Who is Jesus? Chapter 12 Jesus was Moved with Compassion

 

Who is Jesus? Chapter 12 Jesus was Moved with Compassion

Jesus was busy teaching in the synagogues, healing the sick and casting out impure spirits, and many crowds followed him; pushing and shoving to reach out and touch him. Yet He had compassion on them.

Mark 6:34, says it this way; “And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things.”

What is compassion? The dictionary defines it thus: Compassion is -  A sympathetic consciousness of others' distress; together with a desire to alleviate it.

Compassion is not the same as sympathy. Sympathy means you are sorry for someone and pity them, and compassion is not the same as empathy. Empathy is when you understand their pain because it is something you know about.

I believe Jesus also experienced empathy and still does today because He understands your suffering, your fears, your distress and through it all he also wants to make it better and bring you peace health, calmness and a sound mind.

Compassion comes from your heart and your desire to somehow relieve the person in their difficulty. Jesus was moved by compassion and He wants to bring complete healing restoration and peace where there is hurting and turmoil.

At times Jesus was extremely weary; so in order for him to find rest, he often left the crowd and retreated to either a desert place or up on a mountain to pray to His Father God. Meeting in a quiet secret place with his Father God, gave Him strength, gave Him power, gave Him an anointing, and also divine instruction with assurance that God's will was being accomplished.

 Matthew 20:32-34 tells us of another time where Jesus asked two blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”

Then Jesus was “Moved with compassion, and He touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him”

There were times, Jesus and his friends were invited to a meal at someone's home. On one occasion as he was very tired, he was welcomed into the house of Simon Peter, where Peter lived with his wife and mother-in-law. It is recorded in Mark 1:30  But Peter's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; And Jesus had compassion on her and came to where she was; taking her by the hand, he lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

Jesus had compassion on Peter's Mother-in-law and healed her. Notice, Jesus did not pray for her, but merely took her by the hand, and virtue and power flowed from him and it was enough to rebuke the fever. You might ask, "How could this be?"

The reason was; Jesus had spent quality time in prayer with his Father God in the secret place, soaking up the glory and presence of God and being filled daily with the Holy Spirit.

This is the reason that many ministers today are able to reach out expecting miracles to happen that might seem strange to those who are looking on.

The truth is that all believers in Jesus can experience a relationship with God, if they will discipline themselves to spend time in their Bible, reading, studying and praying that God would become extremely real and present in their lives.

If you have not already began a quiet time, then my suggestion is to start with perhaps 15 minutes early every morning reading at least 2 chapters in the Bible, and then write your thoughts and prayers in a note book. As you continue to study you will need to increase the time to perhaps 30 minutes and then increase again to an hour. This is your time with God, as you meet with him as some call this the secret place.

Also recorded in Mark chapter 1;40-42 , tells of a leper coming to Jesus - - “And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If you will, you can make me clean.  And Jesus was moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and said unto him,  “I will; be thou clean.”  And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from the man and he was cleansed. 

Notice in this instance, Jesus was moved with 'compassion,' he 'touched' the man, and He also 'SPOKE;' "Be clean."

It is important for us to 'feel' compassion for those hurting. Often our 'words' bring healing and comfort to our friend or loved one. It is good to watch our words, our expressions and our emotions. You are important to God, and God can use you to bless others with your words to encourage those in distress and pain.

A word of caution: Be sure you have spent that early morning time with God first; reading your Bible, and soaking in His presence as you thank Him for all he has done for you. As you are in a sense sitting at the feet of Jesus you will feel his compassion within you - - and then expect your day to be a day of opportunity.