Love Like Jesus: Radical Compassion for the Hurting

The biblical definition of compassion is moved in the inward parts or your bowels. It's a deep gut level empathy and a call to action. It is empathy, but it goes beyond empathy. It is not simply a feeling. It is something that is so deep on the inside of you. You're so affected so deeply that you want to take action. So our definition for radical compassion this morning is this is having so much love for someone that you are deeply moved to do something that changes their situation, their struggle, or their suffering. [00:56:44] (44 seconds)  #GutLevelCompassion

Because a picture of radical compassion is the father of the prodigal son. Well, this guy took his inheritance early, he went and spent it and wasted it, and he got to a place where he was at his end. And he said he came to himself, and he he remembered, even if I'm back home as a servant, I'm in a better position than I am now. So I'm going back home. And when the father saw him afar off, the father ran to him. [01:21:46] (37 seconds)  #FatherRunsToYou

That is the radical compassion of our father who sees you, sees where you've been, sees that you've been hurting, sees the place that you're afraid, unwilling, or even you might be stuck there. You wanna leave, but you're feeling stuck. And right now, the radical compassion of the father is there at the door with arms wide open saying, come home. [01:22:23] (26 seconds)  #ComeHomeToGrace

For five years, no one touched me. What is common to you, I coveted. Handshakes, warm embraces, a tap on the shoulder to get my attention. Such moments were taken from my world. No one touched me. No one bumped into me. I was untouchable. I was a leper, and no one touched me until today. But then I saw him, and when I saw him, I was changed. Before he spoke, I knew he cared. Everyone stepped back except him. He stepped towards me, toward me. Had he healed me with a word, I would have been thrilled. Had he cured me with a prayer, I would have rejoiced. But he wasn't satisfied with speaking to me. He drew near me. He touched me. [01:00:44] (66 seconds)  #TouchedByCompassion

a man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus begging to be healed. If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean, he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. I am willing, he said, be healed. Instantly, the leprosy disappeared and the man was healed. When you read that in the NIV says, Jesus was indignant, which means the same thing as mood with compassion, the same word used. He was indignant. What do you mean if I'm willing? There is never a moment when Jesus does not have compassion and wants to heal and wants to save and wants to deliver and wants to set free. [00:59:10] (51 seconds)  #JesusIsWilling

That's the person who understands what the touch of Jesus can do that no when no one would touch me, when no one would even come close to me, Jesus steps in with his radical compassion, and he touched me. But it wasn't just any kind of touch, it was a wholeness touch. It was a healing touch. It was a touch that made me clean when no one else could do that. [01:03:16] (26 seconds)  #HealingTouch

Radical compassion will pick you up out of the muck and the mire and will clean you up and will cure you and will send you on a mission and on an assignment for the kingdom of God to tell about the goodness of God. Radical compassion redeems the unredeemable. Maybe that's your story. Maybe you're not filled with what he was filled with, but maybe it is that no one wanted to be close to you. [01:05:22] (28 seconds)  #RedeemingCompassion

This man was sitting in the tombs. Among the tombs, he would cut himself with stones. He would he was they would bind him, and he would break the chains, and he was naked, and he was out of his mind. This man was so desperate in need of redemption, but then Jesus shows up with radical compassion and frees this man from his chain and frees this man and set him in his right mind. It says as you read further, it says that when the people from that area came, they saw him. He was clothed and he was in his right mind because Jesus met him with radical compassion. [01:04:04] (36 seconds)  #FreedAndRestored