Call to Be Compassionate

Welcome to the first Sunday of Lent. For the next four Sundays let’s discuss various “calls” to answer and follow. Today, we begin with the heartbeat of the Gospel: The Call to be Compassionate.

In the world’s eyes, compassion is often a passive feeling. But, we see that biblical compassion is an active, sacrificial movement toward the suffering. It is not merely feeling for someone; it is “suffering with” them. This compassion must radiate outward in concentric circles, beginning with the heart and ending with the world.

Compassion Toward the Self: Accepting the Divine Mercy

Before we can extend mercy to others, we must first understand the compassion God has shown to us. In Deuteronomy 4:31, Moses reminds Israel: “For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.”

The foundation of our security is not our own goodness, but God’s covenant. If we are to be truly compassionate, we must stop scourging ourselves for sins God has already forgiven. Compassion toward the self is not self-indulgence; it is the humble acceptance that we are “earthen vessels” held together by grace.

As Psalm 145 declares, the Lord is “full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” If the Creator of the universe is slow to anger toward us, who are we to be at war with our own soul? Realizing that God’s “tender mercies are over all his works” allows us to breathe and find the strength to love others.

Compassion Within the Family: The Law of Kindness

The home is the most difficult place to practice consistent compassion. In Ruth 2:4-20, we see the beautiful intersection of family duty and kindness. Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer, does not merely do the minimum required by law for Ruth. He greets his workers with the name of the Lord and ensures Ruth is protected and fed.

Boaz’s compassion was shown in his attentiveness. He noticed the stranger in his field. In our families, compassion means noticing. It is the “law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26) applied to the mundane. Boaz’s kindness to Ruth was a reflection of the wings of the Lord God of Israel under which she had come to trust.

When we show compassion to our spouse, children, or parents, we are providing a “shadow of the Almighty” for them. We are proving that God’s love is not a distant theory, but a warm, sheltering reality.

Compassion Toward the Neighbor: Healing the Outcast

In Mark 1:40-45, Jesus is approached by a leper, a man whom society deemed untouchable. The text says Jesus was “moved with compassion,” reached out His hand, and touched him.

Christ’s reaching out his hand and touching the leper was a sign that he was not only able to heal him, but that he would make himself a companion to him in his uncleanness, that he might take it away.

Compassion toward our neighbor often requires us to touch the untouchable parts of their lives: their grief, their failures, or their social stigma. In Ephesians 4:25-32, Paul instructs the church to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” This means putting away “bitterness, wrath, and anger.” We cannot be compassionate neighbors if we are nursing grudges. Compassion replaces bitterness with forgiveness (healing).

Compassion Toward Society: Love in Action and Truth

Finally, our compassion must move beyond our immediate circles into the fabric of society. 1 John 3:15-24 provides a stern litmus test for our faith: “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

Compassion is not “word or talk,” but “deed and truth.” In a society fractured by inequality and indifference, the Christian call is to be the “repairer of the breach.” We are called to look at the systemic needs of our communities and respond with the same steadfastness mentioned in Isaiah 54:10:

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you.”

Our societal compassion should be as unshakable as a mountain. It involves seeking justice for the marginalized and providing for the poor, recognizing that every person is an image-bearer of God.

The Lenten Heart

As we conclude this first Sunday of Lent, let us remember that compassion is a muscle that must be exercised. When we are compassionate, we are most like God; participating in His divine nature.

If we find our hearts “stony” this week, let’s look to the Cross. The ultimate act of compassion was Christ becoming our “Kinsman-Redeemer,” touching our spiritual leprosy, and giving His life so that we might live.

This week, let’s challenge ourselves:

To self: Practice one act of grace-filled rest, and be thankful for all that God has given us; accepting God’s mercy; refusing self-hatred.

To family: Offer a word of unmerited praise. Provide a shadow of kindness.

To neighbor: Reach out to the acquaintance in need. Emphatize with the stranger.

To society: Give to a cause that serves the vulnerable. Close the gap between “word” and “deed.” Even if there is nothing we can do for the burdens of our society, we can always take it to the Lord in prayer…

Join us next Sunday for “Call to Shoulder Each Other's Burdens.”