Heart of Compassion

My brothers often joke that I run towards danger, saying, "If a country is in war, she's on her way there." This is somewhat accurate, although the purpose behind my desire to visit these war-torn places is often overlooked.  Truthfully, I love adventure and I am a thrill seeker, but I don't see thrills in war. I see broken people. I see people who are losing loved ones, homes, and hope.  I see people in need of compassion and love. That's what's most important, not the place nor the conditions, but the people. My eagerness in going to these countries is not the thrill of danger, but a love for the people being affected by the turmoil around them. Most of them can't get away, so why not go to them?

In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus tells his disciples to pray for laborers to be sent into His harvest. This verse is often quoted with little regard to the context. Indeed, there is a need for laborers, but there is an even greater need for laborers with compassion.  Verse 35 and 36 say,

"Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."

Did you get it? "He was moved with compassion for them." Then comes verses 37 and 38:

"Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

I am convinced that we need more laborers in the harvest, but I am even more convinced that it is detrimental to send laborers who lack compassion. For too long, nations have been wounded by Christians who chose to judge them rather than love them. It was this type of judgment that the religious leaders of Jesus' time slung at the multitude. The people had judgmental leaders, but no shepherd, no voice of compassion, no voice of love. Jesus was that voice for them. In John 12:47, Jesus explains that He did not come to judge the world but to save it. I believe that salvation ultimately comes from love. Love is the driving force that sent our Savior to the cross. If judgment had been His purpose, we all would be condemned and none would be saved. So, let's remember that love drew us to the cross and into the arms of the blameless One who took our judgment upon Himself. Then, let's turn around and offer that love to those around us. And finally, as we pray for the salvation of the nations, let's pray for the laborers to be sent and that these sent laborers would carry a heart of compassion as Jesus did.

Getting Back to Purity

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” –Matthew 5:8

This is a beautiful promise that has captured my heart the last few days. The pure in heart shall see God. How exciting! As I pondered this, I wondered what it looks like to be pure. It’s not just the chastity model so many of us have learned, nor is it all about abstinence or determining how far is too far sexually. Purity of heart goes deeper than sexual purity, and while sexual purity starts in the heart, true purity encompasses much more than this. Jesus teaches that what one speaks comes from his heart and defiles a man (Matt 15:18), and Paul admonishes us not to allow unwholesome talk to escape our mouths since this violates purity. At another time, Jesus compares harboring unjust anger towards one’s brother to the Old Testament command about murder saying, both will lead to “danger of the judgment” (Matt 5:21-22).  This, too, violates purity, and there are many other violations of purity noted throughout the Scriptures. With each of these issues, purity is not necessarily about abstinence or pushing boundaries. Purity ultimately is a condition of the heart. 

I believe that the secret of living with a pure heart is found in Matt. 6:1-4. In these verses, Jesus warns the multitude of doing good deeds before an audience as many of the religious people did at the time. He encourages them that the Father will reward a good deed done in secret, and it’s a far better reward than the momentary praise of men.  This passage speaks of motives.  Ask yourself: what is the motive of your heart in pursuing purity? Is it to please your family, significant other, or pastor? Is it to follow the “rules” to ensure you have a place in heaven? Are you trying to put on a good show for those around you? Or are you honestly living to please God? How you answer the motive question will determine whether you are truly pursuing purity or living for a fleeting reward. If you are truly living to please the Father, then purity will no longer be a matter of what you can or can’t do. You won’t even want to go near those things if you think for a second that you could bring displeasure to His heart by engaging in them. Walking with a pure heart is seeking to please the Father in whatever you do.  This leads to the fulfilled promise of seeing His face. 

Psalm 24 speaks of a generation that will seek the face of the LORD, a generation who has clean hands and a pure heart, the generation of Jacob.  This generation will be pursuers and lovers of purity made up of those who have counted the cost and still find Him worthy. When we pursue purity, we pursue the heart of Jesus for He is the only one truly undefiled. Jesus lived to please the Father, and in doing so, He walked untainted within this world. He didn’t compromise for the sake of relevance, but, in staying true to the call of the Father, He walked in obedience and stood out as one man among the nations of the known world.  Like Jesus, we all have a unique calling and destiny, and our walks of purity are going to be unique to how we are created by God, which is why it’s important for us to understand that purity doesn’t look one way. The Bible does point us on the same path towards purity with the stipulations and warnings it notes, and, along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we should seriously consider and apply the prescriptions found in the Bible. Even so, the application may not look the same for everyone, and that’s where the understanding of purity draws us back to our motives.  Purity looks like seeking to please God within the realm and community He has placed you. You express one aspect of God that no other person can, and you are beautiful in your uniqueness. Be that expression of God within that community without being afraid to stand out. Seek to please Him among whatever people He has placed you.
  
There is a line being drawn in the sand, and the people of God will have to choose where we will stand. We can no longer compromise, but, like Jesus, we can still remain relevant. He wasn’t relevant in the way the people desired, but He was still relevant through His obedience, and it changed the history of the world. Let’s follow the example of Jesus, and get back to true purity.