Jesus Looks With Compassion

Most people look at others through different lenses of life.  For example, if you are a dermatologist maybe you are the first to notice someone’s face complexion. Or maybe you are into name brands, so you probably notice the symbol as a Tory Burch or Michael Kors.

Toward the end of Mark 6 we see a special lens Jesus uses as he looks at the mob of people. He did not see a crowd but saw individuals in need of a shepherd. The lens Jesus looked through is one of compassion.

Mark 6:34 states, “When He went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”

Each face Jesus saw reflected a need, a hunger, or a hurt. In this moment, being a thoroughly others-centered person, Jesus cared more about the needs of someone else than he cared about His own needs. Compassion moves a person to see beyond the pressing demands to the prompted need.

1. What is compassion?

One of Strong’s definitions of compassion is to figuratively have the bowels yearn.

In other words, compassion makes a person’s inside ache for another. You want to help them so much that you are caused to yearn to help. You do not just simply see the need, but you feel it too deep down in your gut.

Webster defines compassion as “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.

There are two very important young people in my life who are the most able to break through anything even my exhaustion to have compassion on them. When they look at me with the puppy dog eyes asking me to do something with them I find I rarely can say no. These two people are my nieces. One of our favorite activities to do together is makeup parties. Our makeup parties are them putting makeup on me, and I put makeup on them. The day before I was to leave for Richmond my nieces came begging to do a makeup party. My mind was going in many different directions and I was exhausted from all the preparing. Yet, when I saw my nieces, compassion overtook me. I wanted to do anything to alleviate the distress of them knowing I would be gone for at least two months. At that moment all the other pieces of my day went to the back of my mind so I could be there in the moment with them easing their suffering. The way to alleviate their distress was to do a makeup party.

I imagine when Jesus saw the crowd, He was tired as well as His disciples. Matthew 11:1 tells us that Jesus while His disciples were sent out to cast out demons and heal, He too was out preaching and teaching in the towns.  Despite His disciples probably pressing in wanting to share all they had seen and done with the authority Jesus had given them and Jesus’ own exhaustion from preaching, Jesus turns to the feeling of compassion. All the other things demanding His attention quickly fade as Jesus sees the need of the crowd for a shepherd to come and guide them. The crowd’s needs far outweighed any of His exhaustion.

2. Why do we need compassion?

It is part of the handpicked God chosen outfit mentioned in Colossians 3:12. The Message transliterates Colossians 3:12-14 as , “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

First of the new life clothing God gives to show His love to the world is compassion. God clothes believers in compassion, because the world needs compassion. The world needs someone to look past the demands to see the needs of the people. To look beyond the clothing or lack of clothing. To look beyond the addiction to see a God image bearer. To see past the hollow eyes to a person desperate to know someone cares enough to stop to love them as Jesus would.

Jesus in Mark 6:34 saw a crowd of people desperate for more than a meal. He saw sheep with no shepherd. Sheep without a shepherd tend to move about aimlessly, wandering here and there, getting lost, and generally paying little heed to the dangers around them. Without a shepherd sheep can overeat unable to digest until the shepherd makes them lie down. A sheep can get trapped on their back unable to get back to their feet. When drinking from a pool of water sheep can drown in water if they wander too far in due to the heaviness of the wool soaking up water.  As natural followers, sheep can follow each other right off a cliff. Perhaps the most critical need for a shepherd is sheep are helpless against predators because they will not fight back.

As Jesus looked at the crowd of people, he assessed their various needs. He probably saw some confused about which path to travel in life. Maybe a few were vulnerable and afraid needing someone to guard and protect them. Still some were desperate and hungry needing a shepherd to lead them to food to eat what would nourish them.

We live in a world where there are still desperate needy sheep still needing a shepherd. Many people today are still wandering aimlessly about or needing someone to help and offer assurance for living.  Others need help to feel less vulnerable and alone. There are people that are hungry physically but also to be fed food that lasts longer than a few hours of satisfaction. People are needing to be led to the well of living water and given a drink to quench their thirst.

Those of us who have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior have found the Shepherd that leads, protects, feeds, and quenches our thirst. We have a responsibility to look at the crowds with compassion. Deep down our hearts need to yearn to see the desperateness of people relieved. Our insides should feel an ache with such desire to help the crowds of lost sheep find the Shepherd.

Jesus told His disciples in John 15:20a, “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’” Followers of Jesus are meant to act and do as Jesus did. Compassion is the way of Jesus even in the exhausting moments of life.

3.  How do you clothe yourself in compassion?

a.      You look to your Savior’s example

b.     You daily choose to make seeing people a priority

c.      You look beyond outward appearance by not closing yourself off to seeing the needs of people

d.     You help when you see a need you can meet

e.      You stop to have a conversation with someone you wound not normally talk to

4. Is there a way to maintain compassion even in exhaustion?

There is a moment in almost every person’s life that he or she will feel exhausted, to feel like he or she cannot give another ounce of energy or speak to another person. Yet, right here in Mark 6 we find that Jesus was exhausted. His disciples had just returned from being sent out two by two to do ministry of casting out demons and healing sick. Jesus is trying to get His disciples away so they can find rest after their time in ministry, but the crowd follows them. Jesus did not stop being compassionate because He was tired or did not feel like it.

Compassion is still needed even when we are exhausted. When compassion is cultivated in your heart you will never have an idle hand because you will always see a need. While in truth you cannot meet every need there is out there, by being clothed in compassion you will want to do all your best to make a difference in the lives of others.

With Compassion, you learn to care more, which in turn makes you more effective in your gift and ministry to others. More people with come to be ministered to and be served from you because they know you lead with compassion.

5. Closing

D. C. Egner told in Our Daily Bread this story, “A little girl whose mother had been taken to the hospital was spend­ing the night alone with her father for the first time. Soon after her father turned out the lights, the girl asked quietly, "Daddy, are you there?" "Yes," he assured her. A moment later she asked, "Daddy, are you looking at me?" When he said yes, she fell asleep.

Likewise, every child of God can depend on the Savior's look of love. No matter how painful the problem or how deep the sorrow, we know He has His eyes fixed on us. And knowing that our Savior's compas­sionate gaze always watches over us should make us loving, caring people. Although the world may turn its eyes from suffering, the Christian, following the example of our Savior, should be alert to sorrow and quick to respond.”

I do not know where you are right now in your walk of life. Maybe you are at a crossroads wondering what path to take. Or maybe you feel alone and just want to have coffee with someone as an assurance someone cares about you. Perhaps you are hungry spiritually and need God to feed you with His great provision. What I hope you know or are more aware of today is that Jesus already knows. He looks with compassion to see us as we are and where we are. My challenge is that you too look with compassion to see the person God places before you to have compassion on today.

Many may see the greater context of this one verse to skip over the look Jesus gave to the crowd before He fed them, However, what I came to love is knowing Jesus has concern and compassion for the individual needs. He is always aware. Not a moment goes by that He does not care. The phone line to our Lord is always open to bring our needs to Him. Bring your needs right now before the Savior that looks with compassion.