The Com(Passion) of The Christ!

Many of us may know and understand the Passion of Christ; His teachings, love and ultimate sacrifice... but how many of us can understand and relate to Jesus' life of compassion? 

Moving with Compassion: Following Jesus’ Example in a Hurting World

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or were born after the new millennium, you have likely heard of the blockbuster movie The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson. The film focuses on the short but powerful ministry of healing, love, and the ultimate sacrifice made by Yeshua Ha’Mashiach—Jesus the Messiah ( Savior). It depicts true biblical compassion and shows how Jesus gave His life as the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind. Through His resurrection, we too can live a new life!

However, Jesus never intended for us to imitate His literal divine actions; furthermore, we would never be worthy enough to pull that off. Instead, what He intends for His followers to do is to imitate His daily actions of love and compassion toward our fellow man.

The Meaning of Compassion: Comparing the Latin vs. Greek

The dictionary defines compassion as a deep awareness of the distress of others combined with a strong, active desire to alleviate it. This word can be traced to its Latin root, compati, which literally translates to “suffering together.”

The New Testament Gospels provide an even deeper meaning and description through the use of the Greek verb splagchnizomai. It is not simply a willingness to feel bad for someone; it is a gut-wrenching reaction to suffering. So, while the Latin root shows us that Jesus chooses to suffer with us, the original Greek reveals that our pain moves Him so deeply that He is physically compelled to act on our behalf.

Sympathy & Empathy vs. Compassion

The word “compassion” has often been mistakenly treated as synonymous with “sympathy” and “empathy,” but they are distinctly different.

• Sympathy means that one feels sorry or has pity for another’s condition or current circumstance.
• Empathy takes it a step further by not only feeling for another’s hardship, but also deeply understanding them in that condition.

Still, there is something that definitively sets compassion apart from them both, which can be summed up in one simple word: ACTION!

Yeshua (Jesus) models and demonstrates this in His encounters with others throughout the New Testament. Whether dealing with the sick, hungry, blind, outcast, demon-possessed, or simply grief-stricken, the Bible reminds us that He was literally moved with compassion (splagchnizomai). He did not simply feel pity or sympathy; He acted on it.

1. Seeing the Great Crowd (Matthew 14:14): “And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”
2. Healing the Leper (Mark 1:40–41): “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.”
3. Raising the Widow’s Son (Luke 7:12–13): “When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’
4. Teaching the Weary (Matthew 9:35–36): “…He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
5. Feeding the Multitude (Matthew 15:32): “I have compassion on the multitude… I do not want to send them away hungry…”

Focused Intent: Your Call to Action

Imagine what our neighborhoods, communities, and the world at large could become if we chose to move with the heart of compassion that Jesus demonstrated. Compassion is never passive. When Jesus felt compassion, history changed because He moved. Today, our broken world does not need more well-wishes; it needs your hands, your time, and your willingness to see the unseen.

Don’t wait for a perfect opportunity to make a difference. Look around your neighborhood, your workplace, and your family today. Perhaps choose one person, acknowledge their pain, and take immediate action to lighten their burden. Let us stop merely feeling bad for the hurting and lost. Just like Jesus, let us become moved by the compassion that stirs us to action! Step out, move with compassion and love, and change a life today!

In His Service… Melody LaNette 🦋