People share Jesus for many reasons. One of the best reasons to share Jesus is compassion.
Compassion means suffering with other people. It is feeling their pain. It is standing alongside them in their time of need. It is not running away from their distress. Nor is it trying to solve their problems quickly and moving on. Compassion is being willing to hang in with people through their worst moments.
Compassion is suffering with other people, and compassion is guiding people to a better place. Jesus spoke about people who seemed to be as sheep without a shepherd. When a person goes through a tough time, not only are they hurting, but they are also lost. They don’t know the way out. They are disoriented. If you have compassion, you will walk alongside people until they arrive at a better day.
Lastly, compassion can be sharing Jesus. People need the basics. They need food and shelter. They also need hope. They need a future. They need forgiveness of sins and the assurance that their life matters. They need a vision for life beyond this life. They need Jesus. If you have compassion, if you are willing to share the pain of other people, if you are willing to walk with them until they arrive at a better day, you may discover that the kindest thing you can do for them is to tell them about Jesus.
In our sermon this Sunday, we will look at how we can share Jesus out of compassion.