort him is his sorrows.

A rose has a sweet smell but break a rose petal and see what happens. You will discover that each petal has a storehouse of perfume that was destined to die in the flower. That is the way it is with a human heart closed, insensitive, never broken, only living for self. It will never find the treasure hidden within. That treasure is only set free when the heart is broken, sensitive, contrite, and compassionate. It is true: blessed are they who weep.

JESUS IS OUR EXAMPLE OF COMPASSION:
When you read the Gospels, you'll be impressed with the compassion of Jesus. He was always touched by the desperate situation of the sorrowful. A leper came to him crying, "If you will, you can purify me". (Mark 1:40). Now lepers were not very pleasing in appearance. They were banned from community living. But there was something about Jesus that made them know they could approach him. Jesus drew them to himself so it wasn't out of character that, when he heard the leper's plea, he was "deeply moved", he extended his hand, touched him and said: 'Be clean!' And he never failed to reach out and touch them, leaving them perfectly clean. That's just the way Jesus was.

In the city of Nain, he saw a widow at the burial of her only son. Seeing her grief, he had compassion on her and said, "Do not weep." He then proceeded to bring her son back to life (Luke 7:13).

Leaving Jericho, some time later, Jesus saw two blind men, "touched their eyes and they immediately they received their sight" (Matthew 20:34).

The Bible doesn't say that Jesus wept when he heard that his friend, Lazarus, had died. But when he arrived at the tomb, seeing Mary and others weeping, "He groaned in the spirit and was troubled" and wept. (John 11:33, 35). The sorrow of others touched his sensitive heart. Whether it was the grieving, the blind, the lame, the lepers, the prostitutes, or just plain sinners, Jesus felt their pain and did what he could to help.

The WORD who became flesh, , who created the universe and placed everything in order, who still holds it all together powerful with all authority; divine but compassionate and sensitive to our pain and grief - this is our Jesus!!! See your Creator with your hearts' eyes, pained and weeping, and you will know the life of Christ a little bit more. Never again will you say, "real men don't cry".

Jesus' greatest compassion, though, is not for sick bodies but for sick souls. We read in how Jesus felt compassion for the multitude who were like sheep without a shepherd, lost people, aimlessly wandering, not knowing what they were looking for, nor where they were headed. Someone could say, "That's their problem. Each one chooses their own destiny." But Jesus would not close his heart to their situation. He was touched by their spiritual condition. That's why he came.

We read in , that Jesus, coming into his beloved city, Jerusalem, also wept. He looked into the future of that city and it was dark. The Jews rejected Jesus and refused to repent of their sins and for that would suffer a terrible punishment. Enemy armies would invade and destroy the city. All the inhabitants would be killed or sold like slaves to other countries. The glorious temple, symbol of their privilege and the presence of God among them would be torn down, leaving not one stone on top of another. All that did happen 40 years later. Jesus loved them and cried thinking about the destiny of the rebellious and disobedient.

It is significant that this scene happened a week before his own painful death. On the eve of his own cruel death, Jesus did not cry for himself but he cried over Jerusalem, knowing they had rejected their only hope for salvation when they rejected him. His tears were not for his own imminent suffering but the suffering of those he loved. Jesus had compassion for sinners. Jesus has compassion for you today, whether for your loneliness, pain, sorrow or your sinful condition. He can save you. He wants to save you. He died to save you.

"Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8). He does not change nor will he ever change. With the compassion he had for those people, he will today "sympathize with our weaknesses ... in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus weeps for you in your afflictions and wants you to feel for others in their sorrows also. Jesus is our perfect example of a compassionate, sensitive person.

PERSONAL APPLICATION:
Let's notice three areas in which we should be emotionally touched. First, we ought to weep with his sufferings of people. Some people cry over a broken glass and spilled milk but not when they see a broken life. That's just not right. We must recognize the infinite value of a person and our hearts should be touched by their sufferings. Let our hearts be touched by people and not things. Try to see God's hand in everything, be it the face of a little child, the beauty of a smile, pleasant words of a friend or the sacrifice of love. Jesus was that way. Like Jesus, wherever we go, seeing the human condition, hearing the cries of the grieving, be compassionate, stop to help, encourage, console. You will be like Jesus Christ and you will be blessed.

Second, we need to weep and lament because of the sins of others. It doesn't make sense to be moved to tears because of the physical suffering of others but ignore the sins that are leading them to eternal death. After all, when we appear before the Judge of all souls, what will it matter if our stomachs are full or empty? We should weep when we see a brother in Christ return to the world and decide to live in sin (see . We need to weep with the fact that our society walks in darkness. Evil will overcome the good if we stand idly by. We must evangelize the lost and quit doing nothing in front of prostitution, pornography, drunkenness and corruption. Every day the number of young people addicted to drugs increases. Can we say we feel compassion for them if we do nothing to help them? Christians must love what is good but also hate that which destroys lives and souls.

Third, we ought to weep because of our own sins. In this we cannot follow Jesus' example because he never sinned. He did teach us, though, that before we look at the sins of others, we must look inside our own selves. The Pharisees condemned he sins of others but ignored their own failures. We need to examine our own selves, feel remorse, let our own hearts be broken and be filled with a contrite spirit in a way that leads us to repentance. (Psalm 51:17).

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:8-10). Be like the people on the day of Pentecost who, hearing from Peter that they had crucified the Son of God, "were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37) Be sensitive to your own spiritual condition.

SELF-EXAMINATION: Answer these questions in order to measure your own level of compassion:

• 1. Do you think that God will be sad if you sin?

• 2. Have you ever implored a friend, "Please, quit doing what you are doing? It is sin!"

• 3. Have you ever told the gospel to someone who was not a Christian?

• 4. Do you think it is funny to see a drunk stagger and fall, walking down the street?

• 5. Do you like to listen to gossip?

• 6. Are you less sensitive to some things nowadays that you once found offensive?

• 7. Do you enjoy watching films that exalt violence, immorality and obscene language?

• 8. Does the sight of beggars, blind people and crippled folks touch your heart?

• 9. Are you happy that the evil, perverse people of this world are going to receive what they deserve?

• 10. Do you feel remorse when you fall into temptation and sin against God?

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