Moved With Compassion

Lying face first on the ground, I spit the dirt out of my mouth as I raise my head. Rolling my eyes upward to see the crowd gathered round me. "Hit him again!" "He can't see without his glasses." "He's a nobody!" Wiping the blood away from my face, I struggle to see blurringly at the angry faces. I taste the salt from the blood of my busted lip. My body shakes as I try to stand only to stumble back down again. I hit my knees on the hard ground, but my bruised ribs ache the most. The taunting continues as different fists land blows all over me. Falling down I hit the ground with my face again.

"Why?" I ask,"What have I ever done to you?" "We just don't like you," is the reply back. And the kicking starts in on my sides again knocking the breath out of me. I can hardly breath. "Can't fight everybody. How can I make them stop? Too many. God make them stop." The thoughts I can barely form fill up my mind. Abruptly the kicks stop. No taunting sounds. No punches. No yelling. Nothing. Why? What's happen? I see them running. Someone extends a hand to me. I can't see him clearly. Is it a teacher come to stop this and help me up? My brother has helped me in the past if more than one bully jumped on me. But he's not here today. He's home sick. And his friends are in a grade ahead of me. They have a different recess time now. I don't have any friends.

"Thank you, whoever you are," I call out as he starts to leave. I try to stop him as I clamber to find my glasses. "Who are you?" I beg. Through bleary eyes I can make out a smile of this tall person. He says nothing, but helps me to the Principal's office. After arriving I get bandaged up by the school nurse. "Who did this to you?" the principal demanded. Shaking my head I explained I couldn't tell anything without my glasses. "Don't get on to that other boy. He was there to help me, when the other guys jumped me," I pleaded. "What other boy?" they questioned. "The tall one who ran the others off, and helped me up," I said. "You came up to the Principal's office by yourself," was their answer. "Don't know anything about any other kid."

Puzzled as to who that person was that day. I have wondered since then. It was probably the worst beating I had ever gotten from bullies before. In the past, I had often times fought to defend myself until my knuckles bled. Still have the scars from those days on the playground. But that one particular day someone took compassion on me. Who was this mysterious person that came to my aid? I may never know. Just as Christ had compassion for the suffering of others, this silent person felt a need to intervene on my behalf.

"Moved with compassion," is how the Bible describes Jesus attitude toward the needs of others. "ELEEO" is the Greek word for compassion. Meaning to show kindness or compassion. It's much more than showing a little bit of sympathy or a feeling of some what pity. This type is a yearning over the suffering of another person that is all consuming. This love is "agape" love, also known as God's divine love, that is non-discriminating in whom it loves. This compassionate love is projected from the deepest parts of our souls.

This type of love comes from the Holy Spirit living in believers flowing freely to others. True compassion is birthed in our hearts by the power of His presence. Agape love brings this compassion to heal past hurts, painful bitterness, emotional scars, physical problems, mental bondages, and relationship difficulties. But most of all it brings hope.

The hope that someone else cares. Your pain is their pain. When you hurt, they hurt. If we as believers have that inside us, we should hurt as well. God shares in our suffering and extends His compassion. Should we do any less for our brothers and sisters?

And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand,
Mark 1:41

Man may dismiss compassion from his heart, but God never will.

Author:William Cowper

by

Lance Gargus

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