Jesus was moved with compassion
for the multitude He looked upon,
because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.
MATTHEW 9:36 and MARK 6:34
I have witnessed emotional and physical pain in my life. Just this week, I witnessed the pain in friends who discovered their granddaughters had been abused.
I cannot make sense out of the things that cause pain. However, by the grace of God, I have seen God make ministry out of pain. In fact, I believe that all ministry is rooted in pain that God transforms into compassion.
CHRIST'S COMPASSION FOR US
I believe when Jesus "looked upon the multitude with compassion" that He was also looking across the years at you and me. Yes, we were indeed part of "the multitude."
Our sins caused Jesus the pain of being rejected by His Father and the ultimate pain of the cross. Oh what compassion He had, and still has, for you and for me!
The word compassion in the original New Testament manuscripts is not found in the classic Greek vocabulary. C.H. Spurgeon, a pastor in the 1800s, has well noted:
"The original word (for compassion) is a remarkable one. It was a word coined by the evangelists (Matthew and Mark) themselves. They did not find one in the whole Greek language that suited their purpose, and therefore, they had to make one. It is expressive of the deepest emotion...a striving of the bowels...a yearning of the innermost nature with pity."
The word compassion comes from two root words:
com meaning with + passion meaning pain.
So, compassion means with pain, or to suffer together with. Jesus felt and identified with our pain of sin. And He even died a painful death for our sin.
CHRIST'S COMPASSION THROUGH US
Now we are united with the risen Christ who lives in us with all of His compassion! We now minister to others with the very compassion of Christ Himself!
Put on the heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing one another, and forgiving each other...just [exactly] as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:12b-13a).
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14).
Many people continue to chase the American dream. How sad it is when they achieve that dream. In contrast, God has called us to a pilgrimmage of pain and suffering. I know, I know, this does not market well to wealthy consumers. However, it does minister eternal riches to the poor and broken-hearted.
Our pilgrimmage is not one of false humility with a sour woe-is-me attitude. It is a profoundly joyful pilgrimmage to experience a sweet living fellowship with Jesus Christ who pioneered for us the ultimate depth of pain and the subsequent ultimate height of exaltation.
CLOSING
I am captivated by these last lines in Michael Card's song Underneath the Door:
Our wounds are part of who we are
and there is nothing left to chance.
And pain's the pen that writes the songs
and they call us forth to dance.
Let's embrace our earthly pilgrimmage in Christ and with each other. A friend reminded me this past week that now is the only time we have to trust God in the midst of pain and suffering.
Your fellow pilgrim along the way,
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From Pain
