Filled With Compassion

In the most recent general conference, Elder Soares spoke about the compassion of the Savior. He said, “The scriptures have countless examples of how the Savior, moved by His deep and abiding compassion, interacted with people of His day and helped those who were suffering and those who had ‘fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.’ He extended His merciful hand to those who needed relief from their burdens, both physically and spiritually.” Indeed, many accounts of the Savior’s life in the New Testament speak of His compassion. Matthew recorded, “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:35-36). Everywhere He went He blessed and healed and was moved with compassion towards those in need. Another verse reads this way: “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14). Before miraculously providing bread to the multitude He gave His reason for wanting to do so: “I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way” (Matthew 15:32). He didn’t do it to show forth His power or bring glory to Himself; He did it because He had compassion on the people. That is surely one of the lessons from that story that we should remember, that with love and compassion as our motivation we can do great things to help and serve others.  

Other scripture stories similarly show us the compassion of the Savior. When two blind men cried out to Him, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David,” He did just that. We read, “So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him” (Matthew 20:34). On another occasion when a leper came to Him seeking help, “Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean” (Mark 1:41). When He came to Nain and beheld the only son of a widow there carried out dead, “He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother” (Luke 7:13-15). Again, the miracle was not for show or to bring glory to Himself; it was done out of pure compassion for this weeping woman. Among the Nephites He similarly showed His great compassion for the people. After His first day teaching among them He was about to leave and “he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them. And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.” I love His questions to them and to us: “Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy” (3 Nephi 17:6-7). That is the Savior we love and worship—one filled with compassion and healing towards all who will come unto Him.

I love how Abinadi described the Savior to King Noah: “Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice” (Mosiah 15:9). He is full of compassion that flows forth from His perfect love for His Father and all of His Father’s children. Elder Soares suggested, “Jesus’s compassionate acts were not occasional or mandated manifestations based on a list of tasks to be completed but everyday expressions of the reality of His pure love for God and His children and His abiding desire to help them.” His life filled with merciful acts and loving kindness is a powerful reminder to us to try to likewise show mercy and love and compassion to all those around us.