July 4 2017 – Click here to listen
I recently held a conversation with someone I have known all of my life. The subject of compassion came up and he expressed to me that he wished that he could have had compassion for others in his life. His lifetime is nearly gone, and now as an old man, he laments the fact that he is completely devoid of compassion for others and has been so all his life.
Throughout his life, he actually cared about no one other than himself and the situation has been compounded by the fact that he “looks down on” and dislikes practically everyone that is not like him. This includes all races other than Caucasian. He is totally unconcerned with the plight of the poor. He detests anyone who is tortured by alcoholism, drug addiction, or any other infirmity that could have been avoided, according to him: “if the person had been a “strong” and ‘Good Christian”. Anyone who has made a serious mistake like unwed pregnancy, or possibly a brush with the law is on his “list”. He doesn’t want anyone to live in “our” country unless they are “Americans”. (Arguing that we were all once immigrants, and that this country offers these people their only real chance of having a better life, and that most of these people perform work that is needed and no one else wants to do, is immediately cut off.).
As I listened to him, he made it sound as if having compassion for others was an inherited trait. In fact he alluded to the fact that my Mother, who he knew very well, was compassionate for others and that I had probably inherited this trait from her. I thought to myself, “Wait a minute here, is compassion an inherited trait like freckles or red hair?” I don’t think so. I think it is a choice. Maybe I’m wrong, but I do not believe that deciding to give people the benefit of the doubt and to cast aside judgment of people who have made mistakes, (leaving judgment to the Lord), and being willing to offer a helping hand is inherited. Feeling sorry for the poor and unfortunate and trying to help them somehow is not a trait that is contained in our DNA.
I realize that I have no right to “look down” on anyone. I have led such an error filled life that I could hardly point the finger at anyone for making mistakes. Also I have been very poor and homeless and realize that it is not always the fault of the homeless person that they are in that condition, and even if it is, we should be interested in helping them to help themselves out of such a predicament. We are commanded by Jesus Christ to treat everyone as we would like to be treated and I believe that the Spirit who lives within us helps us to follow that command, provided we ask for His help.
I am so glad that Jesus Christ has compassion. I have made so many stupid and often rebellious mistakes that if Jesus was not compassionate, I would bust Hell wide open and deservedly so. This man may not realize it, but so would he. We all would. A man whom I really respect, once told me that his goal in life was to be more like Jesus.
The first step in that process would be to have compassion. The one trait of Jesus that stands out beyond all others is His compassion. He took the punishment that I deserve and that you deserve. He had such compassion for us that he lowered Himself from His exalted position, let people spit on Him, and treat Him shamefully, and then willingly let them crucify Him. He did it for all races, all types of people. All had made mistakes, and yet there is no mistake too great for Him to forgive to those who believe in Him and ask for His forgiveness. We have a CHOICE of whether or not we follow His lead. It has nothing to do with inherited traits. It is about first realizing that we are not perfect, and then following God’s only Son’s commands.
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John 15:12
“This is My commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you.”