Compassion Leads to Action

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. but when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14: 13-14

Jesus not only healed their sick but later fed them as well (Matt. 14:15-20). Even though Jesus sought to be alone his compassion compelled him to minister to the people. It is said of Jesus by some that he performed miracles in order to prove that he was the Messiah. If this is the case, then Jesus performed these miracles for his own glory. He only did it to prove a point and his healing and feeding of the crowd would not have been acts of compassion. 

Yes, the acts did validate that he was the Messiah, but his motivation for performing these acts was not to prove his Messiahship but rather his compassion for the people. Jesus’ compassion made him sensitive to the needs of those around him and his compassion demanded that he do something about it. These are the marks of true compassion, sensitivity to the needs of others which is followed by action. Whenever Jesus was with people, his antenna was out, attentive to the needs of people. He did not just wait passively for people to approach him, and only respond when they made a point of asking him for help. He noted their needs and acted accordingly.

As followers of Jesus we to should have a compassion for those around us. We should be observing and listening and attentive to any needs that arise. And when we do see a need we should be asking ourselves what can we do about it. This is what compassion does.

Today I received a text from a friend who said he was really down. Immediately I prayed for him but I also asked myself what else could I do. I felt that what he needed was someone to talk to and so this evening I will go around to his home for a chat.

As followers of Jesus we should be praying for more compassion for those around us and although like Jesus it may be inconvenient we act in the ways we are able to meet needs of others. This is what compassion does and what it means to follow Jesus.