Compassion
Daily Scripture
Matthew 9:35-36, 14:14, 20:29-34
Matthew 9
35 Jesus traveled among all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 14
14 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick.
Matthew 20
29 As Jesus and his disciples were going out of Jericho a large crowd followed him. 30 When two blind men sitting along the road heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!”
31 Now the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!”
32 Jesus stopped in his tracks and called to them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 “Lord, we want to see,” they replied.
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they followed him.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Inside Out 2 didn’t specifically name compassion among Riley’s emotions. But the gospel writers’ portrait of Jesus included compassion (besides today’s readings, two of his best-known stories turned on a key character’s compassion—cf. Luke 10:30-34, 15:18-24). Researcher Emma Seppala wrote, “Compassion often does, of course, involve an empathic response and an altruistic behavior. However, compassion is defined as the emotional response when perceiving suffering and involves an authentic desire to help.” * An episode in the little village of Nain showed how Jesus’ compassion moved from feeling to action, and led those who saw it to exclaim, “God has come to help his people” (cf. Luke 7:11-17). Resurrection’s Vision 2030 statement conveys a determination to continue Jesus’ mission, saying, “We believe God calls us to actively close the gaps that exist between the world as it is today and the way it should be in our lives, across our community, and around the world.” **
- Scholar William Barclay wrote, “The word which is used for moved with compassion (splagchnistheis) is the strongest word for pity in the Greek language. It is formed from the word splagchna, which means the bowels, and it describes the compassion which moves a [person] to the deepest depths of being.” *** Barclay then listed things that moved Jesus to compassion: the world’s pain, sorrow, hunger, loneliness, and specifically in the context of first-century Palestine, bewilderment. Religious leaders, he said, “were bewildering [people] with subtle arguments about the Law, which had no help and comfort in them.” Since compassion means an “authentic desire to help,” Jesus’ mission is also ours: “We must always remember that Christianity exists, not to discourage, but to encourage; not to weigh [people] down with burdens, but to lift them up with wings.” How can you encourage and lift up the people in your circle of influence?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that you’ve never seen me (or anyone) as a “disposable asset,” as someone who doesn’t matter. Give me your heart for everyone in your human family. Amen.
GPS Insights
Hugo Ngwira
During 2025 we are introducing you to writers from our global Missions partners every few weeks. They add perspective to our understanding of Resurrection's reach around the world.
Hugo Ngwira, a passionate community development leader and the founder of Opulence Malawi, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering communities to overcome poverty through sustainable, community-led solutions, wrote today's Insights. He holds a Master of Science in project management with University of Bolton, UK. Witnessing the persistent struggles of marginalized rural communities, he was inspired to establish Opulence Malawi—a vision deeply rooted in his personal experiences, professional journey, and a prophetic message from his late father in 2020. Today, Hugo is committed to creating lasting impact through education, economic empowerment, food security, and water sanitation programs, helping communities achieve true abundance.
In these passages from Matthew 9 and 14, I’m deeply struck by Jesus’ unwavering compassion, a compassion that consistently moved Him to action. Whether He was weary, seeking solitude, or surrounded by crowds, Jesus never turned away from those in need. Instead, He saw their pain, was moved in His heart, and responded with healing and care. His example teaches me that true compassion isn’t passive or convenient, it’s a selfless willingness to love and serve, even when it requires personal sacrifice.
In Matthew 20, I see a moment that feels especially personal. Two blind men cry out for mercy, and even when the crowd tries to silence them, Jesus stops. He stops. He listens. He asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” There is something profoundly tender about that question. It shows me that compassion is not about assuming what others need, but about seeing them, really seeing them and being willing to serve them in their vulnerability.
These stories remind me that compassion is a lifestyle, not just an emotion. It is a gift of God that needs to be nurtured with action to become like Jesus. It is the lens through which Jesus saw the world. And as a follower of Christ, I am called to see people through that same lens, especially the broken, the hurting, the voiceless.
Yet I confess, I often fall short. I can be busy, distracted, self-focused. But the heart of Jesus invites me to slow down, to stop in my tracks, and to respond with love. His compassion is not only my example; it is also my healing. He has had compassion on me too again and again. Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus!
The command to “do unto others what you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12) takes on a powerful depth when seen through the lens of compassion. In a world quick to judge and slow to listen, I’m reminded that the kindness, mercy, and understanding I hope to receive must first be offered freely to others. When I choose compassion, when I pause to care, to forgive, or to help. I reflect God’s heart and plant seeds of mercy that often return when I need them most. As Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). This truth challenges me daily to treat others not as they may deserve in the moment, but with the grace and gentleness I myself hope to receive, especially in my weakest and most broken moments.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, give me a heart like Yours, softened by love, moved by compassion, and quick to act. Teach me to see others through Your eyes and to respond not with judgment or indifference, but with mercy. Help me to stop, to listen, and to serve. May Your compassion flow through me to those who are weary, forgotten, and in need. Amen.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* From https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/the-compassionate-mind
** Found at Vision 2030 – Resurrection Church
*** William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew—Volume 1 Chapters 1–10 (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, p. 354.
