Key Verse: "And of some have compassion, making a difference:"
- Jude 1:22 KJV
Compassion is more than a feeling it is love in action. Jude reminds believers that compassion makes a difference. It changes circumstances, restores the broken, and reflects the heart of God to a hurting world. When we show compassion, we step into the very ministry Jesus Himself demonstrated throughout His earthly life.
1. Compassion Mirrors the Heart of Christ
During His ministry, Jesus was repeatedly “moved with compassion.”
Matthew 9:36 (KJV) says: “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
Jesus saw people not as problems, but as precious souls in need of guidance, hope, and healing. True compassion begins with seeing others the way Christ sees them.
2. Compassion Moves Us to Action
Compassion is not passive. It does not merely identify suffering, it steps into it with love. 1 John 3:17 (KJV) challenges us: “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
When God stirs compassion in our hearts, He is inviting us to participate in His work. A kind word, a prayer, a meal, a visit, these small acts can make an eternal difference.
3. Compassion Reflects God’s Mercy Toward Us
We are compassionate because God has abundantly shown compassion to us.
Psalm 86:15 (KJV) declares: “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
Every believer has experienced the compassion of God through forgiveness and grace. As recipients of His mercy, we are called to share it freely with others.
4. Compassion Strengthens the Body of Christ
The church grows stronger when believers care deeply for one another.
Colossians 3:12 (KJV) says: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.”
Compassion binds the church together in unity and love. When we “put on” compassion, choosing it daily like clothing, we reflect the character of Christ to one another.
5. Compassion Opens the Door to the Gospel
When Jude says that compassion “makes a difference,” he is speaking in a spiritual sense: some people are reached not by arguments but by love. Compassion softens hearts and prepares the soil for the seed of the gospel.
Conclusion
Even the smallest act of compassion can become a divine appointment. May this day be one where our hearts are sensitive to those in need. Whether it is a quiet prayer, a gentle word, or an act of generosity, let compassion flow. For when we move in compassion, we make a difference that echoes in heaven.
