Lack of Compassion

“Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11 Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 [innocent] persons, who do not know the difference between their right and left hand [and are not yet accountable for sin],?"” Jonah 4:10-11 AMP

Jonah had more compassion for a plant that provided shade from the hot sun than for the lost people of Nineveh. The Ninevites never had an opportunity to repent for their sins until the preaching of Jonah. His lack of compassion for the Ninevites is troubling; and to top it off, he resented the fact that they repented and turned their hearts to the Lord.

Jonah’s lack of compassion is especially troubling to those who sincerely love God. Primarily, because our love for God will always be expressed and demonstrated in love for people. Jonah failed to see the people through the eyes of our heavenly Father. The Father desires that we see people the way He sees them. What Jonah needed was a revelation of God’s love for people. If he would have had a revelation of God’s love he wouldn’t have ran from His will in the first place.

The scripture exhorts us to put on compassionate hearts. “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12 ESV. If you are compassionate, you feel other people's pain and struggles as though they were your own. Compassionate people are often moved to action to assist the suffering and afflicted. Compassion is genuine care and concern demonstrated by action to help those in need. It is outward expression of sympathy and pity towards others.

TODAY’S PRAYER 

Heavenly Father, again we ask you to help us see people as you see them and love them as you love them. Let the compassion of Christ become increasingly evident in our lives. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them...” Matthew 9:36 ESV.

God Bless,

Pastor Matt