“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Jesus said.

Most translations use the word merciful instead of compassion. The Amplified. Version says, “So be merciful – sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate – even as your Father is all these.”
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Ooh, that could be tough, being all those things to the people around me.

As the informercial narrator says,
                            BUT WAIT! There’s more!

If we read the context of this verse, we see that Jesus had just talked about radical ways to love. Blessing those who curse us, giving the last shirt we have, offering the other cheek for a slap instead of fighting, giving things when asked, not going after things taken from us, and loving our enemies.

The end of verse 35 says, “for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.”

And our verse says to be merciful/compassionate like God.

Oh, y’all! I can’t do that. If someone steals from me, I want to go after them with every measure of the law. If someone lies to or about me, anger fills me.

Do you think Jesus knew how hard loving in that way would be? I think that’s a definite yes. Yet He declared this as a MUST.

What are we to do?

This is where being attached to the Vine (John 15) is important. Outside of a relationship with Jesus, we’re not going to love like this, but through Him, we are amazing and our love is as radical as He is.

This radical love oozes from us when we remain so close to the Lord we can stand in His noonday shadow. When we remember these words and make them a part of our core, we start living them.

Today, let’s look for ways to love those who hurt us, who treat us wrong, who behave as enemies. Let’s be determined to be merciful – sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate – even as our Father is all these – especially to those who don’t treat us as friends.

Didn’t say it would be easy, but it’s a ‘must’ we can’t keep ignoring.

Y’all excuse me, I need to spend some time with the Father, because this way of loving is not my normal. Shall I leave room at the altar?

Coffee, Bible, Journal.