(submitted
by Kerry Patton)
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the
multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and
scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is
plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into His harvest.””
Matthew 9:35-38
How Do I Love
Thee…
Elizabeth
Barrett Browning wrote in her brilliant work: How Do I Love Thee (Sonnet 43)
How do I love
thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the
depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach,
when feeling out of sight
For the ends of
being and ideal grace.
Now, that
is a vivid attempt to describe one’s love.
At what depth and breadth do I love?
DO I really love others to the point that I am moved by compassion…as
Matthew recorded of Jesus above?
In an
article written for Leadership Journal in February of 2014, Tony Kriz wrote: Seven Lies Christians Tell. Number Seven particularly impacted me:
“We lie (Insidious
and barbaric lying) when we pretend like we really, really, really love the
other person when in fact we don’t.
·
We don’t love people when we dismiss their story (including
their hopes values, beliefs and convictions).
·
We do not love people when we do not empathically listen to
them, as opposed to spending that time formulating a counter-argument.
·
We do not love others when we reduce them to labels,
caricatures, or opponents.
If we love, then we will find them shockingly beautiful and
fascinating creations. We will find their stories riveting. We will radiate
affection. Humans know deep down when they are or are not truly loved.”
Finally
for today, I suggested that when we are moved with compassion, we are not
merely moved to experience an emotion and express our concern over the
situations of others. Being moved with
compassion compels us to respond. Jesus
illustrates this in his comment concerning how the harvest is plentiful, but
laborers are few. The reality of the
harvest requires a response: Harvesters go therefore and conduct a harvest. They do what must be done for the benefit of
those who need it to be done.
In what
realm will you and I be moved with compassion today? Are we prepared not to merely feel sympathy
or sadness at the suffering or need of others, but to formulate a plan and take
action? We are the hands of feet of our
Lord. Go therefore…and do…what he would
do…In Jesus’ name. Ready…. GO!
Almighty God, how I long to be meaningful this day for
you. I am surrounded by those who suffer
and need intervention. Let me be moved
with compassion. Let me spring into
action. Move me this day to be truly
compassionate…to love.
In Jesus’ holy name I pray,
Amen.
