A short lesson about COMPASSION

I heard a sermon given at a pastors' conference about human trafficking ~children being slipped out of their home countries to another country to be sold and raped multiple times.

It is bad enough that they were illegally "shipped" to another country to be raped there. The image the speaking pastor painted in the listeners' mind was tragic. Sixty young girls shipped out in a small "container". Before they even reach their destination, thirty of the young girls have already died. After "serving" as sex slaves for multiple men, these 30 young girls were then shipped to another place and on their way out at sea, there was a group of coast guards on the ship's path and fearing that they would be checked or questioned, they threw all 30 young girls into the sea to drown. Only 5 survived.

!!!!!

Truly, who would not be moved by this tragic story?
Truly, it would evoke compassion in the hearers' hearts.

But what is COMPASSION?
Is it compassion to feel sorry for these young children?
Is it compassion to shed tears for the plight of these children?


I love how the pastor used the verse in Luke 14:

"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind" (Luke 14:13)

Too many times, we throw banquets and invite only our friends, brothers, sisters, relatives and rich neighbors.

Whereas, Luke 14:12 says:
"Then Jesus said to the host,"When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends or brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, if you do, they may invite you back and you will be repaid"

And this pastor, he said:
                 "Let us spiritualize and argue~I think it means a "banquet of the heart". I think it's a heart attitude~you walk by the poor and you go: "I'm having roast beef with you in my heart"

!!!!

So true.
Is this compassion?
Is it compassion to feel at the bottom of your heart that you would like to share a meal with the poor?
Is it compassion to say it in your mind that you are enjoying roast beef in your mind with the crippled or the blind?

Compassion is not COMPASSION until you actually do something about it.


Until you actually take a step to help rescue young girls from human trafficking.
Until you actually share a real meal with the poor, the blind, the crippled....
Until you actually move and take action for the good of the less fortunate
Then that is COMPASSION.