Have the Compassion of Christ

As we take care of those around us, we must not lose sight of the ultimate purpose of our care. If we simply “do our job” to meet their physical needs, we will fall short. We will not see good fruit in their lives or ours.

In Matthew 9, Jesus was very busy. He healed a crippled man; invited a tax collector to be His disciple; gave a brief lecture on the new covenant; healed a woman, two blind men, and a demon-possessed man—and even raised a girl from the dead.

If we had been in Christ’s sandals, we might have found a tree, sat down beneath it, and said, “Now that was good work—I did a good job today.” But Jesus shows us that that’s not enough.

After all He had done, He looked at the people and was “moved with compassion”—not because of their physical needs, but because they were spiritually lost.

If we serve others without directing them to the Good Shepherd who can save their souls, our service to them is in vain. And if we serve without compassion and love, we will not profit (1 Corinthians 13:3).

For fruit to abound, we must have the compassion of Christ, to lead men and women to Him.