Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to think about something for a minute.
Do any of you have pets? How many times have you been driving down the highway when you saw a stray puppy that was hurt and laying in the ditch? Did you pull over to the side of the road and see if you could assist them? Perhaps you were able to pick them up and take them to somebody who was able to help them.
Have you ever been out in a fishing boat when your dog accidentally fell in the water? How did you react? If you care at all for the animal, you would quickly reach out, and get them back into the boat. Now imagine a person gunning the motor and leaving their dog stranded out in the middle of the lake. An act like this would be devoid of any love for the creature. But in these latter days, this will be the exact same way that people are going to treat others in the church. Rather than taking pity and being merciful with each other, they will completely abandon them, an act of cold-hearted cruelty from a compassionless person.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Compassion is to be filled with sympathetic pity for the suffering and misfortune of others. It is to be filled with a tender heart and a motivation to help them in their time of need. But as we grow closer to the return of Jesus, it’s beginning to look a lot like the days of Noah. Some people who claim to follow the Lord are turning away their ears from the truth, and their hearts have become cold because of their own impenitence. Remember that Jesus was so hated by the world that they murdered Him on a cross. Christians are called into suffering, and most often it will come from the hands of those who you shared a very close relationship with in the past. They will become heartless, cruel and without pity, treating others in a manner that they would never want to be treated themselves.
Matthew 24 ¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Remember that Judas was a member of the original disciples, but his heart was motivated by Earthly gain. Because of this lust, he eventually betrayed the Lord Jesus and walked off on the rest of the Apostles. His heart was void of compassion, completely hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
“Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:” Romans 1:31
Compassion is to possess a sympathetic consciousness of another’s pain and distress, along with the desire to alleviate it. When people do evil towards them, your heart will suffer with them. The Apostle Paul was no stranger to suffering.
2 Corinthians 11 ²⁴ Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. ²⁵ Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶ In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷ In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Onesiphorus was filled with pity and compassion towards Paul’s suffering.
2 Timothy 1 ¹⁶ The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: ¹⁷ But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. ¹⁸ The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
Romans 16 ³ Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: ⁴ Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:” 1 Peter 3:8
In the following passage, the Lord Jesus illustrates compassionate treatment of others.
Luke 10 ²⁵ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ²⁶ He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? ²⁷ And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. ²⁸ And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.²⁹ But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
³⁰ And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
³¹ And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
³⁴ And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. ³⁶ Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? ³⁷ And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7
In the church we are supposed to be very forgiving with each other. Sin needs to be rebuked and corrected, and people need to humbly repent and seek reconciliation. We are all sinners who need to be compassionate with each other in time of need.
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” Colossians 3:12
How merciful will you be with others? How much pity will you extend to the brokenhearted? Will you show other people compassion? Will you reach out to help those in need, just like pulling over your car and helping out a…..
……Stray Puppy
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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