Jesus’s Teaching on Compassion

Jesus’s Teaching on Compassion

To be compassionate is to be sympathetic and concerned about the suffering that other people are exposed to. The books of Mathew are known for their teachings about being compassionate. Reading the book highlights various approaches that Jesus used to express the concept of being considerate. Forgiveness and compassion are the two central teachings in Mathew’s gospel. To illustrate the importance of forgiveness, Mathew teaches us that we should forgive those who wrong us for God to forgive our trespasses, as incorporated in the prayer’s petition on forgiveness. Mathew uses several parables to teach about forgiveness. For example, the parable of the unforgiving servant teaches us that we should have mercy on those who have offended us so that we may appreciate God’s forgiveness. The master forgave the servant of a higher debt than that which his fellow servant owed him to mean that God extends more mercy to us, so we should be willing to forgive unconditionally. Moreover, he urges Christians to forgive seventy times seven times.

Mathew’s gospel is centered on Jesus’ compassion towards sinners, the needy, and those suffering. For example, in his numerous moments of teaching, Jesus feels compassionate about the multitude. According to the King James Version Bible, “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick” (Mathew14:14). His acts of compassion include healing the sick and raising the dead. From this act, Christians learn that Jesus is not just thinking about preaching to the gentiles and winning them to the kingdom of God, he is also thinking about the needs and the suffering of his audience. Jesus also showed love and compassion to man when he died for our sake that our sins may be forgiven.

He teaches that “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (KJV Matthew 5:7)”. Christians’ teachings of the beatitudes encourage that people practice the art of being merciful. We learn that to be compassionate, we need to allow Jesus into our hearts as he is kind. In Mathew 28, Jesus commissions his disciples to go and spread the gospel. Here we learn that whatever you do to his disciples, you do unto Him. As such, people should try to treat others the same way they desire to be treated.  In the manner that we should show compassion to others as we would want God to have compassion on us. By serving others and helping those in need, we become ambassadors in spreading God’s love throughout the world. Therefore, it is our responsibility as Christians to share messages of hope in Christ and salvation, and by so doing, we advance the kingdom of heaven here on earth.

Unlike Luke’s gospel, the book of Mathew depicts Jesus as the messiah for the Jews. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus comes to save the world, and this makes him the universal savior. Through his numerous teachings and preaching, he gets disciples, and at the same time, he shows acts of compassion, such as restoring sight to the blind. King James version bible enlightens that “And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I can do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, according to your faith, be it unto you” (Mathew9:28-29). The book of Mathew is rich in the acts of compassion that Jesus does. Through his example, Christians are expected to show compassion and forgive one another for them to be accepted into the kingdom of heaven.

Work Cited

The Bible, “King James Version” Oxford UP, 1998