Imitate Jehovah's Compassion - JEHOVAH THE PERFECT MODEL OF COMPASSION

As the officer spoke to his men,two strangers came up  to the family and quietly identified themselves as Jehovah's Witnesses. They had heard of the crisis from others on the bus.  The two told Milan and his brother to get into their car to cross the border, as the children's papers were not being checked. The newcomers then told the parents to walk around the back of the border post and meet them on the other side. Milan did not know whether to laugh or cry at this suggestion.  "Do you think they are just going to let us walk off?"  his parents asked.  Yet, as they walked away, it seemed as if  the soldiers were staring right through them. The parents and children were reunited on the other side of the border.  They proceeded to the convention city, convinced that Jehovah had answered their desperate prayers for help.  We know from the Bible that there have been times when Jehovah did not directly intervene to protect his servants. (Acts 7:58-60) Yet, Milan shares how he felt.  He says, "it seemed to me that the angels blinded the soldiers and that Jehovah rescued us."-Psalm 97:10. 

we can learn a lesson from Jesus. He felt compassion for the crowds he met, for "they were skinned and thrown about like sheep with out a shepherd."  How did he react to their pitiful state? "He started to teach them many things."  (Matthew 9:36; read Mark 6:34) His attitude was in stark contrast to that of the Pharisees, who had no desire to help  the common people.  (Matthew 12:9-14; 23:4; John 7:49)  Do you not feel a yearning similar to what Jesus had, to feed spiritually famished people?

That is not to say that compassion is to be shown in every situation. God's compassion was appropriate in the Bible example mentioned above. However, King Saul was disobedient when he showed what he may have felt was compassion. He spared the life of Agag, an enemy of God's people, and he also spared the best of the flock. Consequently, Jehovah rejected Saul from being king over Israel.  (1 Samuel 15:3, 9, 15)  Jehovah, of course, is the righteous judge. He can read people's hearts, and he knows when compassion   is not warranted.  (Lamentations 2:17; Ezekiel 5:11)  The time is coming when he will execute judgment on all those who refuse to obey him.  (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) That will not be the time for him to show compassion for those whom he has judged to be wicked. Rather, executing them will be an appropriate expression of God's compassion for the righteous, whom he will preserve. 

Clearly, it is not our role to judge whether people should be executed or preserved alive. Instead, we need to do all we can now to help people. So how can we manifest fitting compassion for our fellow man in practical ways?  Consider a number of suggestions.

Next time: Imitate Jehovah's Compassion -CULTIVATING AND SHOWING APPROPRIATE COMPASSION

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