July 15

Divine Compassion

When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things. — Mark 6:34 BSB

Here, we catch a glimpse of the heart of Jesus. Every scene of sorrow moved Him. It’s an amazing thought that the heart of the Son of God is truly moved by human suffering or need. It was this compassion that brought Christ down from heaven. It was because our Father loved this lost world that He gave His Son to save it. Does God still care when we are suffering or in need? "As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear Him." Even though Jesus is now glorified in heaven, does He still feel compassion for human sorrow? "We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses."

It’s interesting to notice what kind of trouble moved Jesus so deeply on this occasion. It was because He saw the people as sheep without a shepherd. It wasn’t their hunger, poverty, or illness that stirred Him the most, but their spiritual need. They had no wise, caring shepherds to guide and protect them, to feed them with spiritual nourishment, and to lead them in right paths, away from the wolves of sin and temptation.

We learn from this that no condition is as tragic as spiritual neglect. Soul danger is far worse than bodily suffering or distress. Nothing moves the heart of God more deeply than a soul wandering away from the safety of the fold, vulnerable to the dangers of the world and neglected by those who should care. Blessed are those who are safe in the care of the Good Shepherd! And if we have "the mind of Christ," we too will be moved with compassion for all the souls that have no shepherd.