SCRIPTURE:
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
Matthew 20:34
OBSERVATION:
If there’s one adjective that I would claim as being my favorite in terms of describing character it would be STRONG. I gravitate towards thoughts of strength, scriptures that say “Be strong and courageous…”, grew up singing “Be strong and ally ye…”. Yet there in that moment, when two blind guys are pleading with Him for help, Jesus is not moved by His ability to show his power and give witness to his strength, Jesus is moved by the one thing that I need so desperately to be the man I desire to be, COMPASSION.
To bear the cross and the will of the Father, Jesus had to be strong. He had to be the toughest minded and physically gifted of the bunch. Anything less would have had Him crumbling at the hands of the devil in the desert. But here He was, seeing two desperate souls fully believing in His strength to heal, offering them their request and showing them compassion.
APPLICATION:
Compassion is not weakness. Compassion means sometimes allowing your strength to strengthen others. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves and reminds us that the path to greatness is serving. When those two thoughts are kept at the forefront of my thoughts than compassion is the only reasonable action.
Compassion is not entitlement. While the crowd sternly told them to be quiet, these two blind men instead shouted even louder, “Lord, son of David, have mercy on us!” They realized that Jesus was on his way out of the city and seized the moment. And then Jesus kindly asks what do you want while I’m sure he already knew what they needed. As they graciously and simply share their requests, Jesus heals them. Compassion doesn’t help for helps sake, it is offered in moments of complete honesty and vulnerability.
And lastly, compassion is not giving up. It shows that I submit and surrender to my God and humbly allow Him to do want He wants to, relying on His strength to lift me to a place where I can lift others.
PRAYER:
Jesus, grow my compassion that I may align closer to Your will. Help me to realize and remember what compassion truly is and to live in a way that gives it freely. Amen
