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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion February 7, 2006 Filled With Compassion |
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Frontline Devotion for Tuesday February 7, 2006 by Brenda Kessler
“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.” (The NIV Study Bible)
My New World Dictionary defines compassion in this way: “Compassion: Sorrow for the sufferings or trouble of another or others, accompanied by an urge to help.”
Jesus was “filled with compassion.” In the 13th chapter of Leviticus we learn that a person afflicted with leprosy would have been considered ceremonially unclean. An unclean person was excluded from the camp, the area around the tabernacle and courtyard where the Israelites lived in tents; an unclean person was not allowed in the temple area, where he could mingle with others; an unclean person was considered separated from God. When Jesus touched the man he committed an act of defilement, according to Mosaic law. Nevertheless, Jesus, “filled with compassion,” went outside the rule of law to bring God’s healing presence to this leper.
Compassion. Do we have this same compassion Jesus showed? Many times I have been in the presence of people who are full of compassion but feel unable to help. “What do I say? What do I do?” In today’s frontline devotion I am sharing the four elements of compassion as outlined by Simon and Karen Fox in their book entitled, “What Can I say?”
ATTENTION – Be aware of the signs, signals, and clues that indicate what is important to someone. Listen, look, feel and notice are your key directives for giving attention. Let go of your own personal concerns, worries and cares and focus entirely on the other person.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT – Let others know you recognize and appreciate them for their uniqueness as individuals. Acknowledge others not only through your spoken words but also through your body language. Smiles, moving closer, making eye contact, a gentle touch tell others that you care. Listening and then asking questions allows a person to speak freely about what is important to her/him.
AFFECTION – Show your affection in a way that you know will be appreciated. Everybody understands a smile. Allow yourself to be warm and spontaneous, even humorous. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, “Talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted.”
ACCEPTANCE – Allow people and conditions to be the way they are, without giving up. Be non-judgmental, tolerant, and forgiving. Acceptance frees people to share their true feelings and to talk about difficult issues.
We, like Jesus, can bring God’s healing presence to those people “outside the courtyard.” “Our task must be to free ourselves….by widening our circle of compassion” – Albert Einstein.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for showing us that compassion is for all people. Help us to be compassionate people in this sometimes cruel and unforgiving world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
(Some portions of the elements of compassion were also shared in my frontline devotion entitled “Take Care of My Sheep” which appeared on March 16, 2004.)
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