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Learning Genuine Compassion

Delve into the depths of compassion through learning, understanding, and practicing genuine love based on biblical teachings and examples, aiming to please God and positively impact others' lives. Explore the roots of compassion, the importance of knowledge, moral outrage, and empathy in taking empowering and meaningful actions. Discover the balance needed to avoid extremes and the impact of sin in responding with true compassion. Embrace the call to embody authentic compassion in a world marred by cynicism and naïveté, guided by the ultimate example of Jesus' love and compassion.

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Learning Genuine Compassion

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  1. Learning Genuine Compassion

  2. To begin with… • Not sinful to be a beggar • Gr.ptochos = destitute, helpless, powerless • Example: Case of Lazarus—Luke 16:19-25 • God has always made provision for the poor—Ex. 23:11; Lev. 19:9-10; Acts 20:35 • Likewise we must—to please God • Our eternity depends upon it—Matt. 25:31-46 • But…there’s more to learn about compassion

  3. It is fruit of love—1 John 3:18 • Jesus is the ultimate example of real compassion—Matt. 14:14; 15:32; Luke 7:12-16 • If the love of God is perfected in us (1 John 4:12), we also must have compassion

  4. Can be costly, even dangerous • Hebrews 10:34: “for you had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.” • Wise of this world will consider genuine compassion foolishness

  5. Must be rooted also in truth • Love w/o truth = sentimentality (destructive) • Reality (truth) must be added to love • We often get caught in one of two extremes 1. Naïveté 2. Cynicism • Compassion isn’t about making US feel better

  6. Genuine compassion is not • A public relations campaign • Simply an emotion

  7. Inspired action w/ 3 elements • Those three things are: 1. Knowledge 2. Moral outrage 3. Ability to empathize or identify with the object of our compassion • Modern welfare system has failed because these elements are missing

  8. Compassionate need knowledge • Jesus didn’t deal w/people from a position of ignorance—John 2:24-25 • Jesus knew God’s image in man marred by sin • Without knowledge—gullible, exploitable • Exploitation leads to cynicism • Answer is to avoid extremes • True compassion looks at WHOLE picture

  9. Moral outrage a component • Gr.spagkhnozomai = a yearning in the gut or bowels • This is part of what moves a person to compassionate action—Luke 10, 15 • At tomb of Lazarus, Jesus groaned in his spirit—John 11:33, 38 • If we try to be compassionate w/o focusing on underlying causes—we’ll fail • Sin’s role must be factored into compassion

  10. Identifying with needy • Latin root of “compassion” and Greek root of “sympathy” refer to deep feelings you have “with” or “alongside” another • This is what Jesus did—Isaiah 53:4; Hebrews 4:15

  11. What have we learned? • Some of us lack or are weak in compassion • Others of us are naïve • If we have either problem, need to change • Then, we can be of real, genuine help to others

  12. The Lord’s invitation • Sin is world’s greatest problem • If we aren’t moving to help people with this problem—we aren’t compassionate • As we now tell you of God’s plan for your redemption—it isn’t from some sort of denominational competitiveness—but from genuine compassion for you and your soul

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