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Learning Genuine Compassion

Learning Genuine Compassion. To begin with…. Not sinful to be a beggar Gr. ptochos = destitute, helpless, powerless Example: Case of Lazarus—Luke 16:19-25 God has always made provision for the poor—Ex. 23:11; Lev. 19:9-10; Acts 20:35 Likewise we must—to please God

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Learning Genuine Compassion

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  1. Learning Genuine Compassion

  2. To begin with… • Not sinful to be a beggar • Gr.ptochos = destitute, helpless, powerless • Example: Case of Lazarus—Luke 16:19-25 • God has always made provision for the poor—Ex. 23:11; Lev. 19:9-10; Acts 20:35 • Likewise we must—to please God • Our eternity depends upon it—Matt. 25:31-46 • But…there’s more to learn about compassion

  3. It is fruit of love—1 John 3:18 • Jesus is the ultimate example of real compassion—Matt. 14:14; 15:32; Luke 7:12-16 • If the love of God is perfected in us (1 John 4:12), we also must have compassion

  4. Can be costly, even dangerous • Hebrews 10:34: “for you had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.” • Wise of this world will consider genuine compassion foolishness

  5. Must be rooted also in truth • Love w/o truth = sentimentality (destructive) • Reality (truth) must be added to love • We often get caught in one of two extremes 1. Naïveté 2. Cynicism • Compassion isn’t about making US feel better

  6. Genuine compassion is not • A public relations campaign • Simply an emotion

  7. Inspired action w/ 3 elements • Those three things are: 1. Knowledge 2. Moral outrage 3. Ability to empathize or identify with the object of our compassion • Modern welfare system has failed because these elements are missing

  8. Compassionate need knowledge • Jesus didn’t deal w/people from a position of ignorance—John 2:24-25 • Jesus knew God’s image in man marred by sin • Without knowledge—gullible, exploitable • Exploitation leads to cynicism • Answer is to avoid extremes • True compassion looks at WHOLE picture

  9. Moral outrage a component • Gr.spagkhnozomai = a yearning in the gut or bowels • This is part of what moves a person to compassionate action—Luke 10, 15 • At tomb of Lazarus, Jesus groaned in his spirit—John 11:33, 38 • If we try to be compassionate w/o focusing on underlying causes—we’ll fail • Sin’s role must be factored into compassion

  10. Identifying with needy • Latin root of “compassion” and Greek root of “sympathy” refer to deep feelings you have “with” or “alongside” another • This is what Jesus did—Isaiah 53:4; Hebrews 4:15

  11. What have we learned? • Some of us lack or are weak in compassion • Others of us are naïve • If we have either problem, need to change • Then, we can be of real, genuine help to others

  12. The Lord’s invitation • Sin is world’s greatest problem • If we aren’t moving to help people with this problem—we aren’t compassionate • As we now tell you of God’s plan for your redemption—it isn’t from some sort of denominational competitiveness—but from genuine compassion for you and your soul

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