Our Compassionate Christ

Following in the footsteps of Jesus is something that has always been easier said than done. But if we are going to call ourselves disciples of Jesus, we need to try every day to follow what He has perfectly modeled for us. Today we are going to look at how Jesus was compassionate and how we can emulate that in our own lives.

Lord, I thank You for everything that You did for me. Thank You for coming to the earth and showing me how to be like You. Lord, I pray that I am able to take these truths that You have given me and apply them to my life. My desire is to follow You and learn from You. I pray You open my heart to these truths and help me put them into my daily life. Amen.

Matthew 9:35-36 (NLT)
35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

When I read the passage for today’s devotion, the first thought that came to mind was how tired Jesus must have been. He had tirelessly been going through “all the towns and villages of that area” (vs. 35) teaching the Good News and healing illnesses and diseases. At that point, most of us would not have the patience to be compassionate to those around us. Yet Jesus did. He felt compassion on the people. He felt the burden of them being lost and roaming through life trying to find peace, purpose, and hope. When you see people that are hurt and lost, is your initial reaction to have compassion on them?

If we are being honest, having compassion for those who are helpless and lost can be difficult. In these times, we need to trust that what we are doing will make an impact and that God will continue to work in their hearts. We are the vessels that God uses to reach the lost and the hurt. As followers of Jesus who are fully surrendered, we should long to help those who are lost and hurting find the One who can take that hurt and pain away. We can do this by merely having compassion on anyone we encounter in our daily life. What would it look like to show love and compassion to those you encounter in your everyday life? Is there anything preventing you from having compassion on the lost?

After taking a moment to reflect on compassion and how you can emulate that in your life, talk with God about how you can show compassion to those around you. Ask Him to help you evaluate what may be preventing you from being compassionate. As fully surrendered disciples of Jesus, the things that break His heart should break ours. Below are prayer prompts to help you get started.

God, help me to evaluate my heart and convict me of anything that is preventing me from showing compassion to those who are lost…

God, I pray that I have opportunities to show people the kind of compassion that You have for me.

I pray that in your daily life, you will have opportunities to show compassion to those who are hurting, lost, and in need of a Savior.