Being Compassionate

One of the most well known parables of Jesus is The Good Samaritan in Luke 10. In the story there was a man who was beaten up badly, robbed and left for dead. The ones who were supposed to help, the priest and the Temple assistant, wouldn’t even look over at him. They even crossed the street to pass him by from the other side. Then verse 34 says, “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him” (NLT). That compassion came from an awareness of his suffering and his desire to relieve it. Jesus then finished the parable by telling us to go do the same. He wants us to have compassion on those suffering around us. He wants us to love our neighbor and to help them in their time of crisis by showing them His love.

Here are some Bible verses on God telling us to be compassionate.

1. Thus has the Lord of hosts said, “Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion, to each other; and do not oppress or exploit the widow or the fatherless, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise or even imagine evil in your hearts against one another.”

Zechariah 7:9-10 AMP

2. Finally, all of you be like-minded [united in spirit], sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted [courteous and compassionate toward each other as members of one household], and humble in spirit; and never return evil for evil or insult for insult [avoid scolding, berating, and any kind of abuse], but on the contrary, give a blessing [pray for one another’s well-being, contentment, and protection]; for you have been called for this very purpose, that you might inherit a blessing [from God that brings well-being, happiness, and protection].

1 Peter 3:8-9 AMP

3. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Colossians 3:12-13 ESV

4. Above all, constantly echo God’s intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins. Be compassionate to foreigners without complaining.

1 Peter 4:8-9 TPT

5. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Luke 6:36 NLT

Photo by Hanna Morris on Unsplash