Moved with Compassion

Jesus retreated to a deserted place to mourn the death of John the Baptist in solitude. He was then followed and surrounded by a crowd of people. Instead of pushing them away, He was moved with compassion and healed the sick. In a place of grieving the loss of His cousin and faithful follower, Jesus still had a place in His heart to be moved with compassion, and not just for a few people, but for crowds. After Jesus spent all day ministering to the people and healing the sick, He then fed the five thousand.

The same Spirit that lived in Jesus, moving Him to compassion, lives in each one of us today. This means you have the same capacity for compassion as Jesus did. When you’re mourning, you can be moved to compassion for others. When you’re tired from a long day of pouring out and serving and helping others, the Lord can multiply what little you have—your fish and loaves—to serve the multitude.

When you submit to and follow the greatest commandments to love the Lord your God with all you have and to love your neighbor as yourselves, you can be moved with compassion even in the most difficult situations. Connecting with God through Compassion gives you the desire to be more like Jesus and empowers you to love the way that He loves.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your capacity to be moved to compassion, even through grief and tiredness. Teach me Your ways. Make room in my heart to love others out of compassion, as You have loved the multitude. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Application

Look out for opportunities to be moved to compassion. Don’t neglect the times of tiredness and grief, but give the Holy Spirit access to use any time of your life to show and sew compassion to others.