Moved with Compassion - the phrase “moved with compassion” means stirred to action. Compassion is not just pity or sympathy. It is more than being moved to tears or stirred up emotionally. Jesus didn’t just talk. What he saw stirred his heart, and he had a consuming desire to change things. His feelings of pity and sympathy moved him to action. He got deeply, practically and intimately involved and reminded 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”

Compassion is not just pity or sympathy.

It is more than being moved to tears or stirred up emotionally. 

Compassion is mercy accompanied by a desire to change things. 

True compassion moves us to do something. 

While Jesus was ministering, he departed into the wilderness to pray. 

When the crowd discovered his whereabouts, they followed him on foot and brought him their lame, blind, dying and demon-possessed.

Scripture tells us, “And when Jesus went out he saw a great multitude; and he was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick” - (Matthew 14:14, NKJV).

Had Jesus been hampered by our modern thinking, he might have gathered his disciples for a committee meeting to analyze the problems and talk about the sins that had brought society to such a place. 

He might have pointed to the frothing demoniacs and tearfully said, “Look at what sin does to people. Isn’t that tragic?” 

Perhaps he would have said, “Look, I feel your pain, but I have worked hard ministering to you, and now I am exhausted. 

"I need to talk to my Father. 

"Later, I will call my disciples for a prayer meeting, and we will pray over your needs. 

"Now, go in peace.” 

That is modern theology in a nutshell. 

Everybody is willing to pray, but few are willing to act. 

Matthew 9 says of Jesus, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” - (Matthew 9:36). 

The phrase “moved with compassion” means stirred to action. 

So, what did Jesus do? 

He didn’t just talk.

What he saw stirred his heart, and he had a consuming desire to change things. 

His feelings of pity and sympathy moved him to action. 

“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” - (Matthew 9:35).

This was not some vain theology. Jesus did not just get alone with the Father and say, “Lord, send laborers into your harvest field.” 

No, Jesus went himself. 

He got deeply, practically and intimately involved and reminded 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” - (Matthew 9:37-38).

David Wilkerson

World Challenge Daily Devotions 

David Wilkerson was called to New York City in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book The Cross and the Switchblade. He went on to create Teen Challenge and World Challenge, Inc. to minister to people’s spiritual and physical needs. In 1987, he established Times Square Church. As its founding pastor, he faithfully led this congregation, delivering powerful biblical messages that encourage righteous living and complete reliance on God. David Wilkerson also had a strong burden to encourage his fellow pastors. He founded the Summit International School of Ministry; and from 1999 to 2008, he held international conferences to strengthen church leaders. His passion to support believers, build up leaders and care for the poor is still at the heart of World Challenge’s ministries to this day.

worldchallenge.org

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God’s Relentless Kindness - from the beginning, God presents Himself as overflowing in compassion and mercy. The psalmists sing of His faithful, caring kindness; the prophets speak of His tender, unwavering love. The God who introduced Himself as merciful and overflowing in love reminds His people that’s who He is, who He’s always been, and who He always will be. We see God the Father most clearly in His Son. Jesus taught with compassion and wisdom, healed all kinds of illnesses, and ate with outcasts. Ultimately, He took our sins upon Himself, forging the path to eternal life

Comforting Those Who Grieve - Bathsheba was a grieving widow. Then David made her his wife. When she delivered a son, her joy was short-lived. The child became sick and died. Now she was grieving two great losses: a husband and a child. Those who mourn are all around us; may we offer them the compassion of our Savior. May we receive such people with gentleness and be a safe place that promotes their healing - we have Jesus as a model of how to offer care

When Someone I Love Dies - Jesus faced loss and showed us one other way to deal with the grief that accompanies the loss of people we love: compassion. Gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as a thorn but as a precious gift deep within, a hidden treasure of which one can always be certain. The way out of grief is not through a season of loneliness but through ministering to others. When you start to tend to others’ needs, God heals you and takes care of you

The Gift of Mercy - the gift of mercy is manifested by the Holy Spirit to bring light into darkness. This gift is not just pity where you feel sorry for someone in need. This empowers the recipient of the gift to spring into action at a moment's notice and make a difference in someone's life. They are able to put themselves in the shoes of the person in need and treat them as they would want to be treated

"We have diverse gifts according to the grace that is given to us. he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." - Romans 12:6, 8

When someone is anointed by the Holy Spirit with the gift of mercy, they are filled with the compassion and grace of Christ to help those who are afflicted and in need of help. 

Not only is their heart filled with compassion for those in need, but when they have the opportunity to minister to someone in need, they do it with a spirit of joy and cheerfulness that lifts the needy person out of the pit of despair.

The gift of mercy is manifested by the Holy Spirit to bring light into darkness. 

"For You will cause my lamp to shine; the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness" - (Proverbs 18:28).

This gift is not just pity where you feel sorry for someone in need. 

This gift empowers the recipient of the gift to spring into action at a moment's notice and make a difference in someone's life.

They are able to put themselves in the shoes of the person in need and treat them as they would want to be treated. 

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." - (Luke 6:31).

Holy Spirit, let mercy flow through me like a river today.Further Reading

2 Samuel 7:1-8:18

John 14:15-31

Psalm 119:33-48

Proverbs 15:33

Pastor Rod Parsley

Your Daily Devotion from Pastor Rod Parsley

Rodney Lee Parsley is a prominent American Christian minister, author, television host and evangelist. He is senior pastor of World Harvest Church, a large nondenominational church in Canal Winchester, Ohio; a suburb of Columbus, which has a sister campus in Elkhart, Indiana. 

PastorRodParsley@breakthrough.net

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God’s Unseen Intervention - We are called to trust God even when right now we can’t see His purposes. God is good even when we can’t see it. God already has proven His eternal love for us in Christ Jesus. One day we will look back and see clearly His goodness and kindness

Comforting Those Who Grieve - those who mourn are all around us; may we offer them the compassion of our Savior. May we receive such people with gentleness and be a safe place that promotes their healing - we have Jesus as a model of how to offer care

Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace - Jesus is just waiting for you to present your needs to Him and to ask for His help. The Lord has been fighting for every believer who has come boldly and honestly to Him in prayer. He will not rebuke you for being too honest

An Eye For An Eye - an eye for an eye doesn’t mean we do to others the same thing that they did to us. We should never try to overcome evil with doing more evil. Vengeance is not ours. We must react in a way that is “honorable in the sight of all,” including people who have done us wrong. Before quoting an eye for an eye the next time we get hurt by someone and seek to avenge ourselves, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you

What Does “An Eye For An Eye” Mean?

Many people used to quote, “An eye for an eye,” so what does that mean? 

Does it mean we can get revenge?

What it Doesn’t Mean

The often quoted Bible verse you occasionally see in the old westerns is typically, “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” so where did this come from? 

It comes from Exodus 21 but also Deuteronomy 19:21 which says, “Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” 

To begin with, here’s what it doesn’t mean. 

It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t show pity to people, even when they’ve wronged us. 

It doesn’t give us permission to get revenge or seek to get even, like if they gouged your eye out now you can gouge their eye out. 

The Apostle Paul commanded believers to “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all” - (Romans 12:17). 

Is it honorable to seek to get revenge or pay someone back for what they’ve done to you?

I hope you know the answer to that. 

We must react in a way that is “honorable in the sight of all,” including people who have done us wrong or sinned against us.

Text Out of Context

When people quote that verse and use it as justification to pay someone back, then they’re no better than children who hit back when hit and say, “He hit me first!” 

Obviously, two wrongs don’t make a right. 

Now there are two wrongs! 

And this never solves anything, but rather, getting revenge can escalate into something ugly, where someone gets hurt. 

An “eye for an eye” suggests that the criminal should be punished with the same crime that he or she inflicted, but is that what it means? 

When people take texts out of context, they can create a pretext and that pretext can be wrong.

Jesus Quotes It

Reading the entire chapter or even better, the entire book in the Bible will help us understand the proper context. 

That means there’s a better chance of our not misunderstanding the text and a much better chance of seeing what God is really telling us through His Word. 

Jesus quoted an eye for an eye, saying, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” - (Matthew 5:38-39). 

Jesus doesn’t want us to slap someone back after they slap us in the face with an insult (the context of suffering from persecution).

Jesus never wanted the disciples to persecute the Jews just like the Jews were persecuting them.

That certainly wouldn’t solve anything, but in fact, it would likely bring on more persecution.

Old Testament Law

The first appearance of an eye for an eye is in Exodus 21:23-25, where it says, “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” 

This is part of the Old Testament judicial system.

There were laws for covering damage or harm done to someone, but these laws (proper restitution) would help prevent generational family feuds from happening; feuds where family members would be killing one another like with the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s.

This type of feud could last for generations. 

The laws in Exodus 21:23-25 were not intended for the families to take care of it themselves, but rather were guides by which the judges could make equitable decisions.  

Clearly, this law was not meant to have one person pay someone else back for what they did to them.

That is not what these verses mean. 

If fact, it says Israel was to submit to the Jewish authorities  (the judges).  

In our day, we report crimes done to us to law enforcement if the crime merits (Romans 13:1-5). 

It is not meant to advocate our personal vengeance against someone or give us permission to “get even” or get revenge! 

This is why it is so critically important to read the entire chapter of Exodus 21 so that we can see that verse in its proper context.

An eye for an eye doesn’t mean we do to others the same thing that they did to us. 

Jesus taught us to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” - (Matthew 5:44-45). 

Our response is to “never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 

To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head” - (Romans 12:19-20). 

Clearly, vengeance is not ours. 

The throne of God is a one-seater! 

We should never try to overcome evil with doing more evil because it never works and only leads to more evil. 

Paul put it this way: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” - (Romans 12:21). 

You overcome evil by doing good, not by doing more evil. 

Rather, we are to give our enemies what they don’t deserve (Romans 12:19) because God gave us what we didn’t deserve (Romans 5:6-10). 

Our love for one another is what identifies Jesus’ disciples to the world (John 13:34-35), and we know Scripture teaches us that love does no harm (Romans 13:10).

Conclusion

Love doesn’t seek to get even or try to get revenge.

Instead, love gives a person what they don’t deserve because this is what God did for us (John 3:16).

It’s never wise to quote the Old Testament laws to justify our vigilante justice, but rather the law pointed to Jesus Christ who fulfilled the Law (Matthew 22:35-50; Mark 1:44). 

God’s Word teaches us that “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” - (Romans 13:10), 

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” - (Galatians 5:14). 

Before quoting an eye for an eye the next time we get hurt by someone and seek to avenge ourselves, why don’t you and I, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” - (Luke 6:27-28). 

That works infinitely better than an eye for an eye.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author and pastor of Heritage Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS [https://modelchrist.org/] 

whatchristianswanttoknow.com

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