February 16, 2023
Thursday
All You Need Is Love: Compassion
John 3:16
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
The northwest part of England—the so-called “hill country”—is sheep country. A stranger traveling in those parts might wonder at the large number of sheep grazing seemingly unattended, on the rugged fells (hills). But a closer look will reveal miles of dry-stone walls that provide boundaries to their grazing, and color markings that indicate their owner. Hill-country sheep do not lack for a shepherd; they are far too valuable.
And so are the people of God whom the Bible calls sheep. As Jesus moved throughout the towns of Israel, preaching and ministering, He saw people who seemed to be wandering through life without a divine Shepherd. And “He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered” (Matthew 9:36). These were the very people He came into the world to save, people who were disconnected from the love of God. And Jesus’ compassion prompted Him to action—He raised up workers to take His reconciling Gospel into the world.
Let your love manifest itself in compassion and let compassion result in action on behalf of those in need.
A point to ponder…
Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.
Francis Schaeffer
Read the Bible through in a year
I love you!!!
© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich