What is this thing called compassion?

First let us clear up what it is not. It is not sympathy. Sympathy is a poor substitute for compassion. Sympathy is impotent in the face of real problems facing real people.

Sympathy is a feeling of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortunes. Sympathy is expressing condolences to those who are hurting. In other words it will hold your hand or stroke your head all the while not lifting a finger to get you out of the mess you are in.

Condolences are usually expressed at the time of death. I don’t know about you but if I die I do not want anyone around me or my family exhibiting sympathy. I go on record right now – DO NOT LET SYMPATHY NEAR ME!

Sympathy showed up at the funeral of the widow’s son in Nain. It was there when Lazarus died. It was present at Dorcas’s bedside. It was also around when the young daughter of Jairus was sick and died. Sympathy is ever present anytime there is a crises.

It is available to mourn but not to move the mountain of despair. DO NOT LET SYMPATHY NEAR ME!

Jesus was never moved by sympathy. Jesus was moved by compassion. I have been accused of not showing compassion. Even just recently I stepped on someone’s toes and they responded with a gracious rebuke.

I received their rebuke even though I do not know them and they do not know me. They read the most in your face blogs I have written and it created some consternation. I welcome the scrutiny because it will help me become a better communicator of the zeal for God’s house that I have. This person did say my passion was obvious and I was appreciative of that as well.

Years ago when I was a young man and young minister of the Gospel of grace I was accused of being angry. I was angry. What was not provided was a vehicle with which I could get delivered of my anger.

I am still angry now that I have matured in the Lord. My anger is now focused on the forces of darkness that motivate hurt in this world and the mindset that Christian’s have that encapsulate those hurting in a world of sympathy.

I am sorry but when I am trapped I do not want to hear I am so sorry you are trapped. I want someone with compassion to bust that trap in the trap.

Now, I never want to be rude to people but I will not slow down, back up, or give up in my quest to uproot every lie the enemy has sown in the lives of wonderful people that are destined for greatness in this world. Maybe it is my prophetic apostolic call that shows up. Lord knows that I am not a pastor, at least not in the classic understanding of that grace gift. I pastor but I am not a pastor.

Give me some compassion! What is compassion? It would help if we knew what it was so we would actually recognize the difference between sympathy and compassion.

Compassion in Jesus compelled Him to set His face like flint toward Jerusalem, the Garden and the Cross.

Compassion in Jesus compelled Him to rebuke the three pillars of the church when they allowed a demonic mindset to influence their mission.

Compassion moved Jesus when He saw the multitudes were like sheep without a shepherd. He did not say they did not have shepherds. He said they did not have Kingdom shepherds. Those who were suffering were being pastored by sympathizers.

WARNING TO ALL SHEPHERDS – YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE WHAT HIS COMPASSION LOOKED LIKE.

It looked like Him commanding His disciples to preach and demonstrate the Gospel of the Kingdom He preached and demonstrated. He also designated legitimate fruit of His message ~~ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils and raise the dead. This supernatural activity is fruit of His dominion. It is to be done by all of His disciples but it is not proof a disciple is doing it.

Jesus said on “that Day” people would use prophecy and miracles as proof they were His disciples. He stated it was only proof that His Father would honor the use of His name to advance the Kingdom. It did not prove those who did those things were His disciples. “Practicing lawlessness” was equated with using His name without a real relationship with Him.

“Get away from Me” was the fruit of false discipleship!

Did you notice there was no command to hold hands, stroke hair, or mourn their plight.

Shepherds need a new job description. Lose the one you got in seminary. Read the Bible. Read the red and pray for the power.

While I am angering some more sympathizers ~ Have you, I have, wondered why the church trains their ministers to bury the dead while the medical profession trains their ministers to raise the dead. That’s right, maybe all preachers should go to nursing or medical school instead of seminary.

If this hurts your feelings then maybe you should take a good, long look at your call. Because it is not right that the medical community responds with the mindset of saving life and not burying it and the church sits by without a clue what to do or how to do it.

Get trained in the biblical lifestyle of purity and power!

Listen, if you have seekers in your church start a seekers Sunday school class so that the real service is not dumbed down to the lowest common denominator in the room.

Jesus did not have two sets of followers. I can see it now. “Okay, you who are not ready for this stay way back out of the way and you who are ready follow me closely.”

Friends, I have tons of compassion. It is my compassion that will not allow Christianity to be dumbed down to something Jesus did not model.

It was His compassion that kicked in and kicked the disciples in the back side when they did not believe the lady’s report of His resurrection.

Compassion in Jesus compelled Him to destroy the commercialization of worship at the Temple [twice]. Friends, that was compassion – maybe not for those that were diverting people’s attention from worshiping God to themselves. But it was compassion.

I do not believe as some do that this means you cannot sell coffee, cupcakes for the kids, CD’s, etc. I believe he attacked a party spirit that was calling attention to the vendors and not to God.

Compassion compelled Jesus to run the [paid] sympathizers out of Jairus’ daughter’s room right before His compassion got rid of the spirit of death.

Compassion compelled Jesus to say to His disciples, “Who are My mother, My sisters and My brothers?” He went on to identify those who were related to Him – “those who do the will of My Father.”

Compassion compelled Jesus to leave the crowds behind when He was after the Gadarene demoniac. I wonder how many seeker sensitive ministers would leave their crowds behind to go after one demon possessed man.

Friend, that is the call of compassion.

Compassion always moved Jesus. Maybe we really don’t know what it looks like.

Compassion compelled Jesus to heal the servant’s ear that Peter lopped off with the sword Jesus told him to bring.

Compassion also compelled Jesus to say, “You give them something to eat.” What are we really feeding those who come into our meetings? The writer of Hebrews says meat is for the mature and milk is babies [5:13,14]. If we design our services to service the babes in our midst then who matures?

This tells me maturity is equated with revelation in the word as meat is tougher to chew and swallow [understand] than milk.

Compassion compelled Jesus to command His disciples to heal [all] the sick, cast out [all] the devils [that manifested] and to raise [all] the dead. As I said in another blog, that won’t happen in most church services. Most devils are quite happy in church.

You see friends, Jesus’ compassion is directed toward those in desperate need. As for those that have settled for sympathy. I hope and pray when you are in dire need you get His compassion and not His sympathy.

As for me and my house, we are serving the Lord of compassion.

DO NOT LET SYMPATHY GET NEAR ME!

For HIS Glory!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury
As Hisstorymaker