Imitating Christ: His Compassion

For the next several posts, we are going to go back to the basics of living like Christ.  There is SO much material on living the Christian life out on the market today.  Although I am not downgrading the material, I think we make things to complicated sometimes.

The subject of compassion is an important one that is often misunderstood and misapplied.  The results are either out of balance in being to lenient in dealing with sin or too harsh. 

Consider this statement by Jesus  in John 4:7 (NKJV)
⁷ A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."

This woman was alone, in sin, and not to be approached by a religious man.  Jesus had compassion on her. 

How you ask?

• He initiated conversation with her
  
• He imparted truth and revelation to her about who He was (told her He was the Messiah)
  
• He dealt with her sin (spoke of her 'husbands')
  
• He gave her hope (by offering water that quenches her true desires)
• He gave her a purpose (she went back into town to tell others what she had seen)
   

Compassion is an act of giving someone something they don't deserve.  Let's imitate Jesus by showing compassion and give those around us what they need, not what they deserve.