But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Matthew 9:36 (NKJV)
Compassion is the identification of a person without urgent need with another person who is in need, so that he or she willingly agrees to bear the weight of the needs of the one in need. It is a total union with the person in need, without taking into account their social, intellectual and moral situation. In other words, compassion is experiencing the same feelings and pain as the person who is suffering.
Jesus was moved with compassion for the crowd to the point of considering them as sheep without a shepherd. He immediately forgot His own needs to focus on theirs. He chose, out of love, to take on the pain, hunger and anguish of the crowd. This unity with the crowd made Him understand the real need they had. In chapter 14 we see Him again moved with compassion and healing the sick. We have many examples in the Bible of people touched by compassion.
If God opens your eyes to the needs of another person, it is because He wants to lead you to move with compassion, to forget your personal needs to unite with this person situation and take action. Compassion always leads to voluntary action, done with love, without expecting anything in return. No one can feel compassion and remain the same or retain the means at their disposal without sharing them with the one who suffers. When was the last time you felt copassion?
May the grace and the peace of God be with you all.
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