The Tenderness of Compassion

Author: R

Source: Research paper, New Testament class RelA211 at BYU-Provo


Date given: December 8, 2008

Getting up early one morning, the morning news is heard in the background while breakfast is prepared. The television is on in the next room, where a program is being presented to sponsor poor families in another country. You ignore that extra noise, and instead turn your attention to your son who happened to be up late the previous night. Before letting him speak, you lecture him on how it is his fault he is tired and how he should not wake you up when he gets home late. Your wife burns your toast, your car does not start, and when you finally make it to work that day, your classes of students are exceptionally distracted due to upcoming finals. That only irritates you more and you wonder why everybody is out to make your day bad. What this father does not realize is that arrogance is blocking him from showing what Christ would show for him: compassion because his day was not going well.

Compassion is more than just feeling sorry for someone else, although this is a big step in the right direction. It is the humane and often divine quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it.1 There is no greater example of this than our Savior Jesus Christ. During his mortal ministry he exemplified compassion on everyone He met. Christ showed that many fundamental doctrinal concepts—such as mercy, time, service, sympathy, love, and endurance—together create the godly attribute of compassion. But when broken down, His divine concepts can be seen as a list of steps that one progresses through when showing the action of compassion towards another person. We must initially seek out those we can help, act and sacrifice for their benefit, and remember them even after the situation fades away.

The first thing one must do to show compassion is to forget oneself and make the active effort to look towards others. Do not get so caught up in your schedule that helping others is a hindrance to your busy day. Instead, make it a part of your day. A wonderful neighbor decided to do one act of kindness each day. She was very busy in school and work, but still set apart some time to think and genuinely help someone else, even if the gesture was small. After a few months it was easy to see that she was genuinely happier.

In our families we must take time to notice opportunities to show compassion. It is very common to see advertisements put out by the church on television and radio where the message always played contains "...isn't is about time?" How amazing it is that when we take time for others, we are the ones really blessed.

Home is the perfect place to foster the seeds of love and compassion, for what children see is what they often do. In an ever-increasing sinful world, now more than ever we should teach our children to show love for others. Growing up emotionally healthy is very critical in a child's life because they are developing mentally over time; adults are no different. Our children need a loving touch and words of love and encouragement. However, their greatest need is a spiritual need that comes from spiritual guidance. Physical infirmities moved Jesus with compassion, but there was the greater illness of spiritual sickness.2 "...When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"3 The laborers are us, and we are shepherds for each other.

In the land Jesus lived during his mortal ministry, many shepherds kept sheep. There were two types of people: sheepherders and shepherds. A sheepherder moves a mass of sheep from behind. This is like how Satan wants to force the human race forward without choices and agency. A shepherd, on the other hand, led the group from front, and the sheep followed in a line because they wanted to and they esteemed and trusted their leader. 4 That is why Christ is known as the Great Shepherd. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 5

Taking time to realize others and their problems allows you to focus on them and not your trials, and in turn, your burden becomes lighter. The apostle John recorded this exchange between the Lord and His disciples, that, "In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' But He said to them, 'I have food to eat of which you do not know.' Therefore the disciples said to one another, 'Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?' Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, There are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!'"6 Jesus was saying physical food is not as important as spiritual meat and spiritual responsibilities. Those needs are met in home and as you forget your own trials and take upon those of others.

It may be considered by some that showing kindness is a form of weakness, and that you are stooping down to a lower level. That is exactly what must be done, for Christ did it many times. When eating with sinners and publicans, He said, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."7 In the play Camelot,8 King Arthur makes the profound statement of, “Violence is not strength, and compassion is not weakness.”--and neither is helping others.

Actively focusing on others may be a challenge when it comes to those you do not like. That brings the next step of showing compassion: action. Just like it was a sacrifice to initially help someone, there may be a need to sacrifice resources and even more so, your time. Seeing someone in peril and not doing anything about it will not aid them. Similarly, finding your enemies and helping them will rid you of enmity and unforgiving tendencies. Jesus was full aware of healing outcasts, terminally ill, or the physically challenged. But that did not stop him. He knew the suffering He would undergo for His own brethren who hated him. However, he grieved not for himself, but for them.

Christ even loved his enemies to the end. Judas, the betrayer, was held in high honor at the last supper. At the table, Judas was in the spot where the highest guest of honor would sit. Jesus washed Judas's feet as a token of a Passover gift. Christ even dipped unleavened bread into the communal stew and gave the sop to Judas, an extremely high honor. These actions were a display of love for his enemies even to the end of His life in the Passover, the trials, and the crucifixion. He spent time with those he loved the most: all men.

Spending time provides an example and is an action that shows true care. The expression, "Jesus wept,"9 is a revealing passage on compassion. Those who were present on the occasion of Lazarus' death saw the tears as tokens of love and compassion for a departed friend and loved one. The apostle Paul later said, "Weep with those who weep."10 Christ did not say anything, but his example displayed loving care. Examples shine brighter than the sun and write longer novels than any dictionary could produce. "...Whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."11 Not only what we say, but also what we do is very important.

Do not be afraid of the gesture to give a sad child a hug or give the elderly neighbor a handshake. While on earth, Christ showed his willingness to love by His touch. His hands touched the sick so they could heal. "Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.' Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'"12 People were fearful of lepers and leprosy. Lepers were outcast and separated from society. Yet, Jesus was willing not only to heal this individual but He reached out to him and touched him. In another instance, Jesus had compassion on the blind, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight and they followed him.13

One does not have to perform miracles or solve worldwide problems to be great in the sight of God. Oftentimes joy comes in helping one person. In Luke, Jesus teaches by the parable the importance of one soul. The case of the prodigal son is a picture of compassion for the penitent, for those who are willing to turn from sin and to come back to God. After wasting his inheritance, the son came sullenly back home expecting to be shamed. "But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. . . For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."14 Elder Scott said, “We are not second-class citizens of the Celestial Kingdom.” The creation shows who we are, and the Fall shows the condition we are in (carnal state). The lie comes—like it did to the prodigal son—that the condition you are in defines who you are. That is not true. The degree of mercy we show to others will show and indicate how close we are to God.

The prodigal son had a very loving father who wanted to help his wayward son and was charitable by being sensitive to his predicament. When approaching someone you desire to help, it is important to be sensitive to his or her feelings. Pray for help to see them as God does.26 This includes not exercising unrighteous judgment. When confronted with a woman in adultery, Jesus told the accusers, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."15 The Master later said, "Woe unto you. . . for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers."16 You cannot pass judgment and blame when you yourself have not dealt with that trial. The only thing you can do is try your best to help them, for that is all God asks of us. After that we must leave the rest of the world for Him to judge, for "He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice."17 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus rebuked this unrighteous judgment by saying, "first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye."18 When you are not clouded by your hypocrisy, the Holy Ghost will prompt what to say and do in the appropriate time.

But no matter how sensitive you might be, you must look at your own intent. Did the father want his prodigal son back that he might use him as another servant of the house, or did Christ eternally condemn the adulterer? In situations that arise today, is the purpose of giving them counsel for your own benefit and gain? Do you desire to know their problems that you might gain the upper hand, feel superior, and spread gossip? None of these reasons are in harmony with the church. Bishops do not share personal trials of ward members in sacrament meeting. Similarly, true friends do not use information to gain power and hurt the one in need. Consider the motives behind the counsel, and that will show the real intent behind your actions. When we are sensitive to the soul's value and the destination of the disobedient, hearts will be filled with compassion as tears fill the eyes. We will work hard to ignite the Light of Christ to the entire world. Compassion will compel us to do so. 2 Our savior set the example by ending His life with the greatest act of compassion possible: the Atonement.

Reading passages from the New Testament makes one realize how often the words "Jesus was moved with compassion" appears. In the New Testament alone "compassion" appears nineteen times, showing its critical importance. But what does it mean to be 'moved with compassion'? Sometimes there are problems that cannot be solved quickly but take time. It also means that you are aware of their needs and place yourself in their position. "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting."19 Being in similar situations make you a better teacher, although that cannot always be the case. Helping a friend overcome alcoholism when you have never drank can be difficult. But it is not addictive sin that always calls the need for help.

A bishop once traveled to Africa to help a poor village. He met a family where both parents had passed away and the oldest son of six--at the tender age of ten--was taking care of the family. There was little hope for a bright future, and they constantly wondered when or if they would get another meal. The bishop tried to help the best he knew, but the young boy refuted saying, "You do not know what it is like. You've never been in that situation. You do not know what it is like to be hungry and hear your sisters crying all night from the cold." With tears in his eyes, the bishop said, "No, I don't, and I probably will never have the same situation. But I know someone who does know what it is like. Christ Jesus has suffered for the pains you are facing. He knows what it feels like." For the next few years, when the bishop had business in Africa and would always visit that small family. Eventually they grew up into teenagers, and humbly told him that the only way they got through those dark and cold nights were because of his consoling that someone, Christ, did know them and understood what they were feeling. Seeing the bishop return each year reminded them of this important message. Remember those you help and return to them, for in saving others we save ourselves.20

Perhaps one of the better known stories of biblical compassion comes from the parable of the Good Samaritan. Many ignored the injured man, but it was the commonly hated Samaritan that finally gave him love and care. One might wonder whether he was afraid of ridicule for helping someone who was considered lowly. But true character shows by your ability to help another person in need, even it if makes you looked down on or made fun of.

The parable of the Good Samaritan reviews the steps taken when showing compassion. “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him . . . and said unto [the host of the inn], ‘whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.’ ”21
First, the Samaritan came. Even if his traveling destination was not to that exact location of the injured man, he went with an open mind and no biases. Upon finding a injured man, the Samaritan went and showed compassion by giving of his own substances of oil and wine. He placed the man on his beast, sacrificing by having to walk to an inn. Even after the wounds were bound he still remembered the healing man by offering to return later and pay any occurred debts. Many people forget that helping solve a problem does not mean it can be forgotten. Losing a child, for example, may still cause pain for the parents years after the incident. A family in Orem, Utah lost their precious son to a terrible accident when a metal slide fell and broke his neck. The healing comes, but comes slowly and we all need support from each other. If an acquaintance repents and is baptized they still need support in the future by the care of ward members. As we remember others, God remembers us.22 In turn both the lives of the giver and receiver are blessed.

Jesus Christ performed the greatest act of compassion for us when he took upon Him the sins of the world and suffered for our mistakes and sins. He lived a complete life of actively seeking others He could heal and make whole. He was kind to them and genuinely cared, and never forgot them after they were healed. He led a life that we can all pattern our life after, a pattern of perfection. He remembers us and knows of our trials. Even when upon the cruel cross, Jesus looked down at this mother and cried out, “Woman, behold thy son,” and to the disciple, “Behold thy mother!” He was cut, bruised, and broken, but he still had compassion on his mother as she saw him dying.23 He cared for her well-being.

Returning to the scenario presented at the beginning of this discussion, that father had a particularly difficult day with his family, work, and attitude. There are definitely hard times that everybody will face. But the attitude to change it despite the odds is what makes the difference. That father did not take the time to understand the reasons why he felt the world was against him. His son was out late the night before because a friend got in a car accident, and his wife burned the toast because she had been trying to consol her hurt son. Perhaps because of irritation prayers were skipped, and the car did not start because it was a reminder how important prayer is in the morning. At school, the distracted students were focused on finals because they had a deep desire to obtain knowledge. He became frustrated with his situation. You must learn compassion. Oh what a different world it would be if only compassion was shown. How different it would be! We would not be so quick to judge others and have a greater desire to help them. Christ did not pick and choose whose sins to suffer for based on His judgments of us and our decisions, but atoned for all our sufferings. Understanding this concept will change us, for "True doctrine, understood, changes lives.”24 I testify that this divine statement is true. Understanding the gospel does change lives as individuals look to others instead of themselves. Seek actively to find people in need, even if they are different or do not like you. Have a clear motive that their needs come first and God will then fulfill yours. Try to be sensitive and caring especially after the problem is solved. Do not abandon them, for even in old age widows need love and former addicts need encouragement. "Needed are souls filled with compassion, that we might communicate not only eye to eye, or voice to ear, but in the majestic style of the Savior, even heart to heart.”25 Dare to be different. Dare to be loving. Dare to forget yourself and have compassion on another son or daughter of God our Creator.

Endnotes / References

1. wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn:“compassion”
2. http://www.tftw2.org/Articles/compassion.htm
3. Matthew 9:36-38
4. See 4 Nephi
5. Matthew 11:28-30
6. John 4:31-35
7. Mark 2:17
8. First Presidency Message, Ensign, March 2007
9. John 11:35
10. Romans 12:15
11. 1 John 3:17,18
12. Mark 1:40
13. Matthew 20:34
14. Luke 15:20,24
15. John 8:7
16. Luke 11:46
17. Psalms 9:8
18. Matthew 7:5
19. Matthew 15:32
20. "In saving others we save ourselves.” F. Burton Howard, First Quorum of Seventy
21. Luke10:30-37
22. President Henderson, Ensign, October 2003
23. John 19:26-27
24. Elder Boyd K. Packer, “Do Not Fear,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2004, 79
25. see Jude 1:22; Thomas S. Monson, Ensign November 1994 pg 70
26. See 1 Samuel 16:7


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