The Compassionate Heart of Christ
in Jesus, we encounter the God who sees us with eyes of compassion.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
Ultimate reality is not mere chance, fate, karma, or a detached divine being unaffected by the cries of humanity. Instead, we have a personal God who draws near to us with full awareness and a heart that is moved to compassion. Notice how Jesus saw the crowds, and he had compassion for them. Some translations say that he was “moved to compassion.” What a thought! We could imagine a righteous God who sits over us, looking down on our sad condition. We could imagine an angry God who stands against us, ready to pour his judgment out. We could even imagine a disinterested God who stands far away from us, indifferent to our suffering and far removed from its anguish.
But in Jesus, we see the truth about God! He doesn’t stand over, against, or far away from us. He has every reason to do so, but in Jesus, we encounter the God who sees us with eyes of compassion! Even more, he humbles himself to actively participate in our suffering! He is not remote or uninvolved. He’s intimately near. He doesn't deride our condition; instead, he embraces us, identifying with us just as a shepherd does with his sheep. He sees us with eyes of compassion and loved us to the point of death. This is the heart of Christ for us!
Good news!! Thank you Tony!!