Moved With Compassion

The most deplorable, the most outcast of Jewish society knelt before the Miracle Worker. The man’s statement was not a request, but a declaration of faith: “If You are willing, You can make me clean” (Mark 1:40). Mark is the only gospel writer that gives us an insight as to the motivation of the Master for his cleansing touch upon the body and life of the leper. He expresses that Jesus was “moved with compassion” (Mark 1:41), stirred in the deep emotional recesses of His being.

What does it mean to be “moved with compassion?”

It had been a wonderful day of worship at the church where I was serving on staff. Following the Sunday evening service, my young family and I had enjoyed an excursion to McDonalds with young people and youth sponsors. After returning home, I was sitting on the couch in our family room and Rebekah, our oldest and about four years old at the time, walked in from the kitchen. As she came toward me she said with a pained look, “Daddy, I don’t feel so good!”

I cupped my hands just in time to catch most of the little explosion that erupted from her little tummy. My regret in that moment was that my hands were full and I could not wrap my arms around her to give her comfort. My next thought was—that in a heartbeat—I would gladly have exchanged places with my little girl if it would have spared her this pain and little indignity.

I was “moved with compassion.” It is only a thumbnail of the compassion with which Jesus is moved for us, but it gives me an idea. In the deep emotional recesses of His being He has a complete understanding of our pain and distress, and whenever and with whatever we come to Jesus, we know that His hands are NOT full, and He can wrap His arms around us!