ἐσπλαγχνίσθη
If you copy and paste that Greek word into Google it will tell you it means….
COMPASSION
This word is found in many accounts that speak of Jesus’ dealings with humanity.
Let’s look at one example – although I pray we study them all.
Let us not simply read.
Let us meditate on the word of God.
Let it be written on the tablets of our hearts.
Matthew 14:14.
When He (Jesus) went ashore, He saw a great crowd; and He had compassion for them and healed their sick.
ἐσπλαγχνίσθη
This word is found smack dab right in the middle of that verse – “He had compassion.”
It was what moved Him.
COMPASSION
Often, I think we use compassion and empathy interchangeably – but they are not the same.
Empathy is my ability to take the perspective of someone else. I understand how they feel in a given situation.
Biblical compassion, however, is when those feelings and thoughts include my desire to do something. It’s my desire to walk out God’s will in a given situation. To know His heart on the matter, and to let that move my heart – my mouth – and my feet.
Compassion is a Latin word.
It has two parts: Com – Passion.
Com means “With.”
Passion means “To suffer.”
It is why the church calls Jesus crucifixion…
“The Passion of the Christ”
(Passion from the Latin verb patior, passus sum; “to suffer, bear, endure”, from which also “patience, patient”)
Add Com and Passion together to make Compassion and you have a word that literally means “To suffer with. To feel another’s suffering.”
It is “The suffering of Christ.”
ἐσπλαγχνίσθη is what Jesus had for that crowd that day.
His passion for us, HIS COMPASSION for us is why He came!
So back to Matthew 14:14
This is also the day Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded. That day he needed to get away to grieve and find some solitude. The day he wanted to get alone with God – but the crowd relentlessly pursued Him.
Instead of getting frustrated or angry with the crowd, Jesus sees them and has – ἐσπλαγχνίσθη – compassion on the crowd.
Jesus sees their suffering and takes it upon himself. He literally feels their pain and anguish. He experiences their suffering – and then He healed them.
The Greek word – ἐσπλαγχνίσθη actually is MUCH BIGGER than just the English word COMPASSION.
Compassion is simply the closest thing we have to the word ἐσπλαγχνίσθη.
ἐσπλαγχνίσθη is a verb that literally means…
“To be moved in one’s bowels”
To literally be moved in your guts.
To feel so deeply, it’s in the depth of your being.
You know the feeling. I think we all have felt it before. Not on Jesus’ level, but on the human level. When we see another human being’s situation, experience, or feelings and we have a bodily reaction…we are moved by them.
We FEEL their suffering.
We suffer WITH them.
Jesus loves the addict.
He loves the prostitute.
He loves the stripper.
He loves the pimp.
He loves the trick.
He loves the thief.
He loves the gang banger.
He loves the confused.
But His compassion isn’t reserved just for them.
He loves the banker.
He loves the CEO.
He loves the teacher.
He loves the stockbroker.
He loves the rockstar.
He loves the actor.
He loves the atheist.
He loves the Buddhist.
He loves the witch and warlock.
He loves the fallen pastor.
He loves the corrupt politician.
He loves the lost.
He loves them all.
If He didn’t…
NONE OF US WOULD BE SAVED.
Do we have ἐσπλαγχνίσθη?
Do we approach the lost with ἐσπλαγχνίσθη?
Are we moved to the core of our being to see them saved and set free?
Or are we just disgusted at their behavior?
When we forget all that Jesus has saved us from, it’s easy to become prideful. It’s easy to be disgusted. It’s easy to see them in our flesh.
Do we even treat other believers with love and biblical compassion? I’ve certainly been guilty of not.
Lord, please forgive me.
When we stop, and ask Jesus to break our hearts, for what breaks His – everything changes.
It changes.
When we love like Him – we can then, and only then – truly do His works.
Love is our greatest power.
Love fuels the burning flame of COMPASSION.
To learn more about Heidi and her Kingdom passion, visit Kingdom Come Home
Featured Image by James Chan from Pixabay
