The Compassion of Jesus

What was Jesus moved by during the time he was on the earth and performed his miracles?

Compassion!

There are a lot of people curious about the invisible world and miracles. Including believers. But most people miss the most important fact when it comes to Jesus’ miracles – He was moved by compassion!

People today talk about demons, supernatural phenomena, healings, visions, dreams, prophecies, gold dust and so on. They sell tons of books on these subjects feeding off the curiosity of the masses.

Go ahead and write a book on compassion, let’s see how many you will sell?

Why? Because most people get uncomfortable when they hear about compassion. Why? Because they aren’t sure they know what it is, that they have it and that it’s the most powerful motivating force in their own lives.

In brief, most of us feel convicted.

It’s much easier to reduce Jesus to only a teacher or only a miracle worker. People would even accept that he was moved by compassion giving himself to death on the cross. Because you see, the cross projects weakness, not power.

We’ve been brainwashed to associate compassion with weakness.

But for a strong man or a strong woman to have compassion, not sure about that.

Jesus was a strong man. 100% strong, muscular Jewish carpenter who studied the Torah from the time he was a kid to the time he began to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to demonstrate miracle power.

But most importantly, he was moved by compassion! Not feeling sorry for people! Compassion!

Compassion is a virtue. You can go to the gym and grow muscles on demand. You can study and get good grades in school. You can learn and develop yourself on demand in so many ways.

But compassion isn’t a virtue you can grow like a muscle. It’s something that can only come by confronting our own lack of compassion, our eyes opening to how compassionate God is, and finally, accepting and experiencing His compassion.

We can only give what we have been given. We can only be what we become through the transformative power of Father’s love.

Here are all the verses in the Gospels about compassion (σπλαγχνίζομαι – gr. splagchnizomai). Don’t rush through it. Come back if you need to but read this list of verses slowly.

Amazing 🙏

Mat 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

Mat 14:14
When he went ashore,fn he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
Mat 15:32
Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way.”

Mat 18:27
“Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

Mat 20:34
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.

Mar 1:41
Moved with compassion,fn Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.”

Mar 6:34
When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.

Mar 8:2
“I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat.

Mar 9:22
“And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Luk 7:13
When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said, “Don’t weep.”

Luk 10:33
“But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.

Luk 15:20
So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.