Compassion: Who Deserves It?

Does anyone deserve it? We all need it, it just might be that compassion is a different thing for each of us.

And it’s easier to be compassionate for those who have the obvious outward pain that we immediately recognise as ‘deserving compassion’

So for some, it may be compassionate to give a meal…provision of basic human needs.

For others, for those who appear to have everything, it might be compassionate to share the Gospel, where we recognise that yearning for reconciliation their Creator that everyone has, lots just don’t know it’s there… In a lot of ways, this is actually provision of a basic human need as well.

Two extremes, but everyone in between needs compassion in different ways

I can’t talk about this subject apart from the cross and Easter and with that said, “no one” deserves compassion but still God’s compassion is given to humanity through Christ. Theology aside, I have the hardest time demonstrating compassion to those who seem to repeatedly self-destruct. It’s not that I don’t hurt with them, as much as I am tired of going through the same old emotions with such folks for the exact same thing.

When I start to feel that way, I immediately thank God that He didn’t/doesn’t get tired of going through the same old emotions when I’m the one repeatedly self-destructing.

As a pastor, sometimes the hardest compassion to show is that challenges someone to change their life and to refuse to be pulled into the “oh you poor soul” dialogue that they want to dwell on.

Hope that helps with the discussion.

Alan

Last week they arrested an 89 year old man who was a Nazi responsible for many Jews being slaughtered in the wars. They showed pictures of him,now living in a small town in Ohio, being taken out in a wheel chair, frail as can be. His wife who looked like my great grandma and their daughter crying to the side. And I had this moment of compassion for this horrible man. Then felt guilty for having compassion. Felt sad for whatever it was that had led him to be so cold in his heart that he could murder thousands of people. Felt sad that his daughter probably just saw her dad not a Nazi. At that moment it didn’t matter if he felt sorry about what he did. In that moment he was just a man. When I look at people and see myself, I find compassion. When I look at people and think of myself as better or less frail then them, I find judgement.

The question “who deserves compassion?” is a little vague, by this do we mean, “who must God have compassion on?” or perhaps “who should I have compassion for?” The answers to these different takes are intertwined, and yet distinct.

To “who must God have compassion on?”, the answer is no one. Yet God has compassion on all of humanity, and shows it by incarnating Himself and uniting Himself to humanity to free us from sin and death.

Because God has had compassion on all of humanity, including the most undeserving, this sheds light on the question of “who should I have compassion for?” If as a Christian, my job is to try to live the life that Christ showed, the answer is everyone-especially those who I rightfully feel I shouldn’t need to have compassion for.

[...] 04 2009 An excellent Portland area ministry guy/seminarian/blogger, Tyler Braun, recently posted this question on his blog: Who deserves or doesn’t deserve compassion? [...]

Jesus said “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs,…” (Matt. 7:6). Does this passage refer to people who don’t deserve compassion? Two thoughts: Sometimes being compassionate might look like discipline or leadership, not just handing over what someone who’s less fortunate thinks they need. Second, perhaps the real challenge, if there are folks who don’t deserve compassion, is who decides whether or not they deserve it?

compassion = empathy ??

compassion a deep awareness of and sympathy for another’s suffering

compassion isn’t grace….

don’t we do more for the cause of Christ IF we have it for others? I have only begun to develop compassion as I have become more self aware and other focused and have a long way to go BUT compassion seems to be growing in me because of that…

maybe I am in wayyy over my head…??

everyone deserves a level of compassion at some point in there life. that’s what love is really about.

certainly “deserve” is a subjective word- b/c mercy and grace ultimately are about what we do not deserve but receive out of love instead.

nevertheless….

Compassion, who deserves it? Good question. Well, as someone already stated, none of us deserve it…but we all have been shown it. God had compassion on me, and now asks that I have compassion on others (no favortism, meaning…compassion on everyone….) If we’re all equally fallen, then we all are on the same plain. I shouldn’t only show compassion on those that make me feel comfortable, or that can relate to the types of sin that I’ve been freed from, but that means, murders, prostitutes, crack dealers, gossipers, slanders, theives, you name it…all in the same boat, except that I have accepted the gift freely offered.

I know Daniel’s hung out here a bit, thought I’d stop by and say “hello”…good stuff here, Tyler. Peace, Heather