Lord, teach us compassion

Greetings:
This morning I've been been impressed to look at compassion.
We would all like to think we have plenty of compassion.
But the reality is far too many people have become callous rather than compassionate in our world and the communities where we live.
It may be we’ve lost sight of the compassion of Christ and the teaching He left us on compassion, as well as other things that are important and impact upon our eternal lives. If we are to learn to be compassionate, we could go to no greater, more perfect source than the compassionate Christ.
Webster's Dictionary defines compassion as “suffering with another, hence, sympathy; sorrow for the distress or misfortune of another with a desire to help; pity; commiseration.”
We need to practice compassion.
In order to learn compassion, we need to turn to the source of it. We need to cry out, “Lord, teach us compassion.”
In biblical days people were fearful of lepers and the terrible, contagious disease leprosy. Lepers were pitiful, outcast individuals separated from society. Yet, Jesus was willing not only to heal them, but he reached out to touched them.
Jesus was willing to touch the lives of all men, regardless of race, regardless of social or economic standing. Jesus Christ, the compassionate Christ, had time for others. He had time to touch the children who were brought to Him. He had time to pray for them.
Do we have that kind of compassion?
Jesus taught compassion as he lived among men by His touch, by His willingness to touch others. The hands of Jesus touched those who were sick to heal them.
In Matthew 9:36-38 (NIV) we read: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus was willing to touch the lives of all men, regardless of race, regardless of social or economic standing. Jesus Christ, the compassionate Christ, had time for others. He had time to touch the children who were brought to Him. He had time to pray for them.
Jesus touched those shunned by the religious elite of His day, the Pharisees and others who were His critics and His enemies. Jesus answered His critics with  powerful lessons on the value of one soul, one individual.
Are we willing to do that?
The apostle Paul, the man who admonished us to follow him as he followed Christ in  was one who learned well this attitude of compassion.
How many tears are being shed today for millions who’ve never known the compassionate Christ?
When we are sensitive to the soul’s value, to its immortality, the impending judgment, and the destination of the disobedient, hearts will be filled with compassion as tears fill the eyes. But, we will not only weep, we will work as did the Jesus to take the saving message of truth into all the world.
Our compassion will compel us to do so.

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