When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. – MARK 6:34

Splachnizomai – it’s the Greek word for compassion.

It means to have your stomach turn with emotion. It’s when your heart skips a beat. It’s that feeling that you get when you haven’t eaten all day and you see a piece of pumpkin pie WITH whipped cream.

Ok, maybe not that last one, but the idea here is to have a physical reaction to an emotional truth.

And Jesus, when He gets off the boat onto the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He looks at the people around Him and He has compassion – splachnizomai – He has a physical reaction to an emotional truth. He cares for this group of people with His whole being.

This isn’t some childish “check yes or no” kind of love. This isn’t just some academic understanding of love.
This is a love that makes His heart skip a beat, it makes His insides turn.

He looks at this crowd and sees that they are lost with no shepherd, there is no one leading them or protecting them, or caring for them. He sees them and cares so much that His love is turned to action. Seeing them without a shepherd, he teaches them.

As I think through this verse, a few thoughts and questions come to mind:

When is the last time my initial reaction to people I didn’t know was compassion? What if instead of thinking bad thoughts of the person who slammed on their breaks in front of me, what if I had compassion? Or the lady at the grocery store who was taking WAY TO LONG to check out my items. What if I looked at her with compassion?

When is the last time that I realized the profoundness of Jesus having compassion on ME? He sees my sinfulness. He sees your sinfulness. He knows that we do not have the patience of saints. He sees us lost without someone leading, without someone to protect us. He sees us and His compassion moves Him to teach us, to love us, to die for us. He CARES FOR US. He cares for you! SO MUCH.

Jesus follower, if you are going to follow Jesus, your heart should turn the way His turns. Your compassion should show the way His shows. But showing starts with experiencing.

As you consider this verse and this devotion this week, reflect on these questions:

1. In what area of your life have you experienced Jesus’ compassion?

2. How can you show compassion to those around you?

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