Living 4 Him

“We know what real love is, because Christ gave himself up for us.” 1 John 3:16 (NLT)

A couple of years ago I attended a women’s retreat focused on God’s abundant grace.  One of our activities was taking a full pitcher of water and pouring the entire pitcher into a small cup, letting the water flow over the sides into the pans set below.  This tangible sight allowed us to understand the abundance of God’s compassionate grace for us, overflowing, ongoing and not bound by any container.  Compassion uncontained is the exact form of compassion Jesus lived out; a compassion that belongs everywhere, alive and available for everyone.  It is the compassion he longs for us to share with others.  

Among those who Jesus touched with his hands of healing were lepers (Matthew 8, Luke 17).  Leprosy in Bible times represented various skin conditions, carrying a stigma of uncleanliness. Lepers were considered the lowest people in society, not welcome in most places.  Jesus did not even think twice about their condition.  His compassion, on auto-pilot, helped them, providing the healing and dignity they deserved.

Another shocking example of compassion with no boundaries at all comes in John 4 while Jesus and his disciples are crossing through Samaria, a land with mixed ethnics and political differences.  Jews, as a rule, despised the Samaritans, but Jesus engages in conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well, eventually making her feel so comfortable and accepted that she goes into her town of Sychar, telling others of her encounter.  This unusual behavior by Jesus was something other Samaritans were drawn to, so they urged him to stay in Samaria, where he taught for two days.  John records that many more became believers, because of the “words he spoke” and I would add, the compassion he displayed to each individual; a genuine desire for them to be included in the joy of God’s Kingdom.

Jesus’ recipe for compassion is varied, but every ingredient is so powerful.

Meeting needs

Serving others

Recognizing and accepting the unholy

Forgiveness and grace (the highest forms of compassion)

Is it really possible for us to take this complete compassion, connected to others and without any boundaries into our world?  Yes. Through God’s grace and guidance, all things are possible.  We must yield to the work of God living within us, who greatly desires our hearts to reflect the love of the Father and the Son.  When we follow the footsteps of Jesus, who leads with compassion, the will of the Lord is carried out.

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul):  Read the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4-30.  Although lengthy, the story shows the gentle guidance of Jesus in this woman’s life. What part of this passage brings new understanding to you?

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world): From Daphne Rose Kingma “Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also those who need it so much.”