Real Church Part 5 “Real Compassion” THRIVE Service Livestream

“When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them…”

How do we get past our own pain?

How do we move beyond constantly dwelling on our own struggles and problems?

Truth is, it’s not easy.

Because when I’m in despair, it’s hard for me to see the despair of anyone else. All I can do is see the hurt that’s inside of me.

But that’s not what Jesus does. He’s different.

The way Jesus is different is captured in a single word, “compassion.”

Matthew says that when Jesus saw the great crowd that had followed him, he had compassion on them. And so, he healed their sick, tended their needs, and shared with them his presence. And then, when evening came and they found themselves without food, he fed them.

Real compassion is rooted in empathy. The ability to feel someone else’s pain, to identify with those who are hurting, to understand what someone else is going through and as much as possible, put yourself in their place.

Which means, when someone else is hurting, we hurt too.

When someone else is struggling, we struggle too.

When we see how cruel and unjust the world can be to some, our hearts are moved.

The definition of the word “compassion”?

It literally means “to suffer together.”

That’s Real Compassion.

Or as Frederick Buechner says,

“Pay attention to the things that bring a tear to your eye or a lump in your throat because they are signs the holy is drawing near.”