The Deep Compassion of Jesus
The compassion of Jesus runs deep: it is deeply felt in his body and deeply present in his ministry and his teaching.
We can observe and imitate the consistent structure of Jesus’ compassion, learning how compassion can move us from vision to action. Most of all, we should rest in Jesus’ deep compassion for us.
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Deep Compassion
The Greek word for “compassion” is splagchnizomai. Try saying it out loud. The word comes from splagchnon, which means stomach, intestine, or bowels. So, the guttural sound of the word gives the sense of its meaning.
In other words, Jesus had a deep compassion, quite literally. His compassion was gut-wrenching.
Compassion for the Suffering
What especially inspired Jesus’ compassion was when he saw people suffering. The prototypical passage in this regard is Matthew 9, where Jesus sees people “harassed and helpless”:
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36
Other circumstances that inspire Jesus’ compassion include:
- An Unclean Leper (Mark 1)
- An Ignorant Crowd (Mark 6)
- A Hungry Crowd (Mark 8)
- Two Blind Beggars (Matthew 20)
- A Grieving Mother (Luke 7)
Compassion in Jesus’ Parables
Jesus not only experienced compassion but also taught its importance. This is especially evident in his parables, including two of his most famous.
The Good Samaritan
The parable of the Good Samaritan begins with a Jewish man who is beaten by thieves and left on the side of the road to die. A priest and a Levite pass by and offer no help. But then a Samaritan walks by and sees him:
But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds. (Luke 10:33-34)
Notice that the Samaritan, like Jesus, has compassion when he sees a man suffering. Compassion crosses the ethnic and religious bridge.
The Prodigal Son
The parable of the Prodigal Son begins with a son who leaves his father’s home, taking and squandering his inheritance in a far country. When he finally comes to his senses, he returns home, expecting the status of a servant and not a son. But then his father sees him:
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)
Notice that the father has compassion when he sees the son and his suffering, even though this same son had taken and squandered the father’s wealth. Compassion cuts through enmity and retribution.
From Vision to Action: The Structure of Jesus’ Compassion
These parables highlight the structure of compassion, bringing out how it functions in Jesus’ ministry. For Jesus, compassion typically takes a three-part structure:
- Vision
- Compassion
- Action
Notice how both the Good Samaritan and the Father first see, then feel compassion, and then finally take action. A succinct example of this dynamic in Jesus’ ministry comes from Matthew 14:
- When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd,
- and he had compassion on them
- and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)
In other words, compassion functions as the middle, motivating dynamic, which moves Jesus from seeing suffering to bringing healing.
Compassion as a Ministry Tool
In his recent book The Seven Tools, David Roseberry makes the counterintuitive claim that compassion is a tool for ministry. This is counterintuitive because compassion is an emotion, and we don’t think of emotions as tools.
However, once we understand the structure of Jesus’ compassion as a motivator to move us from vision to action, then we can recognize compassion as a ministry tool. In fact, David observes that compassion is frequently correlated with church growth:
At the core of any thriving church is a heart that shares Jesus’ heart—a deep desire to see people connected to God and one another.
Why is this? Because those who genuinely share Jesus’ compassion are eager to share the good news with those who need it:
This same compassion should drive pastors and church leaders to prioritize reaching those who are disconnected from the life-giving community of the church…
Resting in Jesus’ Compassion
But before we can apply Jesus’ compassion to our ministries, we must experience it in our own lives.
Do you ever feel like the crowd in Matthew 9:36, feeling “harassed and helpless” (ESV), “distressed and dispirited” (NASB), or “weary and worn out” (HCSB)? In such times, Jesus sees you and has compassion on you. Whether you are tired or troubled, shaken or shattered, Jesus looks at you and feels deep down his own distress to see his people suffering.
And that is why Jesus went to the cross. He died in your place to take your sin and suffering and then to triumph over death and give his life to you. The deep compassion of Jesus has power over death.
O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people; in the multitude of your mercies, look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for help; for you are gracious, O lover of souls, and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
BCP 2019, 675
Image: Jesus Heals an Infirm Woman on the Sabbath by James Tissot. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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