Compassion Shown
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. John 4;8,9
Jesus here does three things that a religious Jew would not do:
· He spoke to a Samaritan
· He spoke to a woman alone
· He was asking to share the drinking bucket with her (a Samaritan)
If you and I are to be in any way like Christ, we have got to learn to show compassion. Compassion is part of God’s character and was one of the most prominent elements the Jewish leaders had lost. ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners’ (Matthew 9:12,13 NASB).
‘When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd’ (Matthew 9:36).
I remember a woman, probably then in her 70’s, who insisted on doing street evangelism. Late Saturday night you would see her sitting in the gutter with a drunk man telling him about Jesus. I was told she was an embarrassment to Christians. I wonder if the critical Christians were the real embarrassment. Somehow I don’t think Jesus found her an embarrassment.
God never wanted Israel to lose compassion. He linked having compassion to remembering what it was like being slaves in Egypt. ‘For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome …He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt’ (Deuteronomy 10:17-19).
Jesus showed compassion on this Samaritan woman. It would lead to her salvation.
Are you a compassionate person? Would your friends think of you as compassionate?
Jesus constantly showed compassion. Will you let Him show His compassion for the world through you?
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