As He Walked: Christ Revealed in the Synoptic Gospels, #8: The Heart of Jesus

                                          

  (This post is part of a series. For previous posts in the series please see #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7)

As I write this blog post, the world around me swarms with chaos. Yet another school shooting. Painful revelations of abuse, even within churches. Another polarizing election. Shortages that leave people fearful that basic needs won't be met. As with every generation of Christians in every place and every era, it is tempting to say, "Take us now, Lord. We just want heaven." And yet here we are, living in the world. Like the people Daniel prophesied about in Daniel 11:32, we should bring the "but" into our context - "but the people who know their God." We are simply asked to bring glimpses of His kingdom into our here and now. What does that look like? Walking with Jesus, we find the heart of the answer: Compassion. 

The Heart of Jesus: (Matthew 4:23-25; Matthew 8:2-4; Matthew 9:1-13; Mark 1:35-45; Mark 2:1-17; Luke 4:42-44; Luke 5:12-32)

Jesus came with a message He was compelled to share. Matthew tells us He proclaimed "the Gospel of the kingdom." We previously looked at what that message entailed. The Gospel writers do not simply follow Jesus around recording his messages, however. Instead, what we see are vignettes that show us why that message was so compelling - miracles and attitudes that authenticate His words. 

These passages show Jesus healing a leper, healing a paralytic and forgiving his sins, and calling a tax collector to join His fishermen. Mark 1:41 captures the heart of Jesus in one verse: "Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'" Jesus didn't act just to show His authority (though it did) or reveal more about His identity (thought is also did). Instead, Mark records that He was "moved with compassion."

Compassion. This word is the most common emotion attributed to Jesus (seven times in the Gospels). The Greek word for five of these is splanchnizomai and in basic English terms it means "to feel it in your gut." Simply put, He personally connected with individuals and their pain - and in every situation, He took action. The same word is used for the attitude of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 and the father of the prodigal in Luke 15. Clearly, Jesus holds compassion up as a commendable virtue that should motivate those who walk in His steps. 

And yet so often, this virtue seems lacking. Sociologists speak of "compassion fatigue" when people face crisis after crisis and lose the ability to feel things so deeply every time. We've all experienced this; just last night I had to put away the bad news and let myself do some light reading just so I could go to sleep. We are human, and we have our limits. But as we continue to walk with Jesus, we find instruction on how to become the kind of person who can be "moved with compassion" in situtations where we are able to take action as Jesus did. 

Matthew 9 records Matthew's call. Immediately we see Jesus gathered with other "tax collectors and sinners." Challenged by the Pharisees asking His disciples why, Jesus responds: 

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)

"Go and learn." Jesus instructs them to learn what it means that He desires "compassion" (a different word, meaning "mercy", quoting Hosea 6:6). We too must learn what it means that God desires mercy. Mercy is translated "compassion" in some versions because it means showing "kindness or good will" to those who are in need, "joined with a desire to help them" (Strong's Concordance). Why must we learn what this mean? Because God's desire for mercy means He calls sinners, not the righteous, to repentance. He doesn't need a sacrifice - He IS the sacrifice. What He wants are hearts that see hurts and seek to bring His heart into the world so sinners can be transformed. Hearts like these are only possible by His transformation - as we are given new hearts that are continually made into His image, we will learn the ministry of mercy - and as we are able to make a difference in a specific situation, we will find ourselves moved with compassion, feeling it in our gut.

Lessons Learned

As noted in the previous posts,  I am seeking to frame my lessons learned, the "what does it mean for me" around four questions to help my theology meet my reality: 

• What does this story teach me about Jesus and the life He gives? (1 John 1:1-2)
• How does this story about Jesus reveal God to me? (Hebrews 1:1-3)
• What does this story teach me about walking as Jesus walked, being conformed to His image? (2 Cor 3:18; 1 John 2:6)
• How does this story increase my fellowship with God and others? (1 John 1:3-4) 

What does this story teach me about Jesus and the life He gives? 

Jesus' heart was characterized by compassion. He saw people, really saw them, and was moved to take actions that made a difference in their lives.

How does this story about Jesus reveal God to me? 

God sees all of my needs and those around me. He alone never gets "compassion fatigue." He places us in situations where He wants me to see with His eyes, hear with His ears, and feel with His heart of compassion.

What does this story teach me about walking as Jesus walked, being conformed to His image?
Learning mercy is a process that flows from my relationship with Him. As I keep my eyes on Him and learn to walk as He walked, I will increasingly be focused on people, on relationships, on seeing as He sees and feeling what He feels. This requires intentionality, setting aside timelines and distractions at times. It requires a willingness to be part of the answer to my prayers for others at times. It requires time in the Word and in His presence to be sensitive to His Spirit. It requires silencing the voice of the world so I can better hear the voice of my shepherd. But as I grow in this, I will find that I'm learning mercy, and that active compassion in specific situations becomes my new default.

How does this story increase my fellowship with God and others? 

None of us can do this alone. The needs are too vast, the challenges are too great. We need the body, with our different experiences and abilities to step into situations. When we are in need we make those needs known; when others are in need we seek to step into that need as He guides us. This dependence on Him and interdependence on each other will deepen fellowship and guide us all to be compassionate Christians - people who, whatever happens, can be the "But the people who know their God..." in every situation.