Confidence in His Compassion

The writer to the New Testament letter to the Hebrews offers these encouraging words:

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” [Hebrews 4: 15-16].

The compassion of the ‘good Samaritan’-Luke 10:25-42

 Jesus told what is now a very well-known story, as a response to a question by a Jewish expert in the Old Testament law, as to ‘who is my neighbor’.  In a very real way, the story indicates both ‘who is my neighbor,’ as well as what does ‘love of neighbor’ look like. The story reveals that my ‘neighbor’ is someone who may come across my path, has a need that perhaps I can meet, partly or totally, and if that person is ‘different’ in background, culture, and beliefs, etc., from me, such factors are not particularly relevant.  The story also shows the humanness of the ‘good’ Samaritan: when the Samaritan man came across and saw the wounded and nearly half dead man, he felt compassion-i.e., something he must have experienced within himself. When Jesus asked this legal expert [vs.36] which of those three men who saw the wounded man [the Pharisee and Levite had ‘passed by’ on the other side of the road, vs. the Samaritan who stopped to render aid] proved to be a ‘neighbor’ to the wounded man, he replied ‘the one who showed him mercy’ i.e., compassion. The Samaritan not only ‘felt’ compassion but he actually showed compassion to the badly wounded man. Although this is ‘just’ a parable, it is not unlikely that a Samaritan living in or traveling in Judah, would have experienced rudeness or unkindness due to the contempt for the Samaritans by the Jews. 

It seems that we tend to be more compassionate toward others who are suffering, lonely, or in some kind of troubled state or circumstance, if we have also experienced some of those things.  It is not an academic thing to feel compassion-our ‘emotional’ mind must have seen something that resonates with us, often prompting within us a sense of urgency to help the person in need.

The compassion of Jesus

In the scripture cited above, the writer is clearly stating that Jesus’ compassion  not only flows from His character, but it is also apparently strengthened, somehow deepened by His experiential struggle with the plethora of temptations in life that He faced. “He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”  Really? Like the rest of us, tempted in all things? Though it says Jesus did not succumb to sin, He struggled against a multitude of temptations, even crying out to God for deliverance in the garden the night before His crucifixion [Hebrews 5:7]  The writer is clear that we do NOT have a high priest [Jesus] who is incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, due, at least in part, to His also having been fiercely tempted while he walked this planet, and thus can readily identify with our condition and feels compassion for us.

In addition, like the Samaritan who showed compassion to the wounded man by doing good things to/for him, the above passage goes on to say: “Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy [compassion] and find grace to help in time of need” [4:16].  Like the Samaritan in the parable, our God sees and is very much aware of our own ‘woundedness’ and will not ‘pass by on the other side’ [Luke 10:31-32].  He feels compassion for us and is ready to extend help [grace] to us when we draw near to Him and ask.

Growing in our understanding of and appreciation for God’s compassion toward us should prompt us to draw nearer to Him, welcoming His kindness, mercy/compassion and offer of grace [i.e., enabling power].  This understanding and appreciation within us should likewise engender a heart of ready repentance and a more rapid response of ‘yes’ to God. As Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome: “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? [Romans 2:4].  However, God’s compassion can be abused as told by Jesus in the parable of the forgiven but unmerciful slave found in Matthew 18:23-35.  In the story, one of a king’s slaves begged for patience in repaying a large debt owed to the king.  “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt” [vs 27].  Immediately that slave went and found a fellow slave who owed him a small sum and began to choke him, though that second slave pleaded likewise for patience in repaying the small debt.  But the first slave refused and threw the second slave into prison. The king heard about this event and called in the first slave and, moved with anger [vs 34], rebuked him for his lack of compassion toward the second slave who owed so little: ‘should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ [vs33].  God’s compassion toward us is not to be hoarded but gratefully and compassionately extended to others.

The scripture tells us to ‘draw near to God’, so that we might receive His compassion/mercy and enabling power [grace].

Are you doing so?

CJS