Dear Church,
Yesterday we saw in Mark 1:41, “Moved with pity (compassion), He stretched out His hand and touched him (the leper) and said to him, ‘I will; be clean.”
Lepers usually did not arouse compassion. Their appearance was often too repulsive, and they made people feel disgust rather than mercy. Luke tells us this man was “full of leprosy,” meaning the disease was in its advanced stages. His whole body and life were wasting away. The world said, “Back up.” Religion often reinforced, “Stay away.”
But Jesus was moved with compassion. In Scripture, compassion is a deep, gut-level mercy that moves you toward someone’s suffering. It is love that refuses to stay at a safe distance. Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the leper. That touch says, “You are not untouchable. You are not disgusting to Me. You are not alone.”
Jesus is showing us something about God right here. The heart of God does not stand far off with folded arms. The heart of God in Christ moves toward the broken, the rejected, the ashamed, and the ones everyone else avoids. Compassion does not always mean you can fix someone. Sometimes it means you enter their pain with presence, through a call, a visit, a meal, a prayer, or a gentle conversation.
It could look like the older neighbor who rarely leaves the house anymore. Maybe they lost a spouse, their health is declining, and life has gotten small. People mean well, but weeks pass, and nobody stops by. Compassion looks like showing up, bringing a meal, sitting in their living room, praying with them, and letting them know they still matter. Maybe it’s a text that says, “You’re not alone. Can I bring dinner this week?” It looks like discreet generosity, practical support, and a loving conversation that doesn’t make them feel small. Compassion doesn’t mean pretending sin isn’t real, but it does mean refusing to treat someone as hopeless. It looks like encouraging accountability, offering rides to appointments, checking in consistently, and reminding them that God has not given up on them.
Here is a simple prayer for today: “Lord Jesus, make my heart like Yours. When I’m tempted to pull back, move me with compassion. Teach me to love with courage, to be present with humility, and to reflect Your willingness. Amen.”
Be encouraged,
Mathews
