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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Jesus Was Compassionate (4/4)
To be Christ-like is to be Christian. To be Christ-like is to posses the attributes of Christ. To be Christ-like is also to be one of God's own. Paul challenged others "…imitate me even as I also imitate Christ." (1 Corinthians 11.1). Christians will be compassionate just as Christ was compassionate – in areas of benevolence as well as spiritual matters. Christians will demonstrate that compassion in the spiritual arena is one of our highest priorities.
Peter wrote, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3.8-9). As an inspired apostle, Peter's instructions originated from exactly the same source as did Paul's. So the command to have compassion for one another is a command of Christ. Those who would be Christ-like must take this passage into account; but more succinctly, those who would inherit the blessings of God's children must take this command into their hearts!
"You were called to this," Peter said. Peter knew what it was to be called. He and his brother, Andrew, had been fishermen before meeting the Messiah. However, Jesus placed demands on their lives, demands that required them to lay down their nets; Jesus called them to follow Him and to become fishers of men. The inspired text says when Peter and Andrew received this call, "They immediately left their nets and followed Him." (Matthew 4.18-20). Others received the same call and reacted in the same way (e.g. James and John; Matthew 4.21-22). To be called to follow Christ was and is to be Christ-like.
The manner may be different today, but the intentions are the same. Christians, individually and collectively, are called upon to follow Christ; to follow Christ is to show deep and abiding compassion for others. Someone has said "charity starts at home" and that may well be true, but it is certain that compassion starts here. How can we profess to love God when we fail to love our brothers? John asked that precise question in his first general epistle (1 John 4.20). Loving one another (that is, loving the brotherhood of believers), is fundamental to being Christ-like; it is a step that simply cannot be omitted. One can no more be Christ-like and fail to have compassion than one could be God-like and fail to be good!
Perhaps it was this reality that prompted Christ to portray some graphic scenes at judgment in Matthew 25. The scenes depict some people entering into eternal bliss and others entering into eternal damnation. In these scenes, the difference in the lost and the saved was not in theological understanding or whether or not they took correct doctrinal positions; the difference was in how they demonstrated (or failed to demonstrate) compassion. This is in keeping with the point that compassion is fundamental to being Christian. If we miss that point, the rest is pointless!
The image of Christ that is consistent with truth is an image that derives from the biblical description of Christ. Other images are fanciful products of the human mind and have little or no relationship to reality. The authentic image of Christ is one that starts and ends with deep and abiding compassion! Believers walk in His footsteps!
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