Photo of a painting by Nahum Samuel Tetteh while he attended Winona State University in Minnesota. The painting was shown as part of a display of his art at the church I was serving, McKinley United Methodist.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36

It must have been the language of sorrow that drew so many hurting people to Jesus. People who knew they didn’t measure up to society’s expectation of who they were supposed to be. The first time I sat down and read straight through the gospels*, I was struck by the many times I read, “and Jesus had compassion for them.”

Christ’s compassion is that open door of love which binds up the wounds of a suffering world. It is that compassion which both surrounds us and propels us to live our lives in a similar way, opening doors of grace to others who have also suffered along life’s way. None of us can be Jesus, but all of us can use the example of love he showed us in our relationships and in our attitude toward those who are not in our circle.

How much richer our world is because Jesus entered into it, suffering with us. How much richer will our world be when all of us, together, join in binding the wounds of a broken world.

* “The Gospels” refers to the Biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John which are found in the New Testament portion of the Bible.  They contain the words of Jesus and tell about his life, death and resurrection.