His Last Command: Our First PrioritySample

Day 6: The Compassion to Deliver Nations

Moses, the deliverer, was preserved by compassion

The remarkable story of the Hebrews’ escape from slavery in Egypt began with the compassion of one woman (Exodus 2:1-6). As the story goes, Pharaoh’s daughter went to the river to bathe, as she often did, with her attendants nearby. She heard a sound and then noticed a baby in a well-made basket floating among the reeds.

Exodus 2:6 NKJV

And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

How different the story of Moses and the deliverance of the Hebrews would be if it were not for the compassion of this woman. She didn’t know she was delivering a nation; She was just having compassion on a lost child.

Her caring, her mercy, her selflessness were literally the saving of a nation. Her act of kindness triggered the events that led to the deliverance of a nation.

The Harvest is great

Matthew 9:36-38 describes Jesus seeing the multitudes and being moved with deep compassion. He saw them as weary, lost, and scattered—like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus cared, but He also called for action. He told His disciples the harvest was great, but the workers were few, so He encouraged them to pray for more workers.

Jesus saw, He felt, He was moved to action. The difference between compassion and sentiment is: Compassion moves us, sentiment soothes us. Compassion brings action.

The Good Samaritan - a lesson about compassion and responsibility (Luke 10:25-37)

Jesus replied to the scholar of Jewish law who asked, “Who is my neighbour?”, possibly to avoid being obligated to love everyone he encountered. Jesus proceeded with a story about an unfortunate man who travelled the notoriously dangerous route from Jerusalem to Jericho, descending through a desert wash frequented by robbers. Thieves attacked the poor man, stripped him naked and left him for dead. Jericho was home to many priests and Levites serving at the Temple. They passed by him, fearful of ritual defilement by touching a dead body or suspecting a trap. Regardless of their reasons, both deliberately avoided him and passed by.

The hero, the Samaritan, surprised Jesus’ listeners, as Jews and Samaritans were openly hostile towards each other. Jesus showed that love must transcend boundaries. The Samaritan stopped, looked closely, and saw the man needed urgent help. The Bible says,

“… When he saw him, he felt compassion,” and then describes how he acted—bandaging wounds, pouring oil and wine, then taking him to an inn and caring for him.

Compassion moved him

He cared. It cost him

Serving others is costly.

Caring is costly. So is not caring.

Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian missionary, holy man (1889-1929)

The story is told of Sadhu Sundar Singh and a companion who were travelling through a pass high in the Himalayan Mountains. At one point, they came across a body lying in the snow. Sundar Singh wished to stop and help the unfortunate man, but his companion refused, saying, “We shall lose our lives if we burden ourselves with him.”

But Sundar Singh would not think of leaving the man to die in the ice and snow. As his companion bade him farewell, Sundar Singh lifted the poor traveler onto his back. With great exertion on his part, he bore the man onward, and gradually, the heat from Sundar Singh’s body, which increased the more he exerted, began to warm up the poor frozen fellow, and he revived. Soon, both were walking together side by side. Then sadly, catching up with his further companion, they found him dead, frozen by the cold.

I tell you, not caring is more costly than caring.

At the end of the age (Matthew 25:31-46)

At the end of the age, there will come a day of judgment when the nations are gathered before the Lord, our King. The King will separate them from one another like a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. The basis of such judgment is based on one thing: compassion in action extended to those in need.

Showing compassion to those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, or in prison is crucial because their situations are often matters of life and death. In both the ancient and modern world, especially in developing countries and sometimes in the West, these basic needs must be met for survival. Without mercy and support, people facing these hardships have little hope.

The Lord identifies himself with the poor. He said, “I was hungry, I was thirsty … “

Matthew 25:40 NASB

The King will answer and say to them, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

And the reverse is also true: “To the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” (v.45)

Colossians 3:12 NIV

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion.

Compassion is the force that will move us to get the gospel to the nations.

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Prayer

Lord, I ask for a tender heart, filled with compassion. Please open my eyes to the needs around me, help me slow down, kneel if needed, and not walk past on the other side. Grant me your wisdom and guidance as you open my heart to others.