Let’s explore in depth how God’s “compassion” relates to miracles and healing. Prayerfully meditate and journal through the 12 verses below, recording what God reveals to you concerning compassion. The underlined words in the verses are the translation of Strong’s word numbered G4697 (Splagchnizomai) which is the Greek word for “compassion.”

This word is only found in Matthew, Mark and Luke. John either does not specifically address these stories, or if he does, he does not address the heart motivation. It is not that John uses a different word other than “compassion.”

You will note in each of the verses the following pattern: They saw a need and felt deeply to meet it, and so acted in an appropriate way to meet the need. In several of these stories, it is also stated that there was a release of God’s mercy into the person’s life (e.g. Luke 10:37 is one example of this). So once again we see miracles are not earned but a result of God’s glory and mercy.

  1. Kingdom preaching and healing: “Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:35-36 NASB)
  2. Healing: “When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.” (Matt. 14:14 NASB)
  3. Food multiplied: “And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, ‘I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.’” (Matt. 15:32 NASB)
  4. Debt forgiven: “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.” (Matt. 18:27 NASB)
  5. Healing: “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.” (Matt. 20:34 NASB)
  6. Healing: “Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’” (Mk. 1:41 NASB)
  7. Kingdom preaching and teaching: “When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” (Mk. 6:34 NASB)
  8. Food multiplied: “I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat.” (Mk. 8:2 NASB)
  9. Deliverance: “And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (Mk. 9:22 NKJV)
  10. Resurrection: “When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’” (LK. 7:13 NASB)
  11. Sacrificial gift: “But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion.” (LK. 10:33 NASB)
  12. Mercy: “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Lk. 15:20 NASB)

Personal Application Journaling

Lord, what do You want to show me concerning compassion? What is its role? What does it accomplish? How do You want to deepen compassion in my life? How am I to release compassion on the streets as You did? What needs to change within me for this to happen? Please perform any necessary changes within so I can walk and live as You did.