“Though the mountains move and the hills shake, my love will not be removed from you and my covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says your compassionate LORD. Isaiah54:10 CSB

Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat.” Matthew 15:32a CSB

Our verses for today talk about compassion. Compassion means “to suffer together”. Think about a time you were sad or sick or hurting, you were suffering. What did your mom or dad do to help you feel better? Did they give you a hug and say kind words, or give you medicine and take care of you? What your parents did was show compassion. They felt bad because you felt bad. They were suffering with you, and then they did something to help you.

Both God and Jesus feel compassion for us. God says in the first verse that no matter what happens or how bad things seem, He will never stop loving us or leave us. In the second verse, Jesus has compassion on a large group of people who have stayed with Jesus for three days to hear Him talk about God’s kingdom. Jesus not only understands their hunger, but He does something about it. Do you know this story? Jesus feeds well over four thousand people with only seven loaves of bread and a few fish!

Jesus felt compassion many times for the people He met. Jesus heals two blind men. Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him. Matthew 20:34 Many of the miracles that Jesus performed were because He had compassion for the suffering of those people He met. We can’t do the miracles that Jesus did, but we can still have compassion for people like Jesus and help them .

For example – Maybe your friend is sad because his dog is missing. You understand how sad you would be if your pet was gone. So, you encourage him with kind words and a hug. And maybe you even see if your mom or dad will drive you both around your neighborhood to find his dog. You understood his feelings and you did things to help and make him feel better. You were compassionate!

It was Jesus’ compassion for all of us that placed Him on the cross to die for our sins and to save us.

This week, talk to your parents and look for opportunities to show compassion; to help others who are suffering. Don’t forget that compassion is two things. First, to suffer with someone; to understand their feelings and suffering. And second, to do something to help them feel better.

Blessings as you show compassion like Jesus in helping others!