Do you know a God of compassion?

Some years ago, I wanted to make a phone call to another city. This was back before we had mobile phones so I needed to use a phone booth. Most phone booths were managed by someone who would collect the money. After my call, I looked around to find this person but I couldn’t see anyone. A moment later someone gently tugged my trouser and at my feet I saw a woman no higher than my knees. I was surprised to see this lame woman being in charge of the phone booth, as back then in my city, most disabled people I’d met made their living by begging. I went on my knees and came down to the woman’s eye level. I wanted to encourage her and tell her how much I admired her service. Her body was disabled but I could see she had purpose in her life.

Yeshu longs to restore broken people. Whether our brokenness is physical or emotional, he stretches out his hand of healing to us. Watch what Yeshu did over 2000 years ago to a man who had suffered, and yet waited persistently.

⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” ⁹ And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. ¹⁰ So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” John 5:8-10

Yeshu asked this man to take action. His obedience to this instruction demonstrated his faith and as soon as he acted he was healed! Even the tiniest move of his leg was faith in action. The man knew both of his legs were lame, yet he acted in faith and he was healed.

Yeshu was more interested in restoring this man’s broken life than following traditional rules.

Questions

• Yeshu healed many thousands of people during his time on earth. What does this tell us about him?
• Have you ever encountered Yeshu’s compassion?
• What do you think we need to do to encounter this compassion?
• How did the lame man’s obedience help him to discover Yeshu’s compassion?

Final thoughts

Yeshu is still in the business of healing people today! He is looking for people who are willing to take the smallest step of faith like the lame man. Disability is not just a physical condition, it can be a condition of the soul. Discover today that God is compassionate towards you.