Compassionate

This week, our very own Jake Epley shares about one of his favorite attributes of Jesus: compassion. In case you don't know, Jake is not only Riverwood's Worship Director, but more importantly husband to Grace, father to two precious little girls, a songwriter, and Nintendo aficionado.

Imagine you are on an errand grabbing groceries when you notice a young mom with two kids in tow. One is melting down in the frozen aisle, while the other keeps tugging at mom's arm. You can see the exhaustion written all over the mother's face. For a moment, you entertain looking the other way and hurrying past—after all, you have your own shopping list to get through! But something causes you to pause and ask yourself: How many times have I looked just like that in God’s eyes—tired, overwhelmed, and in need of help?

In that moment, we experience what the Bible calls compassion.

The Compassion of the Christ

If you spend any time in the Gospels, it doesn’t take long to see a recurring description of Jesus: He was moved with compassion. Again and again, when confronted with the suffering, brokenness, or needs of the people around Him, His heart stirred toward them.

For example, Jesus goes through towns and villages, teaching and healing, and when He sees the crowds, He doesn’t roll His eyes at their demands or grow cold at their constant needs. Instead, He looks at them with compassion, “because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” He saw beyond the inconvenience and into the pain.

In another instance, Jesus encounters a widow whose only son has just died. We're told that “when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, ‘Don't weep.’” Then He raises her son from the dead. Compassion moved Him not only to feel but also to act.

This is the consistent pattern of Christ. Whether feeding the hungry, healing the blind, or teaching those who didn’t understand, His compassion wasn’t merely a fleeting emotion. It was an active, costly love.

And here’s where it challenges me (and maybe you, too). So often, I stop at feeling compassion. I’ll see a news story, a hurting friend, or a need in my community, and my heart stirs… but then I move on. Yet in Christ, compassion wasn’t passive—He actively and lovingly stepped into our mess.

Putting on Compassion

Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:12-13 to “put on compassion." That means compassion isn’t optional for the Christian. Rather, compassion is part of the new clothing we wear when we belong to Christ.

Last week, my two-year-old completely melted down at bedtime. She was overtired, didn’t want to wear her pajamas, and was fighting every step of the process. My first impulse was to just power through and get her to bed as quickly as possible. But when I stopped, looked her in the eyes, and wrapped her in a hug, everything changed. Her sobs began to quiet and she slowly calmed down as I began to sooth her in our rocking chair. In that moment, compassion wasn’t about fixing the problem right away—it was about meeting her where she was at, entering into her struggle, and showing her that her daddy was here for her.

I had to pause and 'put on compassion,' to imitate how Jesus engages with us. To follow Jesus is to let our hearts be softened like His, to let His compassion overflow into our actions. So, where might you need to step out in compassion this week? Is it with...

• a co-worker who feels invisible?

• a neighbor carrying a heavy burden?

• a family member who tests your patience?

Friends, compassion doesn’t wait until our lives—or the lives of the people around us—are convenient or easy. Far from it. Compassion moves toward people because that’s what Jesus did for us.

Lord Jesus, thank You for showing such deep compassion toward us when we were helpless and lost. Soften our hearts to see people as You see them. Break down our selfishness, and help us move beyond our feelings into Spirit-filled action. This week, give us eyes to notice, hearts to care, and courage to step into someone’s need with Your love. Make us more like You. Amen.