Lord, key amongst Your core values is compassion for the needy. Compassion drove the Lord Jesus as illustrated many times in the scriptures. What lessons can we learn from His examples:

1) Mark 6:33-45. Note verse 34 particularly and the operative verbs SAW, MOVED for a reason. The power of observation, of perception of need, is the trigger that moves the heart. The action that followed shows us the marked difference between man and God. As men, we question our ability to do anything about it, but the Lord shows us there is the option of going to the God of compassion Himself who seeing our desire to be like Him will always make a way as the rest of the verses demonstrate. How often have you dismissed intervention in compassionate settings because you think you don’t have the resources to help? Think again of the limitless resources of our, your Father who is only waiting for the seed of faith?

2) Isaiah 49:15-16 shows further what the Lord appreciated in Mark 6:41, leaving us an example to follow with what little we can muster. Do we know the heart of our heavenly Father or are we so blinded by our self-need viz 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 and Lamentations 3:22-23?

Expression of compassion cuts through the boundaries of ethnicity, religion or acquaintance (see Zechariah 7:9-10 and Luke 10:25-37). It is in the latter that the rubber meets the road, compassion’s nexus with what we call love (1 John 3:17-18).

But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:17-18 KJV

Here again we see demonstrated action that follows observation. What an illustration in the following story extracted from a UCB article.

“The word ‘love’ isn’t just a noun, it’s a verb (an action word). And it’s not demonstrated simply by what you say but by what you do. In a small Jewish town in Russia, there is a rabbi who reputedly doesn’t show up for several hours every Friday morning. His followers claim that during this time he goes up to heaven and talks to God. A stranger moved into town and was sceptical about all this, so he decided to check things out. He hid and watched. The rabbi got up in the morning, said his prayers, then dressed in peasant clothes. He grabbed an axe and went off into the woods and cut firewood, which he hauled to a shack on the outskirts of the village where an old woman and her sick son lived. He left them enough wood for a week, then crept back home. Having observed the rabbi’s behaviour for himself, the newcomer became his disciple. Now when he hears the villagers say, ‘On Friday morning our rabbi ascends all the way up to heaven,’ he quietly adds, ‘If not higher.’ You can’t earn salvation by doing good works, but if you are truly saved, your actions and attitudes will prove that you are truly a recipient of salvation. Paul wrote these two Scriptures to Titus: ‘In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works’ (Titus 2:7 NKJV) ‘These things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men’ (Titus 3:8 NKJV).”

The story extends acts of compassion beyond earthly good to seemingly “intangibles” such as time to visit, to comfort, a smile or word of encouragement to the downcast. Start in the house of God and let it grow and extend as a witness to the unbelieving.

Can we pray for grace of observation and empowerment to lift drooping hands? It will be the difference between choosing compassion over judgment, and humility over pride. Selah.



Pastor Afolabi Oladele